Since 20 May 2026, registrars check that the ABN or ACN behind a .com.au or .net.au domain is still active before they’ll renew it. If it has been cancelled, the renewal is blocked, and the domain can lapse, taking your website and email with it. The fix is usually simple, as long as you find the problem before the expiry date.
Key takeaways
- The rule isn’t new: you must stay eligible for the whole time you hold a .com.au. What’s new is that it’s now checked at renewal.
- Restructures, sold businesses and sole traders who incorporated are the usual problem cases.
- Check the ABN or ACN on your domain with a WHOIS lookup and ABN Lookup. It takes about ten minutes.
- Proposed changes to how new .com.au names are allocated are still out for consultation. Nothing is final yet.
What changed on 20 May 2026?
auDA’s rules have always said you must meet the eligibility requirements “for the entire time that you hold the domain name” (auDA). What has changed is how strictly that is enforced.
That changed in May. Registrars now check whether the ABN or ACN on a .com.au or .net.au is active before processing a renewal (CircleID). The check happens inside the 90-day window before expiry, and an inactive number means the domain won’t renew (SmartCompany).
Our page on .com.au eligibility rules sets out who qualifies in the first place.
Who is most at risk of losing their .com.au?
Any business whose legal structure has changed since the domain was registered. The common cases:
- A sole trader who set up a company, and cancelled the old ABN without updating the domain.
- A business that was sold, where the domain stayed in the seller’s name.
- A domain registered to a trust’s name rather than the trustee.
- A company that was deregistered, or a partnership that ended.
- A domain registered by a former staff member or web designer under the wrong entity.
auDA notes that domains don’t transfer automatically when a business is sold. It recommends listing .au domains in the sale agreement and transferring them before the old company is deregistered.
How do I check my .com.au is safe to renew?
- Look up your domain in the .au WHOIS. It shows the registrant name, the eligibility type and the ABN or ACN on record (auDA WHOIS Policy).
- Check that number is active. Use ABN Lookup for an ABN, or ASIC Connect for an ACN.
- Check the name matches your current business. If you’ve restructured, the domain may still belong to the old entity.
- Check your registrar contact email. Renewal and compliance notices go there. If it’s an old staff address, you won’t see them.
- Note the expiry date. Give yourself well over 90 days to fix anything you find.
Not sure who controls the domain? Our guide on who owns my domain explains how to find out.
My ABN has been cancelled. What can I do?
You have two main options, according to auDA. Transfer the domain to another eligible entity you control, such as your new company or a trust, or register the matching .au direct name instead.
The transfer is called a registrant transfer, or change of registrant. Our guide to change com.au registrant walks through it. Registrars handle the paperwork differently. VentraIP, for example, gives registrants 30 days to move a domain to an eligible entity after a failed check. It asks for evidence such as a sale agreement, a signed letter or a statutory declaration (VentraIP).
Act early. A transfer can take a few days if documents are needed, and you can’t renew until it’s done.
What happens if my .com.au does lapse?
It follows the normal expiry path. After the expiry date there’s a 30-day grace period, during which your “website and email services will stop working”. At the end of it, the name is removed from the registry and can be registered by anyone (auDA).
Good habits stop it getting that far. Our approach to domain renewals without surprises covers reminders, auto-renew and keeping contact details current.
What are the proposed changes to .com.au allocation?
This is a separate change, and it isn’t final. In August 2026, the auDA Board approved in principle a recommendation to remove the pathway that lets a .com.au match a product, service, event, activity or premises. New names would need to match a personal name, registered name or Australian trade mark.
After pushback, auDA proposed on 19 October 2026 that the nearly 3.5 million existing .com.au and .net.au licences keep the current rules. Draft rules are due for public consultation, and “no final decision has been made” (WebHosting.Today). Our summary of auDA rules explains the current framework.
If you’re planning a new name, start with a domain name search and check that it matches your registered business name. When you’re ready, you can register your domain with WMS: .com.au names are $80 + GST for two years.
Frequently asked questions
Does the ABN check apply to .au direct domains?
The renewal check reported by registrars covers .com.au and .net.au, which require an ABN, ACN or other commercial eligibility. .au direct names only need an Australian presence, such as citizenship or an Australian-registered organisation, so they don’t depend on an active ABN.
I changed from sole trader to a company. Is my domain at risk?
It can be, if the domain is still registered to your old ABN and that ABN has been cancelled. Move the domain to the new company with a registrant transfer before your next renewal window opens.
Can I renew early to avoid the check?
No. Renewals can only happen within the 90 days before expiry, and the check happens as part of the renewal. Fixing the registrant details is the only reliable answer.
Will the proposed rules take my existing .com.au away?
Under auDA’s October 2026 proposal, existing licences would keep the current rules. That proposal still has to go through consultation and a final Board decision, so check for updates before you renew or register.
Is there a fee for the ABN check?
The check is part of the renewal. If it fails and you need a registrant transfer, some registrars charge a fee for that change, so ask your registrar before you start.
Sources
- com.au and net.au rule changes, auDA
- auDA moves to tighten domain name eligibility, CircleID, 15 September 2026
- The new 90-day domain name rule that can kill your business’ online presence, SmartCompany, 30 July 2026
- WHOIS Policy, auDA, June 2026
- What happens if I have a cancelled ACN on my domain?, VentraIP
- Renewing your domain licence, auDA
- auDA proposes exempting nearly 3.5 million existing .com.au and .net.au domains, WebHosting.Today, 22 October 2026