.uk domain name: who can register one and what the rules are
Published on November 11, 2026 10 min read
Anyone can register a .uk or .co.uk domain, also outside the UK. The Nominet rules, transfers, renewals and how to use .uk with LJPc hosting.
A .uk domain name is the country code domain of the United Kingdom. Anyone can register one, wherever you live: you do not need an address or a business in the UK. You choose a short name directly under .uk, such as yourdomain.uk, or a familiar option such as .co.uk, register it with a registrar that works with Nominet, and then connect it to your website and email at LJPc hosting.
This article covers the different .uk options, who can register them, the naming rules, how registering, transferring and renewing work, and how to use your .uk domain with LJPc hosting. Nominet has announced that .uk moves to a new registry system on 9 February 2027; where that changes things, we say so.
What is a .uk domain name?
.uk is the domain extension of the United Kingdom, in the same way that .nl is the extension of the Netherlands. The official country code of the United Kingdom is GB, but its domain extension is .uk. You can read how that came about in the history of domain names.
The register of all .uk names is run by Nominet, the official .uk registry, based in Oxford. Nominet is a public benefit company: it runs .uk for the wider good and works with its members, the registrars. You register a .uk name through a registrar, which passes your application on to Nominet. Nominet also runs .cymru and .wales, among others, and has its own dispute procedure for .uk names, the Dispute Resolution Service.
.uk, .co.uk or .org.uk: which options are there?
There are several options under .uk. Some are open to everyone, others only to a specific group:
| Extension | Intended for | Who can register it? |
|---|---|---|
| .uk | Anyone who wants to be associated with the United Kingdom, with a short name such as yourdomain.uk | Anyone |
| .co.uk | Businesses and commercial purposes | Anyone, the purpose is guidance only |
| .org.uk | Not-for-profit organisations, such as charities and community groups | Anyone, the purpose is guidance only |
| .me.uk | Personal websites | Individuals only, not businesses or organisations |
| .ltd.uk and .plc.uk | UK limited companies and public limited companies | Only companies on the Companies House register, with a name derived from the company name |
| .net.uk and .sch.uk | Internet service provider networks and UK schools | Only those groups |
Each option is a separate registration. Owning yourdomain.co.uk does not give you yourdomain.uk, or the other way round. If you want both, register both.
Who can register a .uk domain?
Any person or organisation can register a .uk, .co.uk or .org.uk domain, wherever they live or are based. Nominet registers names on a first come, first served basis. Since 2018 you no longer need a UK address for service, not even for a name directly under .uk. For .me.uk, .ltd.uk, .plc.uk, .net.uk and .sch.uk the extra requirements in the table above apply.
Your details must stay correct for as long as you hold the domain, so Nominet can reach you quickly. If anything changes, such as your address or company name, pass it on to your registrar straight away.
Checks on your name and address
Nominet checks the name and address of registrants against third-party data sources. If that does not work and something looks wrong, Nominet or your registrar will ask you for proof, such as a utility bill or another document showing your name and address. If your details cannot be confirmed, Nominet can suspend the domain. So enter your name and address exactly as they appear on your documents, and reply quickly if you receive such a request.
What are the naming rules for .uk?
Under Nominet's rules of registration:
- Characters. You can use the letters a to z, the digits 0 to 9 and the hyphen. Nominet does not register accented letters or other scripts.
- Hyphens. A name cannot start or end with a hyphen, and cannot start with xn--.
- Length. The full domain name, including the extension, can be at most 64 characters. With .co.uk, that part counts too.
- Reserved words. The names com and uk are reserved. Under .co.uk, .org.uk, .me.uk and .net.uk, the names of existing options such as co, org and ltd are reserved as well.
- Upper and lower case. Domain names are not case sensitive: YourDomain.uk is the same name as yourdomain.uk.
You register a .uk domain for one to ten years at a time, and you can renew it for several years as well.
When is a .uk domain the right choice?
According to Google's guidelines for multi-regional websites, a country code domain is a strong signal that a site is meant for that country. .uk is not on Google's list of country code domains it treats as generic, so a site on .uk or .co.uk counts as a site for the United Kingdom. Here is how to choose:
| Your situation | Our advice |
|---|---|
| You have customers or an office in the United Kingdom | Put your site for UK visitors on a .co.uk or .uk domain |
| You want to secure your name in the UK but have no separate UK site | Register .co.uk or .uk as well and redirect it to your main site |
| Your customers are mainly in the Netherlands | Choose a .nl domain as your main domain |
| You want one address for all of Europe | Look at a .eu domain |
To send a second domain to your main site properly, see redirect a domain to another website.
How to register a .uk domain
- Use Nominet's domain lookup to see whether the name is still available. If it is taken, it also shows which registrar manages it.
- Choose a registrar from Nominet's list of registrars. It includes companies in the UK and elsewhere, each with its tag, the code that identifies a registrar at Nominet. Prices and terms are on the registrar's own website.
- Register the name in your own name or your organisation's name, with your own address and an email address that already works, and choose a term of one to ten years.
- Enter the name servers your domain should point to. If you host with LJPc, these are our name servers, as explained below.
- Reply to any request from Nominet or your registrar to verify your details.
Connect your .uk domain to your website and email at LJPc
Your .uk domain stays with your registrar, and we take care of your website and email. Here is how to connect it:
- Open the order wizard in the customer portal, choose I already have one at another registrar and enter your domain, for example yourdomain.co.uk. No account yet? Create one first.
