Picture this, you’ve made the decision to buy a .com.au domain, found the perfect domain name, got halfway through the registration procedure and then hit a little snag…you don’t have an ABN (Australian Business Number).
This scenario has no doubt played out for thousands of would-be .com.au domain owners. It can be rather deflating thinking you’ve found a great domain, only to find out you can’t actually register it…or can you? Let’s find out how to get a .com.au domain without an ABN.
Can I Register A .com.au Domain Without An ABN?
The answer to this question is Yes! Well…it’s a yes with some massive caveats.
It’s true that you can register a .com.au domain without an ABN but there’s no getting around the fact you still need to supply some type of Australian business or trademark number for the registration to be successful. This has been true ever since the 1990s when .com.au domain name registrations first became available to the public.
If you don’t have an ABN then let’s take a look at what other options are available to you. It’s important though to first establish what the domain requirements for .com.au are.
.com.au Domain Requirements
To successfully register a .com.au domain, you need to be:
- a commercial entity; and
- the requested domain name must be a close or exact match to the entity’s name or the services the entity provides.
That’s the very short version of the .com.au domain eligibility requirements so we would recommend reading the full .com.au licensing rules found on the .au Domain Administration (auDA) website, which is the governing body of all .com.au domains.
This basically means that if you wanted to register the domain bobsplumbing.com.au, your entity business name would need to be Bobs Plumbing or very similar, such as your entity name is Bob Smith and you operate a plumbing business.
A commercial entity can include an incorporated company, body or association. It must be incorporated Australia wide or in an Australian state/territory.
If you are an incorporated commercial entity, you’ll need to supply an ID number as proof. Whilst an ABN is the most popular option, it’s not the only option. An ACN (Australian Company Number) is also valid plus a registration number for an incorporated association in a state, such as Victoria, is acceptable too.
A commercial entity can also be an individual, trust or partnership that has been issued an ABN for tax purposes, like a sole trader.
One last definition of a commercial entity is a holder of an Australian registered trademark. This is usually how international businesses register .com.au domains, something we go over in our how to buy a domain in Australia article.
To confirm, you can register a .com.au domain name without an ABN by using one of the following IDs:
- Australian Company Number
- Australian Trademark Number
- Incorporated Association Registration Number
Chances are if you don’t have an ABN, you probably don’t have any of the other options either. If this is you then what can you do?
Find Your .com.au Domain
Speak With A Friend Or Family Member
Whilst we don’t recommend this option, if you have a close friend or family member who has access to an ABN then you could ask them to register the domain on your behalf, whilst keeping your contact details listed as the administrator of the domain so that you still have a connection.
The reason why we wouldn’t recommend using a friend to register a .com.au domain on your behalf is because it technically doesn’t comply with the .com.au licensing rules, as laid out by the governing body for .com.au.
Another reason is that if the relationship sours, the other party will legally own a domain and website that’s very potentially valuable to you. You don’t want to find yourself in this situation so let’s investigate some better options.
Perhaps a .au Domain Or Another Domain Extension Is Better For You?
The .au domain name was officially released in 2022 and is a valid alternative for people who don’t have an ABN but still want to register an Australian domain.
To register a .au domain, you’ll need an ID number but instead of it being business related, it can be a personal ID number. Something like an Australian driver’s license or passport number is completely valid for .au domains.
Alternatively, if having a strictly Australian domain isn’t required, you could opt for a global domain like .com as these don’t have requirements and can be registered by just about anyone.
Due to the open nature and popularity of .com, chances are the .com.au domain you want to register probably isn’t available in the .com variation. In that case, you could opt for another global domain, such as .online, .shop or .site.
How To Get An ABN?
If you’re fed up with all these half-options and just want to register a .com.au domain as easily as possible, getting an ABN is probably your best option. You can double check if you’re eligible on the ABN Entitlement page, found on the Australian Business Register (ABR) website. Individuals shouldn’t have any issues registering as being a sole trader is a valid option.
If you would like to get an ABN, please use the Applying for an ABN area of the ABR website.
Register Your .com.au Domain
Whilst the answer to the ‘Can I register a .com.au domain without an ABN?’ question is yes, you’re still going to need to supply some other type of restricted ID number before you can successfully register a .com.au domain.
Hopefully, this article has given you some valuable information you didn’t know before and you know now how best to proceed with your .com.au domain registration.
