6 min read · Last updated April 2026
.au domain names — like .com.au, .net.au, .org.au and the newer .au — are not just product names that anyone can buy, flip, and sell like a piece of real estate. They operate under a licensing framework administered by auDA (the .au Domain Administration), and that framework contains rules that many domain holders — and squatters — don't realise exist.
auDA is the policy authority and industry self-regulatory body for the .au country-code top-level domain. It sets the rules for who can register a .au domain, what it can be used for, and what happens when someone misuses it. It also accredits and oversees the registrars who sell .au domains.
Key links:
Unlike generic TLDs such as .com, .au domains have eligibility requirements. To register a .com.au you must be an Australian registered company, trading name, or have a close and substantial connection to the domain name. For .net.au you need to be a network operator. For .org.au you must be a non-profit.
The .au direct domain (introduced in 2022) is open to any Australian citizen, permanent resident, or entity with an ABN/ACN.
You cannot register a .au domain just because you want it, or because you think it might be valuable one day.
This is the rule that most people don't know about. Under auDA's Licensing Rules — specifically clause 3.2 — a .au domain name licence cannot be sold, leased, or otherwise transferred for value.
In plain English: you cannot list a .au domain for sale on a marketplace. You cannot charge someone to transfer it to them. You cannot park it on a "make an offer" page and wait for the highest bidder.
This is fundamentally different from .com domains, where buying and selling is entirely legal and common. In Australia's .au namespace, a domain is a licence, not a property. Licences cannot be traded.
Parking a domain — pointing it to a placeholder page — is not itself a breach. What triggers a breach is when that parking page actively lists the domain for sale, shows a "make an offer" button, or redirects to a marketplace like Spaceship, Afternic, Sedo, or Above.com.
The nameservers tell the story. If a .au domain is pointing at ns.spaceship.com, ns.afternic.com, or ns.sedoparking.com, it's almost certainly listed for sale — and almost certainly in breach.
auDA has a four-tier complaints process that is free up to Tier 3:
The outcome of a successful complaint is cancellation of the domain. It does not get transferred to you — it gets deleted and becomes available for anyone to register. If you want it, you'll need to be ready to register it the moment it drops.
Separately, the auDRP (Dispute Resolution Policy, administered by the Resolution Institute) can result in a domain being transferred to you — but it costs around $2,000 and requires you to prove bad faith registration.
Use our free tool to check any .au domain against auDA's Licensing Rules. If a breach is confirmed, you can lodge a complaint yourself for free, or have us do it for $9.95.