- Choose Keep domain elsewhere, connect hosting here.
- Pick your hosting or redirect package and complete the order. LJPc then creates a DNS zone for your domain.
- Log in to your registrar and set the name servers of your .uk domain to
ns1.ljpc.network,ns2.ljpc.networkandns3.ljpc.network. See change your name servers for how this works.
Prefer to keep DNS at your registrar? Then add individual records there that point to your hosting with us, as described in point your domain to LJPc hosting. If DNSSEC is enabled for your .uk domain, have the DS record removed before you change the name servers; what is DNSSEC explains why. After the change, the new information still has to spread across the internet, as described in DNS propagation. For other things to check, such as email hosted elsewhere, see register a domain and link it to your hosting.
Transferring a .uk domain to another registrar
You can always move your .uk domain to another registrar. The process changes on 9 February 2027:
| Until 9 February 2027 | From 9 February 2027 | |
|---|---|---|
| How it works | With a tag: the domain is moved to your new registrar's tag (often called an IPS tag change). | With a transfer code, which Nominet calls a Transfer Authorisation Code. |
| What you do | Ask your new registrar for its tag, then ask your current registrar to move the domain to that tag. | Ask your current registrar for the transfer code and give it to your new registrar. |
| What your current registrar does | Changes the domain to the new tag. | Gives you the code within five days at no charge, and removes any transfer lock it has set within five days. |
| How long it takes | Usually a few minutes. If your new registrar accepts transfers manually, it has up to five days to do so. | Immediately, once your new registrar enters the correct code. The code is valid for 14 days. |
Until 9 February 2027, if your current registrar cannot do it, you can move the domain yourself in your Nominet Online Services account using Change Registrar. You log in with the email address of the domain's admin contact. Nominet charges a fee of 10 pounds plus VAT for this.
After the transfer, check that your name servers still point to the right place. With LJPc hosting these are ns1, ns2 and ns3.ljpc.network, so your website and email keep working. Not sure which registrar your domain is with? See who manages your domain. For transfers with a transfer code in general, see get a transfer code and move your domain.
Changing the registrant of a .uk domain
If you sell your business or want to put the domain in someone else's name, ask your registrar for a change of registrant. If your registrar cannot do it, until 9 February 2027 you can start the transfer yourself in Nominet Online Services. The new registrant receives an email and has five days to accept. For more on what a change of registrant involves, see change the owner of a domain.
Who can see the registrant of a .uk domain?
Nominet's public WHOIS only shows the registrant's name and address if the registrant has agreed to it. Without that consent, it still shows the registrar, the name servers and the key dates. For what WHOIS data is and how to update it for your own domains, see manage the WHOIS data of your domain.
What happens if you do not renew a .uk domain?
Renew your .uk domain on time through your registrar, so your website and email on that domain keep working. What happens after the expiry date also changes on 9 February 2027:
| Until 9 February 2027 | From 9 February 2027 |
|---|---|
| One day after expiry, Nominet sends you a reminder. | Your registrar only renews with your consent. Without it, the registrar deletes the domain within 45 days of expiry, and must tell you in advance how and when it does this. |
| 30 days after expiry, the domain is suspended: your website and email stop working. | After deletion you have 30 days to restore the domain through your registrar, for only the cost of the renewal. Your website and email do not work during that time. |
| You can still renew through your registrar up to 90 days after expiry. | If you do not restore it, there are five more days in which nothing can be changed. |
| 95 days after expiry, the domain is deleted and the name is available to anyone. | After that, the name is available to anyone. |
Nominet publishes .uk names that are about to be released on a public drop list, with the time they become available. For what a backorder is and how it works for the extensions LJPc registers, see domain backorder. For how expired domains work for other extensions, see expired domain and quarantine.
Want to connect your .uk domain to your LJPc hosting and need a hand? Create a support ticket and we will help you out.
Frequently asked questions
Can I register a .uk domain if I do not live in the UK?
Yes. Any person or organisation can register a .uk, .co.uk or .org.uk domain, wherever they live or are based. You do not need a UK address. You register the name through a registrar that works with Nominet.
What is the difference between .uk and .co.uk?
With .uk you get a short name directly under the country extension, such as yourdomain.uk. .co.uk is intended for businesses, but anyone can register one. They are separate registrations: owning yourdomain.co.uk does not give you yourdomain.uk.
Do I need a transfer code to move a .uk domain?
Not until 9 February 2027. Until then you ask your current registrar to move the domain to your new registrar's tag, the code that identifies a registrar at Nominet. From 9 February 2027 you transfer a .uk domain with a transfer code, which your current registrar must give you within five days at no charge and which is valid for 14 days.
Is my name visible in the WHOIS of a .uk domain?
Only if you have agreed to it. Without your consent, Nominet's WHOIS does not show your name and address, but it does show the registrar, the name servers and the key dates of the domain.
Can I use my .uk domain for my website and email at LJPc hosting?
Yes. In the customer portal order wizard, choose I already have one at another registrar, enter your .uk or .co.uk domain and choose Keep domain elsewhere, connect hosting here. Then set the name servers at your registrar to ns1.ljpc.network, ns2.ljpc.network and ns3.ljpc.network.
What happens if I do not renew my .uk domain?
Until 9 February 2027 the domain is suspended 30 days after expiry and your website and email stop working. You can still renew through your registrar up to 90 days after expiry; after 95 days the name is available to anyone. From 9 February 2027 your registrar deletes a domain that is not renewed within 45 days, after which you have 30 days to restore it.