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The short answer
A .com.au or .net.au renews only if you’re still eligible to hold it. For most small businesses that means the Australian Business Number (ABN) or Australian Company Number (ACN) behind the domain must still be active at renewal. If it’s been cancelled, the renewal can be refused and the licence (your right to use the name) suspended or cancelled. Check the number now, and fix it before your expiry date.
- The rule isn’t new. What changed in May 2026 is enforcement: notices from registrars (the accredited companies that renew .au names) say renewals are now checked automatically, and blocked when the number isn’t active.
- The check is free and takes about five minutes: look up your domain on the official .au lookup, then look up each number it shows on the government registers.
- If the business has changed structure, the fix is a change of registrant, which puts the licence in the new entity’s name. It has to happen before the licence expires.
- A lookup that says “Not Currently Eligible For Renewal” usually just means it’s too early to renew. It isn’t a verdict on your ABN.
Is your ABN checked when you renew a .com.au?
Yes. You have to stay eligible for as long as you hold a .com.au, not just on the day you register it, and your registrar isn’t allowed to renew it for someone who no longer qualifies.
A .au domain is held under a licence: the right to use the name for a set period. Whoever holds the licence is the registrant. The rules come from auDA (.au Domain Administration, the body that runs .au), and three of them matter here:
- Who can hold one. A .com.au or .net.au needs a commercial entity: for example a company, a person or entity with an ABN, a trust with an ABN (not a charitable trust), an incorporated association, or an overseas entity that holds or has applied for an Australian trade mark.
- You must stay eligible for the whole licence period, or the licence can be suspended or cancelled.
- Your registrar must not renew an ineligible holder. A registrar is an accredited company that registers and renews names in the .au registry, the central database of every .au name. auDA’s Registrar Rules say it “must not renew a licence if a Registrant is not eligible”. It may rely on your promise that you’re eligible, but it has to be satisfied before the licence expires.
Renewal opens 90 calendar days before the expiry date, for holders who are still eligible.
Rules checked: .au Licensing Rules 2.4.4, 2.11.7 and 2.14.1–2.14.2; .au Registrar Rules 2.12.1(3)–(4) and 2.12.2. Both are the versions dated 23 June 2026.
What changed in May 2026?
From May 2026, according to notices registrars sent their customers, .au renewals have been checked automatically against the ABN or ACN on the record, and blocked when the number isn’t active. The rule itself isn’t new: auDA’s rules have long required holders to stay eligible, and its Registrar Rules bar registrars from renewing a holder who isn’t.
The notices give different start dates: some say 1 May 2026, others 20 May 2026. We couldn’t find an announcement from auDA or from Identity Digital Australia (the registry operator, which runs the .au registry for auDA), so this guide uses auDA’s rules for what has to happen, and the notices only for when the check began.
What may change. auDA is reviewing its Licensing Rules. Its Board approved the review panel’s recommendations in principle in August 2026, but nothing is final, and auDA aimed to open public consultation by the end of October 2026. The recommendations include letting holders renew at any time, not just in the last 90 days, and removing the option to register a name based on goods or services you provide. auDA says there’s no current or proposed requirement for businesses to hold identical business names to keep their domains. Our guide to auDA’s proposed .com.au changes tracks each step. The ABN check is separate, and applies now.
Who does this affect?
Mainly holders of a .com.au or .net.au whose ABN or ACN is no longer active, or whose business now runs under a different one:
- Sole traders who closed up or retired. You need to cancel your ABN if you close or sell the business.
- Businesses that changed structure. Going from sole trader to a company, or moving into a trust, may mean a new ABN, while the domain stays on the old one.
- Companies that were deregistered, meaning removed from the company register kept by ASIC (the Australian Securities and Investments Commission). This runs on a shorter clock than renewal; the deregistration section explains.
- Businesses that were sold without the domain being moved to the buyer.
Some registrar notices say the check covers all .au names, but other endings rest on other things. A .id.au is for individuals and doesn’t depend on an ABN, and how the check treats a direct .au held by someone whose ABN has lapsed isn’t clear yet. This guide sticks to .com.au and .net.au; holding a domain without an ABN covers the rest.
How do you check yours in five minutes?
Look up what the .au registry says about your domain, then check each number it shows on the government register it came from. It’s free.
Look up your domain
Search for it on auDA’s WHOIS, the public lookup for .au names. Note the Registrant, the Registrant ID, and any Eligibility Type, Eligibility Name and Eligibility ID. A company is often recorded by its ACN.
