Change of Registrant (COR) due to invalid or expired business registration number

What is happening?

If you’ve received a notification stating that the Business ID or Registration number (generally an ABN or ACN) on your domain is invalid or needs updating, you will need to perform a Change of Registrant (CoR) on your domain. Typically, these emails will have a subject line similar to “Action Required to Update Registrant ID.”

The CoR process involves replacing the current, invalid registration number on your domain with a new, valid one.

Who is requesting this change?

These notices are issued at the request of auDA (Australian Domain Administration), not by your domain provider, such as Hosting Australia. This is a direct request from auDA to ensure all AU domains comply with the requirements for holding an AU domain name. auDA manages all domains in the AU space, including .com.AU, .net.AU, .org.AU, and others.

What happens if I dont submit a CoR?

Failure to complete a CoR may result in auDA restricting or cancelling your domain. Any restrictions applied to your domain are managed directly by auDA and are not within the control of your domain provider.

Why have I received this notice?

An invalid Registration Number is generally due to the ABN or ACN being expired. You can check which ABN is registered on your domain by performing a whois lookup. Look for the registrant and registrant ID values towards the bottom of the results, which will show the current registration number on your domain.

Next, you can check the status of the ABN on the Australian Government ABN Lookup page. On the results page, note the ABN/ACN status—it should show as active.

If the status is inactive or similar, you do not meet auDA’s eligibility requirements to hold an AU domain name, which is why you received this notification. You can view these requirements via the button below.

AU Domain Eligibility Requirements

AU Domain Whois Lookup

ABN Lookup

What do I do next?

Reply to the email you received with your updated (valid) business registration details. These will be cross-checked, and you will be notified of the next steps, if any.

Please note that in some cases, additional information may be required, such as a Statutory Declaration Form or a Transfer of Domain Name Chain of Title. You will be advised if this is necessary.

Please review the FAQs towards the bottom of this page for further details.

Review Email

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Complete & Return

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COR Processed

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Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the auDA

The .au Domain Administration (auDA) is the policy authority and industry self-regulatory body for the .au domain space. Their primary function is to manage and maintain the .au domain namespace, ensuring its security, stability, and reliability. Their website can be located here . .auDA

What are the minimum requirements to hold or register a .au domain name

To register a .au domain, you need to:

You must be an Australian individual, business, organization, or have an Australian trademark.

The domain name should be related to your name, business, or service.

- .com.au and .net.au: For businesses with an ABN or ACN.
- .org.au: For non-profits.
- .edu.au: For schools and universities.
- .gov.au: For government bodies.

Comply with auDA policies and Australian laws.

Provide accurate contact information.

Check the auDA for more details.

I don't recognise or own the ABN/ACN for my domain. How does this happen ?

The most likely reason for this issue is that the domain may have been previously registered by another entity using their ABN or ACN. The former owner might have overlooked or neglected updating the domain registration details, or they might not have known the necessity or the procedure for updating the registry information. Regardless of the reasons this may have occured the current registrant needs to ensure their details are accurate and current.

Can I register my domain using a Trust?

Trusts cannot directly register for a .au domain because the rules are designed to ensure that only certain entities can hold these domains.

For a trust to register a .au domain, it typically needs to have a business or commercial entity associated with it – (Trustee for a Trust) that has an ABN or ACN. The registration must be under the name of that business entity rather than the trust itself.

Who is responsible for ensuring my information is up to date?

As the domain registrant, you are responsible for keeping your domain registration details up to date. This includes ensuring that your contact information (such as your email address, phone number, and physical address) is accurate and current. It’s important to regularly review and update these details to avoid any issues with domain renewal, communication, or potential disputes.

Why is additional documentation required and who completes this

The Australian Domain Administration (auDA) may ask you to fill out a Chain of Title document for several reasons related to the management and transfer of domain names. Here are some common scenarios:

Ownership Verification: To verify the current ownership and historical changes in ownership of a domain name. This helps ensure that the person requesting changes or transfers has the legal right to do so.

Domain Transfer: When transferring a domain name from one owner to another, a Chain of Title document helps establish a clear history of ownership. This is especially important if there have been multiple changes in ownership over time.

The Australian Domain Administration (auDA) may ask you to fill out a statutory declaration for several key reasons:

Verification: To confirm the accuracy of ownership or other critical information related to a domain name.
Ownership Disputes: To support your claim in a domain ownership dispute.
Transfer of Ownership: To ensure the authority and accuracy of information during a domain transfer.
Policy Compliance: To comply with auDA’s regulations and prevent fraud.
Domain Restoration: To restore a canceled or suspended domain name.
Supporting Evidence: To provide legal backing for specific requests or actions related to your domain name.

The Australian Domain Administration (auDA) may ask for a trust deed to: