About the policy for the .no
The domain name policy covers the rules for registering, holding, updating, transferring, and deleting domains within .no, and is the contract between Norid and the domain name holders.

The purpose of the domain name policy is to ensure that the administration and allocation of domain names take place in a way that serves the interests of Norwegian society as a whole.

Main requirements
To register a domain name within .no, you need to:
have a local presence in Norway
be an organization. At present this is defined as being one of certain forms of organization registered in the Brønnøysund Register Centre
ensure that the domain is technically operative
Each domain name holder may have up to 20 domain names directly within the .no domain. In addition, the holder can register domain names under geographical domains or category second-level domains.

Individuals may not register domain names directly within the .no domain, but may register within priv.no.

Why is the domain name policy the way it is?
The main principles for the current policy were decided on after a broad-based public enquiry in February 2001. The fundamental concept is that an applicant's need to register the name he or she wants must take precedence over the desire to prevent illegal registration of domain names.

As a consequence of this, there is no requirement for applicants to prove their rights to a domain name before registering it. Applicants must however sign a declaration in which they confirm that they are not infringing the rights of other parties to the name. In addition, there is an alternative dispute resolution body, the domain complaints board, which deals with disputes involving the rights of third parties.

The quota of 20 domain names per applicant is also intended to limit domain name speculation and warehousing.

1.Why register a domain name?
The domain name is your organization's identity on the Internet, that is, the name of your organization's web pages. The domain name is also a part of the e-mail addresses for your organization. In addition the domain name is used for naming the organization's servers on the Internet.

It is not required for you to have a domain name in order to have web pages. Search engines on the World Wide Web search for titles and content in documents, not for domain names. If you simply want to publish something on the web this can easily be solved by a catalogue structure on your Internet service provider's (ISP) web server. It could be of the form: http://www.isp.no/your_organization/.

2. Who can register domain names?
In order to be a domain subscriber you have to be registered as an organization in Brønnøysundregistrene (the Norwegian central organization registry) - you can register here http://www.spor-oss.no/. Here you can find an overview over relevant organization types. The organization applying for a domain name must be registered with an organization number before applying.

In addition the organization has to have an address in Norway or in Svalbard. If the enterprise exists only outside of Norway, it cannot apply for domain names under .no.

An organization can subscribe to up to 20 domain names under the .no domain. In addition the organization can register up to 5 domain names under different suitable categories and up to 5 domain names for each geographical area in which the organization belongs (see paragraph No 3, below). If the quota is full and you are in need of more domains you have to delete some of the old.

Domain names under .com or .org or any other top-level domain are irrelevant in regard to the number of allowed registrations under .no.

As a private person you can register under the category domain priv.no. This category domain is administered by EUnet.

3. Where in the name tree should the domain be registered?
There are three possibilities for placing the domain in the name tree:

1. Directly under .no
2. Under a category domain
3. Under a geographical domain

Directly under .no
A registration here will be of the form www.organizationname.no. Intuitively it is practical to register directly under .no.

Category domain
It might be beneficial to register a domain name under a category where the organization belongs. Category domains place organizations with something in common together. For instance there is the category domain folkebibl.no, where all Norwegian public libraries are gathered. A registration in this category is trondheim.folkebibl.no, which belongs to Trondheim Public Library.

Check the list over category domains to see whether your organization belongs to one of the categories. If so you should apply for a domain name on the form of domainname.categorydomain.no, as in the example above.

The category domains are:


gs.fylke.no Primary schools in Norway *)
vgs.no Secondary schools in Norway
fhs.no Folk high schools in Norway
museum.no Museums in Norway
fylkesbibl.no County libraries in Norway
folkebibl.no Municipal public ibraries in Norway
idrett.no Sports organizations
mil.no Norwegian armed forces
kommune.no Norwegian communes (administered by Kommunenes sentralforbund)
priv.no Private citizens in Norway (administered by EUnet Norge AS)
dep.no Governmental ministries in Norway (administered by Statens forvaltningstjeneste)
*) Primary schools are registered with "gs" under their respective geographical county domain.

Geographical domains
You can register your organization in the geographical name tree if you wish to signal geographical belonging. We recommend such registration only for those organizations with enterprise only in one geographical area. In that way you can avoid being confused with other organizations with similar names, but located in another place. An example of a geographical registration is trondheim-politidistrikt.st.no, which belongs to The Police District of Trondheim.


Here are the geographical county domains:

oslo Oslo
of Østfold
ah Akershus
hm Hedmark
ol Oppland
bu Buskerud
vf Vestfold
tm Telemark
aa Aust-Agder
va Vest-Agder
rl Rogaland
hl Hordaland
sf Sogn og Fjordane
mr Møre og Romsdal
st Sør-Trøndelag
nt Nord-Trøndelag
nl Nordland
tr Troms
fm Finnmark
svalbard Svalbard
In addition there are geographical domains for all places in Norway with more than 5000 inhabitants.

4. What can I apply for?
Then there is the difficult task of choosing a domain name that allows others to understand that your organization is in question. The domain name can consist of letters, numbers 0-9 and the sign hyphen "-". The name cannot start or end with hyphen, and it cannot contain numbers only. It has to consist of minimum 2 and maximum 63 signs.

There are 49 letters allowed for registering under .no. These letters cover all official Norwegian languages, ie bokmål, nynorsk, nordsamisk (North Sámi), sørsamisk (South Sámi) and lulesamisk (Lule Sámi). The Norwegian signs you can register are listed here.

Because the domain name system (DNS) is international Norwegian characters are not as robust in usage as names with only standard signs. Due to this we recommend that if you get a version with Norwegian characters, you should also register a version of that name in only standard signs.

We recommend that you change these Norwegian letters accordingly:

æ -> a
ø -> o
å -> a
Other Norwegian characters should be translated as you see fit.

When choosing the domain name, think of your organization's name and try to find out whether to use the whole name, or only parts of it. Remember, you create the domain name for people to find your organization on the Internet. In order to do so they need to relate the domain name to the organization, the product, the brand, the project or the enterprise you wish to identify. There are no clear cut answers, so you should find a name you are satisfied with.

It is very important that you ensure the registration of your desired domain name does not violate someone else's rights to the same name. As an applicant, you have to investigate whether someone has registered rights for a name. Registrations of rights can be found in Brønnøysundregistrene, the brand register, the patent register and probably other places as well. In addition someone can have rights to names that are not registered, for instance a name may be protected because it has been in use for a long time, even if it does not represent a brand. You basically have to watch your steps.

As an applicant you must sign a statement confirming that to the best of your knowledge, you are not violating someone else's rights to the name you are applying for. You are responsible for evaluating how thorough investigations you should undertake before signing. Here is an article (in Norwegian) dealing with a few of these concerns. Pay attention to the fact that UNINETT Norid AS bears no responsibility as to what rights an applicant has to a certain domain name.

5. Is the name already registered?
Before you apply for a name you have to check if someone may have registered it already. You do that by looking up the domain in Norid's Whois-database. If you get no search results you can assume the name is still available.

6. How do I apply?
Norid does not accept applications for domain names directly from the applicants. All applications must be sent to us via a registrar. Here is an overview over our registrars.

At Norid we process applications within three working days, provided they are correctly filled-out. The decision on the application is sent to the registrar, who is responsible for forwarding it to you.

1. Purpose and legal status
1.1 The purpose of these regulations is to ensure that the administration and allocation of domain names under .no takes place in the public's best interest and follows the guidelines provided by Norwegian authorities.

1.2 The regulations are based on RFC 1591 and have been specified in accordance with FOR 2003-08-01 no. 990. The regulations are specified and enforced by Norid (the Norwegian Internet Domain name registry). Norid's operations do not form part of the government administration, and Norway's Public Administration Act (forvaltningsloven) is not applicable to these regulations. Norid's stated objective is to conduct its activities in an understanding with Norwegian authorities and international organizations that work with issues related to domain names.

1.3 IANA has delegated the technical authority to manage the top-level domains .no, .sj and .bv to Norid by agreement. Norid has undertaken to manage the top-level domains in the interests of the Internet community and in accordance with these regulations.

2. Applicability
The regulations apply to the geographical top-level domain .no.

3. General requirements for the domain name - what can one apply for?
3.1 A domain name must consist of at least 2 and at most 63 characters.

3.2 The characters permitted in the domain name are a-z, digits (0-9), as well as national characters described in the table below.


Name of letter Grafic
representation Unicode Name of letter Grafic
representation Unicode
a with acute accent á 00E1 O with acute accent ó 00F3
A with grave accent à 00E0 O with grave accent ò 00F2
A with umlaut ä 00E4 O with circumflex accent ô 00F4
C with caron ç 010D O with umlaut ö 00F6
C with cedilla ç 00E7 S with caron š 0161
D with crossbar d 0111 T with crossbar t 0167
E with acute accent é 00E9 U with umlaut ü 00FC
E with grave accent è 00E8 Z with caron ž 017E
E with circumflex accent ê 00EA Æ æ 00E6
ENG (sometimes written as
N with acute accent) ? 014B Ø ø 00F8
N with acute accent n 0144 Å å 00E5
N with tilde ñ 00F1

3.3 The domain name must include at least one letter or hyphen. The first and the last character in the domain name must be a letter or a digit.

3.4 The domain name must not be identical to a registered domain name. See Norid's Whois database for an overview of registered domain names.

3.5 Certain domain names are reserved or prohibited and may not be registered. See the list of domain names that cannot be registered (Appendix A).

3.6 The requirements according to this provision are in line with the international standards in RFC 1034, RFC 1035, RFC 1123, RFC 1912, RFC 3490, RFC 3491 and RFC 3492.

4. Additional requirements for the geographical name tree and generic domains
4.1 Norid manages subdomains for municipalities, counties and all towns and villages with more than 5000 inhabitants. Within the geographical name tree, names are registered depending on where applicants themselves feel that they belong. In general, the position in the name tree should reflect the geographical location. Applicants are therefore requested not to register domain names for geographical areas with which they do not have any association. See the list of domains in the geographical name tree, as well as the additional rules for registration of the reserved subdomain www under the geographical names (Appendix B).

4.2 Generic domains are used to gather organizations which have particular characteristics in common. For these domains, additional rules apply. See the list of generic domains in the table below, as well as the additional rules for generic domains (Appendix C).

Generic domains managed by Norid
fhs.no "Folkehøgskoler" [colleges which do not offer a formal education] in Norway
vgs.no "Videregående skoler" [upper secondary schools] in Norway
gs.[county].no "Grunnskoler" [primary and lower secondary schools] in Norway
fylkesbibl.no County libraries in Norway
folkebibl.no Municipal public libraries in Norway
museum.no Museums in Norway
idrett.no Sports organizations

4.3 Individual generic domains have been established under the management of organizations other than Norid. See the separate list of these (Appendix D).

5. Requirements for the applicant - who can apply?
5.1 The applicant must be an organization registered in Norway's Central Coordinating Register for Legal Entities (Enhetsregisteret). See the list showing the forms of organization which may apply (Appendix E). The organization must have a Norwegian postal address.

5.2 At any time, each organization may have up to 20 domain names, directly under .no. An organization may also have up to 5 domain names under each geographical domain to which the organization belongs, as well as 5 domain names under each generic domain to which the organization belongs.

5.3 Individuals may not register domain names under any of the domains that Norid manages. Individuals can however register domain names under priv.no.

6. Requirements for the name server
6.1 A condition for registration is that at least two name servers must be specified. All specified name servers must be correctly set up for the domain applied for, and must function at the time that the application comes to Norid. Only delegated domains can be registered.

6.2 The name servers for the domain must be identified by the domain name and the corresponding IP address. There are also certain technical requirements. See Appendix F for technical requirements for name servers.

6.3 The name servers may be run by someone other than the applicant.

7. Requirements for the application
7.1 The application must be submitted by a registrar who has a contract with Norid. See the list of registrars. Also refer to the information on the registrar scheme.

7.2 Norid's forms must be used. See the list of Norid's forms and guidelines for these.

7.3 A separate application must be submitted for each domain name. An organization that satisfies the registration requirements under several domains may apply for registration in one or more of these. The application must clearly state the domain to which it applies. A declaration form (Appendix G) must be signed before the application is submitted.

7.4 The form must be completed and submitted according to Norid's guidelines. The registrar should assist the applicant with this.

8. General rules for the procedures
8.1 Norid's procedures must follow basic principles of independence and equitable treatment. Parts of the procedures are automatic. See the description of the Procedures.

8.2 If the application is approved, the registrar is automatically notified of this by e-mail. The registrar must forward the message to the applicant within 14 calendar days.

8.3 Any rejection by Norid of an application for a domain name must always state the grounds for the decision. Norid's decision is communicated by e-mail to the registrar who forwarded the application. The registrar must forward the message to the applicant within 14 calendar days.

8.4 Norid can change its decision on its own initiative, but will normally not change it to the disadvantage of the applicant/domain name holder.

9. Notification of change
9.1 Norid must be notified of all changes in registered information (notice of change). This applies to changes in both technical and contact information.

9.2 Any substitution or modification of the domain name is not regarded as a change, but as a new registration. This means that a normal application for the new domain name must be submitted.

9.3 Norid sends an e-mail message confirming that the change has been made to the party that submitted the notice of change, the ISPs concerned and the domain's legal contact.

9.4 Section 7 also applies to notices of change.

10. Transfer, suspension or deletion
10.1 Any application for transfer must be accompanied by the written approval of the domain name holder. The organization designated by the holder for a transfer of the domain name must satisfy the applicant requirements for a new application. A domain name may however be transferred without the written approval of the holder if there is a final judgement regarding the transfer of the domain to another organization and this organization satisfies the domain name policy requirements for the transfer, including a signed declaration form.

10.2 The holder may require a temporary suspension of the domain name (hold). This does not mean that the registration is changed or lost. While suspended, the name will not function, but nobody else will be able to register it. Suspension may be requested for up to 6 months. At any time, the holder may request that the suspension be lifted. Suspension may not be requested again within 2 years of being lifted. In the event of a legal conflict where the holder's right to the name and its use is challenged, the holder may request suspension regardless of any previous suspensions and until final judgement in the matter. Suspension has no effect on the obligation to pay the ordinary fees.

10.3 The holder may request deletion of a domain name. Any application for deletion must be accompanied by the written approval of the holder. Deletion does not entail any right to a refund of the fees paid.

10.4 Norid will confirm any transfer, suspension or deletion by e-mail to the registrar and the domain's legal contact.

10.5 Section 7 is applicable.

11. Compulsory deletion of domain names
11.1 The following circumstances may result in deletion of the registration of a domain name and making the domain name available to others:

A claim for deletion in accordance with a final judgement regarding deletion of the domain name. Notice according to 11.2 is not required.

The registration was based on incorrect information provided by or on behalf of the applicant. Lack of a signed declaration form is regarded as incorrect information. The holder of the domain name shall be given an opportunity to respond before deletion takes place.

The holder of the domain name is no longer registered in Norway's Central Coordinating Register for Legal Entities, or has ceased to exist.

Insufficient payment of registration fees or annual fees after the deadline specified in the late payment notice has elapsed.

The domain is not technically operative. This means that the technical requirements in Appendix F (http://www.norid.no/regelverk/vedlegg-f.en.html) have not been fulfilled.

The designated contact for the holder of the domain name cannot be reached.

Any situation that involves non-fulfilment of the applicant's responsibility or duties in accordance with the domain name policy or the declaration form.