Check every ABN
On ABN Lookup, or with our free ABN lookup, the ABN status should say “Active from” and a date. “Cancelled from” and a date means it isn’t active.
Check every ACN
Search it free on ASIC’s company register. If the company shows as “Deregistered”, read the deregistration section today, not at renewal time.
Compare the name with how you trade now
If you’ve become a company, set up a trust or sold the business since you registered, the domain needs to follow.
Check the contact email
The .au domain password is emailed to the registrant contact, so a dead inbox makes every fix harder. Getting your .com.au domain password covers what to do.
Note your expiry date
auDA doesn’t publish .au expiry dates, so find yours in your provider’s dashboard. auDA’s rules also let a registrant check it with the registry’s authorisation-code recovery tool (the authorisation code is the domain password). Set a reminder well ahead of the date: some fixes take longer than a month.
If every number is active and the registrant is the entity you trade as, you’re done. Renew as normal. If all of that checks out and a renewal is still blocked, ask your provider why.
What does “Not Currently Eligible For Renewal” mean?
Usually, that it’s too early to renew, not that your ABN has failed. It’s a status reason, a note on the domain’s public record, and the .au registry shows it while the expiry date is more than 90 days away, because a .au licence can’t be renewed before then.
It’s shown alongside the status code serverRenewProhibited, which Identity Digital Australia explains as an expiry date more than 90 days away. The same wording was discussed on an Australian domain forum in 2020, years before the automated check, and replies there put it down to timing too. If your expiry date is less than 90 days away and you still see it, ask your provider why, and do the five-minute check.
Your ABN or ACN has a problem: which fix do you need?
It depends on why the number lapsed and whether the business carries on in the same form. Find your row, then start well before the expiry date.
| Your situation | What to do | Time to allow |
|---|---|---|
| ABN or ACN active, same entity | Nothing. Renew as normal. | None |
| Sole-trader or partnership ABN cancelled; same structure, still trading | Re-apply for an ABN with the Australian Business Register (ABR) | An answer straight away if the online application is complete. A review can take 20 business days, or longer if the Australian Taxation Office asks for more information. |
| New structure: sole trader to company, a new trust, or a sold business | A change of registrant to the new entity, ideally before the old ABN is cancelled and always before the licence expires | Depends on the provider, and both sides confirm. Not possible after expiry. |
| Company deregistered, and you want the company back | Apply to ASIC for reinstatement, and tell your domain provider now | Up to 28 days for ASIC’s fee estimate. After you apply and pay, a decision may take another 28 days. The licence is deemed cancelled 30 days after deregistration. |
| Company deregistered; the business carries on in another entity | A change of registrant, with evidence that the company agreed to the transfer before it was deregistered | Within 30 days of deregistration |
| Closed for good | Move it to an eligible entity you control, or let it lapse | If you’re moving it: ideally before you cancel the ABN, and always before expiry |
Re-applying for an ABN
Applying for an ABN is free. A cancelled ABN has to be re-applied for, and it shows as active on ABN Lookup only once it’s been issued again, so renew after that, not before. Re-applying is for businesses that are still trading; if you’ve closed for good, see keeping a .com.au after closing.
Moving the domain to a new entity
A change of registrant puts the licence into a different person’s or entity’s name. auDA’s conditions include three that matter here: the current holder is eligible on the date of the transfer, the new holder meets the eligibility rules, and the licence hasn’t expired. The new holder starts a new licence period and pays a new licence fee.
The first condition is the catch. If the old ABN is already cancelled, a provider may ask for evidence, such as a sale agreement or a signed statement, before it moves the name, so ask yours early. Don’t wait for the renewal either. If you’ve sold the business, auDA’s rules say the transfer must be requested within 28 calendar days of entering the contract to transfer the licence, unless the contract says otherwise (Licensing Rules 2.13.4). They also require holders to tell their registrar about changes to their registry details within 14 calendar days of becoming aware of them, and a licence can be suspended if they don’t (2.11.9 and 2.16.4). And a holder may not let another person or business use the licence, other than a related Australian company (2.11.12). How a change of registrant works for a .com.au has the steps.
If your company was deregistered
Under auDA’s rules, the licence is deemed cancelled 30 calendar days after the company ceases to exist, unless there’s documentary evidence that, before it was deregistered, the company agreed to transfer the licence to whoever now uses the name. An agreement made after deregistration doesn’t count, and no transfer is possible on or after the cancellation date.
A former officeholder or shareholder, or in some cases a third party, can apply to ASIC to reinstate the company. ASIC emails a fee estimate within 28 days, and a decision may take another 28 days after you apply and pay. A reinstated company is treated as if it was never deregistered, but we couldn’t confirm whether a domain licence cancelled in the meantime comes back with it. auDA can restore a cancelled licence at its discretion, at no charge, if nobody else has been issued a licence for the name (Licensing Rules 2.16.12). It isn’t automatic, so contact your domain provider straight away.
This is general information, not legal or tax advice. For decisions about your business structure, your ABN or a deregistered company, talk to the ABR, ASIC, or your accountant or lawyer.
What happens if the renewal is refused?
A refused renewal doesn’t end the licence by itself: the name keeps working until its expiry date, unless your provider suspends or cancels it sooner. auDA’s rules allow a registrar to suspend or cancel the licence of a holder who’s no longer eligible, and in some cases require it (Licensing Rules 2.11.7 and 2.16.10; Registrar Rules 2.14.2). At expiry, your website and email stop, and you have 30 calendar days to renew, but only once you’re eligible again. After that, the name is released for anyone eligible to register, first come, first served.
Providers don’t all handle a failed check the same way. Some notices describe the renewal being blocked and the name deleted at expiry; others describe a deadline to move the name to an eligible holder before the licence is suspended. Under auDA’s rules, a suspended licence stops working and can’t be transferred, and the holder has 30 calendar days to fix the problem before it’s cancelled. Ask your provider which approach it takes.
- A change of registrant can’t happen after expiry. auDA requires the licence not to have expired, so sort out a restructure before the date.
- Renewing late still needs eligibility. The rules allow a renewal in those 30 days once you’re eligible again, for example after your ABN is reissued. We couldn’t confirm that every provider’s systems accept that in practice, so treat it as a last resort, not a plan.
What happens when a .au name expires covers the general timeline.
Can you keep a .com.au after closing your business?
Not on a cancelled ABN. auDA’s guidance is that closing the business and cancelling its ABN or ACN ends your eligibility for the name. You have two honest options:
- Move it to another eligible entity you control, such as a trust where you’re the trustee (auDA’s example). That’s a change of registrant, and the current holder has to be eligible on the date of the transfer, so do it before you cancel the ABN if you can. Afterwards, your provider may need evidence (see moving the domain to a new entity). Either way, it has to happen before expiry.
- Let it go, after checking what still uses it, especially email. What breaks when a domain lapses has the list to work through.
A direct .au is a separate licence with its own eligibility rules. Whether you need the .au as well and how .com.au, .au and .com compare cover the choices. auDA’s review has recommended helping retirees move to a different kind of .au name, but that’s a proposal, not a rule.
What does Chill Domains check, and what doesn’t it?
Chill Domains checks the format of your ABN or ACN, not whether it’s active. We collect your eligibility details at checkout and make sure an ABN is there and has 11 digits, or an ACN 9. Your registrar validates your details at registration and again at renewal.
At Chill Domains. We’re a reseller: your domain is registered through an auDA- and ICANN-accredited wholesale registrar partner (ICANN is the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers). Renewal reminders are emailed 30 days, 7 days and 1 day before expiry, and each .au reminder notes that the ABN or ACN on the licence is checked at renewal. There’s no 90-day warning and no pre-check tool, and some fixes take longer than 30 days, so the five-minute check above is your head start. If the registry cleanly refuses a renewal, your card is refunded automatically. An unclear error, or a mixed result when you renew several domains at once, is sorted out by a person.
If your ABN or business structure has changed, start a change of registrant from your dashboard. It’s paid before it starts, and it renews the licence for a year: whole years already left carry over, but any part-year is lost. It can’t be undone once both the old and new registrants confirm. Because it includes a year, there’s no need to renew first. The free Correction option is only for a genuine mistake in the details, where the entity and ABN aren’t changing. If the registrant email on file is dead, or your ABN is already cancelled, email info@digitalgreenhouse.com.au before you start (Monday to Friday, 9am–5pm Sydney time; we reply within one business day).
The .com.au page has the full eligibility rules.
Questions people ask
How much warning will I get before my .com.au comes up for renewal?
Should I renew first and sort out the ABN later?
Can I renew for five years now to get ahead of the check?
Can I move my .com.au to another provider to avoid the check?
My ABN was cancelled but I’m still trading the same way. What do I do?
I went from sole trader to a company. What happens to my .com.au?
