FAQs

1. What is a domain name?

It is a set of alphanumeric characters used to identify a particular computer on the Internet.

Each computer on the Internet has a unique numerical address called Internet Protocol Address (IP), as these addresses are difficult to remember the DNS allows a name to be used instead of the IP address and the DNS translates the Domain Name in IP addresses so that communication between the different computers connected to the Internet is possible.

In other words, a domain name is a simple form of Internet address designed to allow users to easily locate sites on the Internet.

2. What is the structure of a domain name?

A domain name consists of two or more tags separated by the “.”

Example:
midominio.com.do
midominio.do

Where:

  • The first field (mydomain) corresponds to the name, acronym or abbreviation chosen by the person or organization to which the domain name is delegated.
  • The second field (com) corresponds to the classification or subdomain under which the name is registered, depending on the use to be made of it or the preference of the end user.
  • The third field (do) corresponds to the top level domain under which the register is made.

In our case, .do are the letters assigned to the Top Level Domain for the namespace corresponding to the Dominican Republic, in the Internet Domain Name System (DNS). These letters are taken from the country code table according to ISO 3166-1 alpha 2 (standard established by the International Organization for Standardization, which defines codes for the representation of countries and their divisions).

3. What does registering a domain name mean? Why do I need it?

The Domain Name System (DNS) consists of a hierarchically organized directory of all domain names and their corresponding computers registered to a particular person or company using the Internet. When registering a domain name, it is associated with the computer on the Internet that is designated and from that computer can be implemented services on the Internet for that domain name, ie a domain name allows you to have presence on the Internet, for example, create a website, email, etc.

4. Can I register a domain name directly under .DO?

Yes, as of December 2009 NIC .DO has started registering second level domains (directly under .do).

5. Can I choose any name for my domain?

Yes, however, you must ensure that you do not violate the rights of third parties.

Regarding the domain name itself, the following should be observed:

  • The total length of the domain name must not exceed 63 characters.
  • Valid characters are numbers (0-9), English alphabet letters and hyphen (-).
  • Domain names should not begin or end with the dash (-) or carry two dashes (-) in a row.
6. What is a Registrar?

Registrars are companies that offer domain name registration services directly to the end customer. Basically they are listed as intermediaries and usually offer additional services to domain registration. Among the services offered are: find, register, renew and delete domain names; Hosting services, etc.

7. What is the procedure for registering a domain name in .DO?

To register a domain name under .do you must do it through a Registrar accredited by NIC .DO

8. Can I register a domain with a distributor that does not appear as an officially accredited Registrar?

Although NIC .DO has accredited Registrars or Resellers, there are other Registrars with the technology, knowledge and ability to offer the service of registration of domains, it is your decision to choose one or another provider. Our recommendation is to verify the references previously.

9. What is the difference between domains registered under .DO and .COM, .NET, etc.?

When registering a domain in .do, we are identifying with the Dominican Republic, technically there is no difference between registering a domain .com or .do since the Internet is global and both can be accessed from anywhere on the Internet.

10. Where can I register a .com or .net domain name without the .do at the end?

For these domains ICANN has several companies accredited. Click here for more information.

11. Who owns the domain?

When you apply for registration of a domain name, this domain is delegated to the registrant for a period of time that can be extended by renewal. Domains are not sold therefore should not be considered as a property of the applicant. However, during the time of delegation of the name, the person or organization to which the name is delegated shall be considered as the holder or registrant.

12. What is the importance of registering the data of the Domain Holder?

The owner or Registrant of a domain name is the one who is granted the rights and responsibilities for the use of the domain, by registering the actual data of the owner, we adhere to the best practices and facilitate the management of the domain.

13. How do I know that I am the owner a domain name?

Your name or your company name must appear in the information related to the Domain Name Holder or Registrant in the NIC .DO database. If this is not the case, you should contact us immediately and document the way in which you can update this information.

You can check the NIC .DO’s Whois.

14. What information do I need to provide to register a domain?

To register a domain you must provide all the information required by the registrar that offers the service, NIC .DO requires:

  • Name of the person or organization to which the domain name will be delegated, as well as the associated contact details
  • Name, address, telephone number, email account, etc. of the administrative, technical and payment contacts
  • Name of the primary and secondary domain name servers (DNS) that will be responding for the domain.
15. How long does it take to have the domain available?