11.2 Unless otherwise stated, notice will be sent by e-mail to the holder of the domain name at least 60 days before a reversal or deletion is implemented.

12. Fees
12.1 Registration of a domain name entails a one-time registration fee. In addition, there is an annual fee as long as the registration is maintained. See Price Information.

12.2 Insufficient payment of fees will result in the deletion of the domain name.

12.3 Norid reserves the right to change the fees. Changes will be announced on Norid's home pages.

13. Applicant's rights to registered domain names
13.1 Registration of a domain name precludes others from registering an identical domain name for as long as the registration is maintained.

13.2 Registration of a domain name does not provide greater or other rights to the name than the applicant had previously. Registration does not entail any restriction on rights that others may have to use the name.

13.3 Registered domain names are associated with the organization that registered the domain, not with any individuals in this organization. The domain name is also independent of the registrar or other service provider, and the holder of a domain name may freely change registrar or other service provider without changing the domain name at the same time.

13.4 A domain name may be freely transferred, provided that the organization to which it is transferred satisfies the requirements of the domain name policy.

14. Applicant's responsibilities and duties
14.1 Before submitting an application, applicants must familiarize themselves with the domain name policy and ensure that registration of the domain name does not violate Norwegian law or the rights of third parties, and does not create an unwarranted impression of being associated with public-sector administration or the exercise of public powers. Norid does not undertake any checking of this. The applicant bears the sole responsibility, including criminal liability and liability for damages, for consequences of the registration and use of the domain name.

14.2 The applicant is obliged to comply with the domain name policy in force at any time. The domain name policy is available at http://www.norid.no/navnepolitikk.html

14.3 The applicant must provide correct information, both at the time of application and for as long as the registration is maintained.

14.4 The applicant must keep the registered information (both contact and technical information) up to date at all times.

14.5 The applicant must reply to queries from Norid regarding the continued accuracy of the registered information. The applicant must then document the information provided.

14.6 Before submitting an application, the applicant must sign a declaration form (Appendix G) certifying that, to the best of his or her knowledge, registration or use of the name does not violate any third party's registered or unregistered rights to the name, and does not violate Norwegian law, in that, for example, the name is considered an illegal profanity or considered discriminatory, defamatory, pornographic or otherwise illegal, and does not create an unwarranted impression of being associated with public-sector administration or the exercise of public powers. In the declaration form, the applicant agrees that the registry may withdraw an assigned domain name when it is obvious that the assignment is in conflict with conditions that have been mentioned or with the domain name policy in any other way. The declaration form is submitted to the registrar, who is obliged to keep it on file.

14.7 If a complaint is laid against the applicant's registration in accordance with the regulations and procedures that the domain name policy stipulates for complaints, the applicant agrees to participate in the complaint process, as well as to be bound by the decision of the domain complaints board.

15. Use of registered information
15.1 Upon registration, the applicant agrees to publication of the domain, contact information and date of registration on the Internet, for instance through Norid's whois database. Access may also be provided through other Internet technologies.

15.2 Norid will not otherwise sell, transfer or in any other way make use of the information for commercial purposes, including direct marketing and directory services.

15.3 Norid is not responsible for any misuse of information made public according to this provision.

16. Complaint
Complaint type Complainant Respondent Time limit for complaint Complaint procedure
A Third party, public-sector body Domain name holder 3 years Appendix H
B Applicant, domain name holder Norid 30 days Appendix I
C Norid, Norwegian Post and Telecommunications Authority Domain name holder 3 years Appendix J

16.1 Complaint type A: For domain names registered after 1 October 2003, the holder of rights to names may complain on the basis that the registration or use of the domain name entails an infringement of their rights. Public-sector bodies may complain that the registration creates an unwarranted impression that it is associated with public-sector administration or the exercise of public powers. The respondent in complaints of this type is the holder of the domain name in connection with which the complaint is made. The time limit for complaints is 3 years from the registration of the domain name. See Appendix H for details and for the complaint procedure.

16.2 Complaint type B: A domain-name applicant or holder may appeal against decisions made by Norid in relation to the domain name policy. No appeal may be lodged against decisions made by Norid as the secretariat in complaint cases. The only permissible grounds for appeal are that the decision is in conflict with the regulations in the domain name policy. The respondent in appeals of this type is Norid. The time limit for appeals is 30 calendar days from the date on which notification of the decision was received by the applicant or holder. The decision is regarded as received by the applicant/holder at the latest 14 days after the decision has been sent from Norid to the registrar. See Appendix I for details and for the appeal procedure. Norid can reverse or change the decision on its own initiative if the appeal is found to be justified.

16.3 Complaint type C: For domain names registered after 1 October 2003, Norid may complain that a domain name has been registered in conflict with the declaration form. The Norwegian Post and Telecommunications Authority may complain that a domain name has been registered in conflict with the applicable regulations. The respondent in complaints of this type is the holder of the domain name in connection with which the complaint is made. The time limit for complaints is 3 years from the registration of the domain name. See Appendix J for details and for the complaint procedure.

16.4 For all complaints, the time limit for submitting complaints is cancelled when Norid receives a valid complaint in accordance with the relevant complaint procedures. Norid acts as the secretariat, receiving complaints and forwarding replies between the parties. The complaints are heard and resolved by the independent domain complaints board. Norid is obliged to implement the decisions of the domain complaints board.

