.AU Domain Verification & Renewal Changes

Reflecting October 2025 and March 2026 Updates

OpenSRS is introducing phased enhancements to .AU verification workflows to meet auDA Licensing Rules. These changes improve transparency, notification processes, and the time available for registrants to correct data.

Key release milestones:

• October 30, 2025: New verification visibility and status notifications for private persons.
• March 2026: Introduction of a unified verification system for both private persons and companies, including aligned statuses, suspension rules, and renewal behavior.

After March 2026, workflows for private and legal entity registrants become largely harmonized.

October 30, 2025 Update (Private Persons)

New verification status emails

When direct registrant contact is enabled, registrants receive an email when their verification succeeds or fails.

Status visibility enhancements

    Resellers can can now view .AU verification status through

• Reseller Control Panel (RCP)
• API  
• Event callbacks for staus changes                       

     API users can leverage the following commaned to track verificaiton status: 

• get registrant verification status – retrieves the domain’s verification status
• get notes – retrieves notes on why verification failed
• domains event: registrant verification status change – receive notifications when a domain’s status changes

These improvements prepare the system for March 2026 unification.

March 2026 Update: Unified Verification System

Beginning March 2026, private persons and companies follow a consistent verification experience.

Key components introduced:

• A new Not Verified status for all registrant types
• Standardized suspension rules
• A unified data-correction period
• Aligned status visibility and notifications
• The same method of restoring suspended domains (Trade with corrected data)

Verification Status Definitions

• Verified – Registrant information meets auDA eligibility requirements.
• Not Verified – Verification failed; domain remains active for a 30 day period.
• Suspended – Domain disabled due to unresolved failed verification.

Private Person Verification Workflow (Starting March 2026)

When verification occurs

• Post-registration
• Post-transfer
• Post-trade
• Post-renewal

Outcomes

If verification succeeds:

• Status becomes Verified; no further action required.

If verification fails:

• Status becomes Not Verified.
• Domain remains active for 30 days.
• Registrant receives a 30-day warning email.
• RCP/API display the failure reason.

On day 31:

• Domain becomes Suspended.
• Registrant must correct the data and complete a Trade to restore the domain.

Legal Entity (Company) Verification Workflow (Starting March 2026)

When verification occurs

• Pre-registration
• Pre-transfer
• Pre-trade
• Pre-renewal (30 days before expiry)

At registration / transfer / trade

• Verification must pass before the order completes.
• Failed verification blocks the order.

At renewal

Thirty days before expiry, verification runs automatically.

If successful:

• Status becomes Verified.
• Renewal may proceed normally.

If failed:

• Status becomes Not Verified.
• Registrant is notified 30 days before expiry.
• Domain remains active until the expiry date.

On the expiry date

• If status is Verified → domain autorenews.
• If status is Not Verified → domain does not autorenew and enters the expiration grace period.

Explicit renewal after expiry

• If the reseller submits a renewal explicitly while the domain remains Not Verified:
• Domain renews.
• Domain immediately enters Suspended status.

Restoring a suspended company domain

• The registrant must complete a Trade with corrected data to return the domain to Verified status.

Comparison: Private Persons vs. Companies

Renewal Rules (auDA Policy)

These rules apply to all .AU registrants:

• Renewals may be submitted only within 90 days before expiry.
• Renewals are still allowed up to 30 days after expiry.
• Domains in Not Verified status at expiry do not autorenew.
• Explicit post-expiry renewal is allowed, but the domain becomes Suspended if still Not Verified.

Registrant Email Templates

Successful Verification

Subject: Contact Verification Successful

Informs the registrant that verification succeeded and no action is required.

Verification Failed

Subject: Contact Verification Failed – Action Required

Includes:

• A list of affected domains
• The vendor’s failure message
• Notice of 30 days remaining before suspension
• Instruction to update registrant details promptly

Resellers may share these templates directly with customers.

What Registrants Should Do

If verification succeeds:

• No further action required.

If verification fails:

Registrants must update their information so it matches:

• ABN/ACN/trademark details
• Legal entity name
• Eligibility type

Unresolved failures result in domain suspension.

What Resellers Should Do

• Ensure messaging settings allow OpenSRS to send verification emails to registrants.
• Review verification status through RCP or API.
• Encourage registrants to keep eligibility information accurate and up to date.
• Share this guide when customers need clarification about .AU verification processes.

If Registrant Data Is Correct but Verification Fails (Private Persons)

Verification for private persons uses the government “Resident Files” database, which covers approximately 80% of the population. Legitimate registrants may occasionally not appear in the dataset.

When verification fails despite accurate data:

Step 1 — Contact support

• Registrant should contact their domain provider or reseller.

Step 2 — Provide documentation

Registrant submits a document showing:

• First name
• Last name
• Current address

Accepted documents include:

• Driver licence (front and back)
• Utility bill
• Government letter
• Bank/financial statement
• Rental or rates notice

Step 3 — Manual review

• Support verifies the documentation and may manually mark the domain as Verified.

Step 4 — Status updated

• Domain returns to Verified status.
• Suspension warnings are cleared.
• No further action is required unless registrant data changes.

This process ensures that legitimate registrants who are not reflected in the Resident Files database can still verify their domain and remain compliant with auDA requirements.

Additional Resources

• .AU Domain Policies

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