My company has been deregistered. Is the domain gone?
Is this the same as the proposed changes to .com.au eligibility?
I got an email saying my domain isn’t eligible. Is it genuine?
Does Chill Domains check that my ABN is active?
Terms in this guide
- auDA
- .au Domain Administration, the not-for-profit body that sets the rules for .au names.
- Licence
- What you hold when you register a .au domain: the right to use the name for a set period.
- Eligibility
- The rules about who may hold a particular ending. A .com.au needs an Australian commercial entity, and you have to stay eligible for the whole licence period.
- Registrant
- The person or organisation a domain is registered to.
- Registrar
- A company accredited to add, change and renew names in a registry.
- Reseller
- A business that sells and supports domains through an accredited registrar, without being a registrar itself.
- Registry operator
- The company that runs a registry’s systems day to day. For .au that’s Identity Digital Australia, under contract to auDA.
- Change of registrant
- Putting a domain into a different person’s or business’s name. For .au names the new holder has to be eligible, and it can’t be done after the licence expires.
- WHOIS
- The public lookup that shows who holds a domain. For .au names it includes the registrant’s name and usually its ABN or ACN.
- Status code
- A label on a domain’s public record that says what state it’s in, such as
serverRenewProhibited(too early to renew). - Grace period
- The window after a domain expires when the holder can still renew it. For .au names it’s 30 calendar days, and you still have to be eligible.
Every term, in full, is in the glossary.
Sources
All read on 6 October 2026.
- .au Domain Administration Rules: Licensing (auDA, version dated 23 June 2026): who can hold a .com.au or .net.au (2.4.4), staying eligible (2.11.7), deregistered holders (2.11.2–2.11.3), updating details (2.11.9), letting someone else use the licence (2.11.12), checking the expiry date (2.12.11), change of registrant, the 28-day deadline after a contract to transfer, and transfers between registrars (2.13.1–2.13.2, 2.13.4, 2.13.8), renewal and the 30-day grace period (2.14.1–2.14.5), suspension, cancellation and restoring a cancelled licence (2.16.4–2.16.7, 2.16.10, 2.16.12), and what the public WHOIS shows (Schedule D).
- .au Domain Administration Rules: Registrar (auDA, version dated 23 June 2026): the registrar must not renew an ineligible holder, may rely on the holder’s promise of eligibility, and must notify the registrant contact at least 30 days before expiry (2.12.1–2.12.2); eligibility on the date of a transfer between registrars (2.11.5); cancelling an ineligible holder’s licence (2.14.2).
- How to renew your .au domain name (auDA): website and email stop during the 30-day grace period.
- com.au domain names (auDA): closing the business and cancelling its ABN or ACN ends eligibility; moving the licence to another entity you control.
- .au Licensing Rules Review: recommendations, status and next steps (auDA, 25 September 2026), with the panel’s final report (August 2026): what may change, and the statement on business names.
- Understanding WHOIS Status Codes for .au Domains (Identity Digital Australia): what
serverRenewProhibitedmeans. - Domain name status code question: “Not Currently Eligible For Renewal” (DNTrade forum, 7 November 2020): the status reason predates the 2026 checks.
- ABN Lookup (Australian Business Register): how an ABN’s status is shown.
- Cancel or re-apply for an ABN (Australian Business Register): a cancelled ABN must be re-applied for, and shows as active only once it’s issued.
- Register for an Australian Business Number (ABN) (business.gov.au): applying is free; an immediate answer, or about 20 business days if reviewed (longer if more information is needed); a change of business structure may mean a new ABN; and when to cancel an ABN.
- Company and organisation registers (ASIC): the free company search, and how deregistered companies show.
- Apply to ASIC to reinstate a company and Reinstate a company after deregistration (ASIC): who can apply, the 28-day timeframes, and the effect of reinstatement.
- Registrar notices on the 2026 enforcement: TPP Wholesale (19 May 2026) and Instra (21 March 2026): the automated ABN and ACN check at renewal, and the two start dates.
Keep reading
- How a change of registrant works for a .com.au: the main fix when the business has changed.
- Holding a domain without an ABN: the options once you no longer have one.
- Do you need the .au as well? The direct .au is a separate licence.
- Domain renewal scams in Australia: how to spot a fake eligibility or renewal notice.
- Getting your .com.au domain password: what to do when the registrant inbox is dead.
- Renewal and expiry: the full timeline for .au and .com names.
- WHOIS and privacy: what a public .au lookup shows, and what it hides.