16.5 The domain complaints board may refuse a case if it finds that the case is so complex or doubtful that it is not suitable for consideration and decision by the domain complaints board. The board may also refuse the case if the prerequisites for consideration of the complaint do not exist.

17. Effective date and changes of the domain name policy
17.1 This domain name policy is effective from February 19, 2001. The prior domain name policy is repealed with effect from the same date.

17.2 Significant changes to the domain name policy will be announced on Norid's home pages and included in the domain name policy in effect. The last change was made on 1 April 2004.

18. Appendixes and references
This section provides an overview of the documents referred to in the domain name policy. The addresses of the references may be updated without further notice.

Appendixes
Appendix Title URL
Appendix A Reserved and prohibited domain names under domains administered by Norid http://www.norid.no/regelverk/vedlegg-a.en.html
Appendix B The geographical name tree http://www.norid.no/regelverk/vedlegg-b.en.html
Appendix C Supplementary rules for the generic domains http://www.norid.no/regelverk/vedlegg-c.en.html
Appendix D Generic domains not managed by Norid http://www.norid.no/regelverk/vedlegg-d.en.html
Appendix E Types of organizations that may apply for domain names http://www.norid.no/regelverk/vedlegg-e.en.html
Appendix F Technical name server requirements http://www.norid.no/regelverk/vedlegg-f.en.html
Appendix G Applicant's statement http://www.norid.no/regelverk/vedlegg-g.html
Appendix H Complaint that the registration or use of the domain name infringes the complainant's rights http://www.norid.no/regelverk/vedlegg-h.en.html
Appendix I Complaint regarding Norid's decisions http://www.norid.no/regelverk/vedlegg-i.en.html
Appendix J Complaint that a domain name has been registered in conflict with the rules or administrative regulation ["forskrift"] http://www.norid.no/regelverk/vedlegg-j.en.html

References to other Norid documents
Title URL
Explanations and definitions http://www.norid.no/regelverk/forklaring.en.html
List of Registrars http://www.norid.no/registrar/registrarliste.en.php
Norid's forms http://www.norid.no/registrar/skjema/index.en.html
Charges and billing routines http://www.norid.no/regelverk/priser.en.html
Mandate for the Domain Complaints Board http://www.norid.no/regelverk/klagenemnda.html

References to RFCs
RFC Title URL
RFC 1591 Domain Name System Structure and Delegation ftp://ftp.ntnu.no/pub/rfc/rfc1591.txt
RFC 1034 Domain Names - Concepts and Facilities ftp://ftp.ntnu.no/pub/rfc/rfc1034.txt
RFC 1035 Domain Names - Implementation and Specification ftp://ftp.ntnu.no/pub/rfc/rfc1035.txt
RFC 1123 Requirements for Internet Hosts - Application and Support ftp://ftp.ntnu.no/pub/rfc/rfc1123.txt
RFC 1912 Common DNS Operational and Configuration Errors ftp://ftp.ntnu.no/pub/rfc/rfc1912.txt


info@norid.no

An independent dispute resolution body was established for .no the 1st of October 2003. The dispute resolution body mainly processes complaints where the registration of a domain name infringes on the rights of a third party, but can also process appeals against decisions made by Norid in relation to the domain name policy. Norid functions as a secretariat and collects the neccessary statements from the complainant and respodent, but makes no recommendation to the dispute resolution body.

NB! All complaints must be submitted in Norwegian.

Norid
Registreringsenheten for .no-domenet
In Norwegian Is the domain name registered?

Domain name Policy for .no
This document has been translated from the norwegian version at http://www.norid.no/navnepolitikk.html. The norwegian version considered to be the master copy, and has precedence over the english translation if a conflict between the two should arise.

Purpose and legal status
Applicability
General requirements for the domain name - what can one apply for?
Additional requirements for the geographical name tree and generic domains
Requirements for the applicant - who can apply?
Requirements for the name server
Requirements for the application
General rules for the administrative procedures
Notification of change
Transfer, suspension or deletion
Compulsory deletion of domain names
Fees
Applicant's rights to registered domain names
Applicant's responsibilities and duties
Use of registered information
Complaints
Effective date of the domain name policy and changes in the policy
Appendixes and references
1. Purpose and legal status
1.1 The purpose of these regulations is to ensure that the administration and allocation of domain names under .no takes place in the public's best interest and follows the guidelines provided by Norwegian authorities.

1.2 The regulations are based on RFC 1591 and have been specified in accordance with FOR 2003-08-01 no. 990. The regulations are specified and enforced by Norid (the Norwegian Internet Domain name registry). Norid's operations do not form part of the government administration, and Norway's Public Administration Act (forvaltningsloven) is not applicable to these regulations. Norid's stated objective is to conduct its activities in an understanding with Norwegian authorities and international organizations that work with issues related to domain names.

1.3 IANA has delegated the technical authority to manage the top-level domains .no, .sj and .bv to Norid by agreement. Norid has undertaken to manage the top-level domains in the interests of the Internet community and in accordance with these regulations.

2. Applicability
The regulations apply to the geographical top-level domain .no.

3. General requirements for the domain name - what can one apply for?
3.1 A domain name must consist of at least 2 and at most 63 characters.

