Domain Name Restrictions

Certain domain names have restrictions imposed by their registries. This means that they can only be used by specific people or companies, or for a specific purpose.

Please note the following restrictions that apply to certain domain names:

.uk .uk domain names are generally available on a first-come, first-served basis, subject to availability and Nominet's registration policies. The former reservation period for existing .co.uk and .org.uk registrants ended in 2019.
.me.uk Are intended to be only used for personal usage, not commercial use.
.ltd.uk Only Limited UK companies with a valid Companies House registration number.
.plc.uk Only Publicly Limited UK companies with a valid Companies House registration No.
.net.uk Only intended for NIC (Network Information Centre), NOC (Network Operations Centre), and other administrative use, and users are required to be Internet Service Providers (ISPs).

Please also note the following general domain name restrictions:

  • Each part of a domain name between dots can contain up to 63 characters. Registry-specific minimum and maximum lengths may also apply.
  • Standard domain names use the letters 'a' to 'z', the numbers '0' to '9' and hyphens. Some extensions also support internationalised domain names.
  • You can use a hyphen ("-") to separate words (example.com).
  • Domains cannot begin or end with a hyphen, nor can they contain spaces or other punctuation.
  • There are restrictions on minimum and maximum lengths.
  • Domains are not case-sensitive; all domains are considered to be lowercase.