April 8, 2019

Nominet has reminded UK domain registrants with a third-level domain (.co.uk, .org.uk, .me.uk, .net.uk, .plc.uk or .ltd.uk) that they have less than three months to secure the shorter second level (.uk) equivalent, before it is made available to the public.

The deadline closes at 05:00 BST (UTC+1) on 25 June 2019, the end of a five year “Right of Registration” period set aside by Nominet in June 2014 to allow third-level domain registrants ample time to consider whether they would like to register their second-level equivalent.

Those with .co.uk registrations before midnight on 28 October 2013 were given five years to decide whether to register the corresponding .uk ending as well as, or instead of, their existing registration. If a .co.uk was not registered at that time, rights would have passed to the .org.uk then the me.uk domain.

After the deadline closes, all previously reserved but unregistered domains will become generally available in July 2019.

Of the original ten million domains that had their rights reserved in June 2014, there are now 3.2 million domains that have not registered the corresponding shorter .uk equivalent. Over two million .uk domains have been registered. To read Nominet’s press release in full and for further information on how to check rights, click here.