3.2 The characters permitted in the domain name are a-z, digits (0-9), as well as national characters described in the table below.


Name of letter Grafic
representation Unicode Name of letter Grafic
representation Unicode
a with acute accent á 00E1 O with acute accent ó 00F3
A with grave accent à 00E0 O with grave accent ò 00F2
A with umlaut ä 00E4 O with circumflex accent ô 00F4
C with caron ç 010D O with umlaut ö 00F6
C with cedilla ç 00E7 S with caron š 0161
D with crossbar d 0111 T with crossbar t 0167
E with acute accent é 00E9 U with umlaut ü 00FC
E with grave accent è 00E8 Z with caron ž 017E
E with circumflex accent ê 00EA Æ æ 00E6
ENG (sometimes written as
N with acute accent) ? 014B Ø ø 00F8
N with acute accent n 0144 Å å 00E5
N with tilde ñ 00F1

3.3 The domain name must include at least one letter or hyphen. The first and the last character in the domain name must be a letter or a digit.

3.4 The domain name must not be identical to a registered domain name. See Norid's Whois database for an overview of registered domain names.

3.5 Certain domain names are reserved or prohibited and may not be registered. See the list of domain names that cannot be registered (Appendix A).

3.6 The requirements according to this provision are in line with the international standards in RFC 1034, RFC 1035, RFC 1123, RFC 1912, RFC 3490, RFC 3491 and RFC 3492.

4. Additional requirements for the geographical name tree and generic domains
4.1 Norid manages subdomains for municipalities, counties and all towns and villages with more than 5000 inhabitants. Within the geographical name tree, names are registered depending on where applicants themselves feel that they belong. In general, the position in the name tree should reflect the geographical location. Applicants are therefore requested not to register domain names for geographical areas with which they do not have any association. See the list of domains in the geographical name tree, as well as the additional rules for registration of the reserved subdomain www under the geographical names (Appendix B).

4.2 Generic domains are used to gather organizations which have particular characteristics in common. For these domains, additional rules apply. See the list of generic domains in the table below, as well as the additional rules for generic domains (Appendix C).

Generic domains managed by Norid
fhs.no "Folkehøgskoler" [colleges which do not offer a formal education] in Norway
vgs.no "Videregående skoler" [upper secondary schools] in Norway
gs.[county].no "Grunnskoler" [primary and lower secondary schools] in Norway
fylkesbibl.no County libraries in Norway
folkebibl.no Municipal public libraries in Norway
museum.no Museums in Norway
idrett.no Sports organizations

4.3 Individual generic domains have been established under the management of organizations other than Norid. See the separate list of these (Appendix D).

5. Requirements for the applicant - who can apply?
5.1 The applicant must be an organization registered in Norway's Central Coordinating Register for Legal Entities (Enhetsregisteret). See the list showing the forms of organization which may apply (Appendix E). The organization must have a Norwegian postal address.

5.2 At any time, each organization may have up to 20 domain names, directly under .no. An organization may also have up to 5 domain names under each geographical domain to which the organization belongs, as well as 5 domain names under each generic domain to which the organization belongs.

5.3 Individuals may not register domain names under any of the domains that Norid manages. Individuals can however register domain names under priv.no.

6. Requirements for the name server
6.1 A condition for registration is that at least two name servers must be specified. All specified name servers must be correctly set up for the domain applied for, and must function at the time that the application comes to Norid. Only delegated domains can be registered.

6.2 The name servers for the domain must be identified by the domain name and the corresponding IP address. There are also certain technical requirements. See Appendix F for technical requirements for name servers.

6.3 The name servers may be run by someone other than the applicant.

7. Requirements for the application
7.1 The application must be submitted by a registrar who has a contract with Norid. See the list of registrars. Also refer to the information on the registrar scheme.

7.2 Norid's forms must be used. See the list of Norid's forms and guidelines for these.

7.3 A separate application must be submitted for each domain name. An organization that satisfies the registration requirements under several domains may apply for registration in one or more of these. The application must clearly state the domain to which it applies. A declaration form (Appendix G) must be signed before the application is submitted.

7.4 The form must be completed and submitted according to Norid's guidelines. The registrar should assist the applicant with this.

8. General rules for the procedures
8.1 Norid's procedures must follow basic principles of independence and equitable treatment. Parts of the procedures are automatic. See the description of the Procedures.

8.2 If the application is approved, the registrar is automatically notified of this by e-mail. The registrar must forward the message to the applicant within 14 calendar days.

8.3 Any rejection by Norid of an application for a domain name must always state the grounds for the decision. Norid's decision is communicated by e-mail to the registrar who forwarded the application. The registrar must forward the message to the applicant within 14 calendar days.

8.4 Norid can change its decision on its own initiative, but will normally not change it to the disadvantage of the applicant/domain name holder.

9. Notification of change
9.1 Norid must be notified of all changes in registered information (notice of change). This applies to changes in both technical and contact information.

9.2 Any substitution or modification of the domain name is not regarded as a change, but as a new registration. This means that a normal application for the new domain name must be submitted.

9.3 Norid sends an e-mail message confirming that the change has been made to the party that submitted the notice of change, the ISPs concerned and the domain's legal contact.