If the domain name is available, the delegation only takes the time it takes to complete the registration process through any Registrar accredited by NIC .DO.

16. Can I change the domain name?

No, the domain name can not be modified, only the data related to the domain name is modified.

Nevertheless, you can always register a new one.

17. Where can I check the expiration date of my domain?

You can check the expiration date of a domain name by choosing the option “Whois Lookup” on MIDOMINIO.DO.

18. What do I do if my domain name has expired?

If your domain name has expired you should contact your Registrar or reseller for the renewal. If you do not know who your registrar is, you can search the WHOIS database, the results will show the registrar responsible for registering your domain name so that you can contact him.

When a Domain Name is not renewed at the expiration date, before being eliminated it goes through the following stages / status:

  • Renewal grace period, status “Suspended”, are 30 days after the expiration date of a Domain Name, during this time the emails and other applications will stop working.
  • Redemption Grace Period, “Pending Deletion” Status, if a domain name is not Renewed within the Renewal Grace Period, it is queued for deletion for a period of 15 days. During this time the domain can be restored at an additional cost to the renewal fee.

At the end of this 45-day period, the domain is released and can be registered by anyone.

19. Why are some domain names not available for registration?

NIC .DO maintains a list of names that can not be registered as domain names because they are related or refer to:

  • The structure of IANA
  • The structure of ICANN
  • Internet Terms
  • Existing, proposed or pending gTLD names by the competent authority.
  • Terms reserved for the operation of NIC .DO

There is no application process for these names.

20. What is Whois?

The WHOIS service is a public access tool that allows you to consult technical and contact information of registered domain name holders. Anyone wishing to know who is behind the domain name of a website can request that information through a WHOIS query. Registrars and Registries are responsible for collecting and making such data available to the public in accordance with the terms of the agreements they have concluded with ICANN.

WHOIS is used to perform specific functions relating to the operation of domain names. For example, the WHOIS system is used to support the transfer or removal of a domain name, or to facilitate administrative procedures relating to trademark dispute resolution, to identify persons or entities responsible for the operation of a Network on the Internet.

21. Someone registered the name of my company as a domain name, what can I do to recover it?

If you understand that your interests are affected by the registration and use of a domain name, our Domain Delegation Policies for .do include a dispute resolution policy for such cases, it is an out-of-court dispute resolution mechanism. NIC .DO has selected the WIPO Mediation and Arbitration Center to handle disputes arising under the .do ccTLD in Domain Name Matters.

This resource only applies for those cases where the following is true:

  • The domain name is identical or confusingly similar to a trademark of the product or service on which the Claimant has rights; and
  • The domain name holder has no legitimate rights or interests with respect to the domain name; and
  • The domain name has been registered or is used in bad faith.

In filing a complaint with the WIPO Mediation and Arbitration Center, the Claimant must prove that each of these three elements is present.

To file a complaint, you must access the link on the Dispute Settlement Mechanism relating to the domain name .do where you will find more related information with the procedure for filing the claim as well as the cost thereof.

For any clarification on specific procedural issues you should contact the Mediation and Arbitration Center directly by sending an email to arbiter.mail@wipo.int

22. Where can I register a domain with government termination gov.do, gob.do or mil.do?

Since domains with gov.do, gob.do and mil.do termination are restricted domains that can only be assigned to governmental or military institutions in the Dominican Republic, the registration and administration service is only provided by NIC. DO through the website WWW.DOMINIOSGUBERNAMENTALES.NIC.DO

23. How can I access the government domains I administered prior to migration?

If you are an administrative contact of a government domain, registered before the migration, you must create your user account in WWW.DOMINIOSGUBERNAMENTALES.NIC.DO using the email that you had registered in the domain. Then you must access the Control Panel with your user account and you will see all the domains under that account.

24. How can I know under which user account my domain is registered?

To know under which user account your domain is registered, please contact us:
Email: info@nic.do
Phone number: 809.535-0111 ext. 2052, 2055