9.4 Section 7 also applies to notices of change.

10. Transfer, suspension or deletion
10.1 Any application for transfer must be accompanied by the written approval of the domain name holder. The organization designated by the holder for a transfer of the domain name must satisfy the applicant requirements for a new application. A domain name may however be transferred without the written approval of the holder if there is a final judgement regarding the transfer of the domain to another organization and this organization satisfies the domain name policy requirements for the transfer, including a signed declaration form.

10.2 The holder may require a temporary suspension of the domain name (hold). This does not mean that the registration is changed or lost. While suspended, the name will not function, but nobody else will be able to register it. Suspension may be requested for up to 6 months. At any time, the holder may request that the suspension be lifted. Suspension may not be requested again within 2 years of being lifted. In the event of a legal conflict where the holder's right to the name and its use is challenged, the holder may request suspension regardless of any previous suspensions and until final judgement in the matter. Suspension has no effect on the obligation to pay the ordinary fees.

10.3 The holder may request deletion of a domain name. Any application for deletion must be accompanied by the written approval of the holder. Deletion does not entail any right to a refund of the fees paid.

10.4 Norid will confirm any transfer, suspension or deletion by e-mail to the registrar and the domain's legal contact.

10.5 Section 7 is applicable.

11. Compulsory deletion of domain names
11.1 The following circumstances may result in deletion of the registration of a domain name and making the domain name available to others:

A claim for deletion in accordance with a final judgement regarding deletion of the domain name. Notice according to 11.2 is not required.

The registration was based on incorrect information provided by or on behalf of the applicant. Lack of a signed declaration form is regarded as incorrect information. The holder of the domain name shall be given an opportunity to respond before deletion takes place.

The holder of the domain name is no longer registered in Norway's Central Coordinating Register for Legal Entities, or has ceased to exist.

Insufficient payment of registration fees or annual fees after the deadline specified in the late payment notice has elapsed.

The domain is not technically operative. This means that the technical requirements in Appendix F (http://www.norid.no/regelverk/vedlegg-f.en.html) have not been fulfilled.

The designated contact for the holder of the domain name cannot be reached.

Any situation that involves non-fulfilment of the applicant's responsibility or duties in accordance with the domain name policy or the declaration form.

11.2 Unless otherwise stated, notice will be sent by e-mail to the holder of the domain name at least 60 days before a reversal or deletion is implemented.

12. Fees
12.1 Registration of a domain name entails a one-time registration fee. In addition, there is an annual fee as long as the registration is maintained. See Price Information.

12.2 Insufficient payment of fees will result in the deletion of the domain name.

12.3 Norid reserves the right to change the fees. Changes will be announced on Norid's home pages.

13. Applicant's rights to registered domain names
13.1 Registration of a domain name precludes others from registering an identical domain name for as long as the registration is maintained.

13.2 Registration of a domain name does not provide greater or other rights to the name than the applicant had previously. Registration does not entail any restriction on rights that others may have to use the name.

13.3 Registered domain names are associated with the organization that registered the domain, not with any individuals in this organization. The domain name is also independent of the registrar or other service provider, and the holder of a domain name may freely change registrar or other service provider without changing the domain name at the same time.

13.4 A domain name may be freely transferred, provided that the organization to which it is transferred satisfies the requirements of the domain name policy.

14. Applicant's responsibilities and duties
14.1 Before submitting an application, applicants must familiarize themselves with the domain name policy and ensure that registration of the domain name does not violate Norwegian law or the rights of third parties, and does not create an unwarranted impression of being associated with public-sector administration or the exercise of public powers. Norid does not undertake any checking of this. The applicant bears the sole responsibility, including criminal liability and liability for damages, for consequences of the registration and use of the domain name.

14.2 The applicant is obliged to comply with the domain name policy in force at any time. The domain name policy is available at http://www.norid.no/navnepolitikk.html

14.3 The applicant must provide correct information, both at the time of application and for as long as the registration is maintained.

14.4 The applicant must keep the registered information (both contact and technical information) up to date at all times.

14.5 The applicant must reply to queries from Norid regarding the continued accuracy of the registered information. The applicant must then document the information provided.

14.6 Before submitting an application, the applicant must sign a declaration form (Appendix G) certifying that, to the best of his or her knowledge, registration or use of the name does not violate any third party's registered or unregistered rights to the name, and does not violate Norwegian law, in that, for example, the name is considered an illegal profanity or considered discriminatory, defamatory, pornographic or otherwise illegal, and does not create an unwarranted impression of being associated with public-sector administration or the exercise of public powers. In the declaration form, the applicant agrees that the registry may withdraw an assigned domain name when it is obvious that the assignment is in conflict with conditions that have been mentioned or with the domain name policy in any other way. The declaration form is submitted to the registrar, who is obliged to keep it on file.

14.7 If a complaint is laid against the applicant's registration in accordance with the regulations and procedures that the domain name policy stipulates for complaints, the applicant agrees to participate in the complaint process, as well as to be bound by the decision of the domain complaints board.

15. Use of registered information
15.1 Upon registration, the applicant agrees to publication of the domain, contact information and date of registration on the Internet, for instance through Norid's whois database. Access may also be provided through other Internet technologies.

15.2 Norid will not otherwise sell, transfer or in any other way make use of the information for commercial purposes, including direct marketing and directory services.

15.3 Norid is not responsible for any misuse of information made public according to this provision.

16. Complaint
Complaint type Complainant Respondent Time limit for complaint Complaint procedure
A Third party, public-sector body Domain name holder 3 years Appendix H
B Applicant, domain name holder Norid 30 days Appendix I
C Norid, Norwegian Post and Telecommunications Authority Domain name holder 3 years Appendix J

16.1 Complaint type A: For domain names registered after 1 October 2003, the holder of rights to names may complain on the basis that the registration or use of the domain name entails an infringement of their rights. Public-sector bodies may complain that the registration creates an unwarranted impression that it is associated with public-sector administration or the exercise of public powers. The respondent in complaints of this type is the holder of the domain name in connection with which the complaint is made. The time limit for complaints is 3 years from the registration of the domain name. See Appendix H for details and for the complaint procedure.

16.2 Complaint type B: A domain-name applicant or holder may appeal against decisions made by Norid in relation to the domain name policy. No appeal may be lodged against decisions made by Norid as the secretariat in complaint cases. The only permissible grounds for appeal are that the decision is in conflict with the regulations in the domain name policy. The respondent in appeals of this type is Norid. The time limit for appeals is 30 calendar days from the date on which notification of the decision was received by the applicant or holder. The decision is regarded as received by the applicant/holder at the latest 14 days after the decision has been sent from Norid to the registrar. See Appendix I for details and for the appeal procedure. Norid can reverse or change the decision on its own initiative if the appeal is found to be justified.

16.3 Complaint type C: For domain names registered after 1 October 2003, Norid may complain that a domain name has been registered in conflict with the declaration form. The Norwegian Post and Telecommunications Authority may complain that a domain name has been registered in conflict with the applicable regulations. The respondent in complaints of this type is the holder of the domain name in connection with which the complaint is made. The time limit for complaints is 3 years from the registration of the domain name. See Appendix J for details and for the complaint procedure.

16.4 For all complaints, the time limit for submitting complaints is cancelled when Norid receives a valid complaint in accordance with the relevant complaint procedures. Norid acts as the secretariat, receiving complaints and forwarding replies between the parties. The complaints are heard and resolved by the independent domain complaints board. Norid is obliged to implement the decisions of the domain complaints board.

16.5 The domain complaints board may refuse a case if it finds that the case is so complex or doubtful that it is not suitable for consideration and decision by the domain complaints board. The board may also refuse the case if the prerequisites for consideration of the complaint do not exist.

17. Effective date and changes of the domain name policy
17.1 This domain name policy is effective from February 19, 2001. The prior domain name policy is repealed with effect from the same date.

17.2 Significant changes to the domain name policy will be announced on Norid's home pages and included in the domain name policy in effect. The last change was made on 1 April 2004.

18. Appendixes and references
This section provides an overview of the documents referred to in the domain name policy. The addresses of the references may be updated without further notice.

Appendixes
Appendix Title URL
Appendix A Reserved and prohibited domain names under domains administered by Norid http://www.norid.no/regelverk/vedlegg-a.en.html
Appendix B The geographical name tree http://www.norid.no/regelverk/vedlegg-b.en.html
Appendix C Supplementary rules for the generic domains http://www.norid.no/regelverk/vedlegg-c.en.html
Appendix D Generic domains not managed by Norid http://www.norid.no/regelverk/vedlegg-d.en.html
Appendix E Types of organizations that may apply for domain names http://www.norid.no/regelverk/vedlegg-e.en.html
Appendix F Technical name server requirements http://www.norid.no/regelverk/vedlegg-f.en.html
Appendix G Applicant's statement http://www.norid.no/regelverk/vedlegg-g.html
Appendix H Complaint that the registration or use of the domain name infringes the complainant's rights http://www.norid.no/regelverk/vedlegg-h.en.html
Appendix I Complaint regarding Norid's decisions http://www.norid.no/regelverk/vedlegg-i.en.html
Appendix J Complaint that a domain name has been registered in conflict with the rules or administrative regulation ["forskrift"] http://www.norid.no/regelverk/vedlegg-j.en.html

References to other Norid documents
Title URL
Explanations and definitions http://www.norid.no/regelverk/forklaring.en.html
List of Registrars http://www.norid.no/registrar/registrarliste.en.php
Norid's forms http://www.norid.no/registrar/skjema/index.en.html
Charges and billing routines http://www.norid.no/regelverk/priser.en.html
Mandate for the Domain Complaints Board http://www.norid.no/regelverk/klagenemnda.html

References to RFCs
RFC Title URL
RFC 1591 Domain Name System Structure and Delegation ftp://ftp.ntnu.no/pub/rfc/rfc1591.txt
RFC 1034 Domain Names - Concepts and Facilities ftp://ftp.ntnu.no/pub/rfc/rfc1034.txt
RFC 1035 Domain Names - Implementation and Specification ftp://ftp.ntnu.no/pub/rfc/rfc1035.txt
RFC 1123 Requirements for Internet Hosts - Application and Support ftp://ftp.ntnu.no/pub/rfc/rfc1123.txt
RFC 1912 Common DNS Operational and Configuration Errors ftp://ftp.ntnu.no/pub/rfc/rfc1912.txt


info@norid.no 2004-11-05