NIC.TM Domain Registry
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
for Domain Names registered with NIC.TM
Here are some Frequently Asked Questions (along with their answers) that might help you, as a new Registrar, (or Registrant) find your way around the domain registry system.
(when in doubt, follow the policies).




Glossary of Terms
Glossary of Terms

How do I register a domain name?

To Register a .TM Domain, you have two options. You can go to one of the specifically accredited .TM Registrars who can provide you with additionnal services, or alternatively you can register your .TM name(s) directly through the Registry.

If you choose to Register directly with us, there are three methods of registering a domain name; web site, PGP email or EPP and you can use whichever method is most appropriate to your needs.

The web site is open to all but the automated PGP email and EPP interfaces are only available to accredited registrars who have an account with us.

Registering on the Web Site

If you are a retail customer you are encouraged to use the services of a Registrar. Registrars offer a variety of quality services and may offer domains at a reduced price that those available directly.

To register a domain select the Purchase Domain option from the main menu on the left hand side of the nic website. (Registrars may also use the web interface and qualitfy for the registrars reduced price)

You can use the WHOIS search facility to see if the desired name is available and, if appropriate, click the Buy Online button to proceed.

The resultant screen explains our terms and conditions and you should ensure you read and understand them before proceeding to our secure server.

You may pay by bank transfer or credit card and the appropriate details must be entered.

Registering by PGP email

To use this interface you will need to complete the email template, sign this with your PGP private key and encrypt it with our public key.

If you are interested in using PGP email for your domain registrations please contact us and we will provide you with the specification.

Registering by EPP

If you are interested in using EPP for your domain registrations please contact us and we will provide you with the necessary details.

Registration Data

Regardless of the method used to register a domain name the information required is essentially the same.

The data supplied has a fixed format consisting of a field number followed by a period and a space, a field name followed by a colon and a space and then the user supplied data.

The data fields are numbered, these numbers appear on both the web forms and the automated templates. They are significant and must not be changed.

0. Authorization

If you are using the web interface the correct value of these fields will be supplied automatically.

0. (N)ew (M)odify (D)elete:

This is a single character specifying the action to be performed by this request;

Value
Action
N
Create a New domain
M
Modify an existing Domain
D
Delete an existing domain

0c. User ID:

This is your assigned ID number and is a maximum of 10 characters and is case sensitive.

0d. Password:

This is your assigned password and is a maximum of 10 characters and is case sensitive.

1. Purpose/Description:

This field enables you to describes the purpose for which the domain will be used.

A maximum of 256 characters may be entered and case is preserved.

2. Complete Domain Name:

This is the full domain name you wish to register including the TLD.

The domain name is not case sensitive and has a maximum length of 63 characters including the TLD. Case is not preserved and Domain names are displayed in upper case by our system once registered.

3. Organization Using Domain Name

3a. Organization Name:

This is the name of the organization wishing to use the above domain name.

A maximum of 78 characters may be entered and case is preserved.

3b. Street Address:

This is the street address of the organization wishing to use the above domain name.

Any building name and/or house number should be included as well as the street name.

A maximum of 78 characters may be entered and case is preserved.

3c. Town/City:

This is the town or city of the organization wishing to use the above domain name.

A maximum of 78 characters may be entered and case is preserved.

3d. State:

This is the state, county or region of the organization wishing to use the above domain name.

A maximum of 78 characters may be entered and case is preserved.

3e. Post code:

This is the postal code or zip code of the organization wishing to use the above domain name.

A maximum of 38 characters may be entered and case is preserved.

3f. Country:

This is the country of the organization wishing to use the above domain name.

A maximum of 38 characters may be entered and case is preserved.

4. Administrative Contact

The administrative contact has overall responsibility for the domain and will be contacted with all administrative matters.

The administrative contact has access to all administrative functions giving them complete control over the domain.

It is not permissible for a registrar to be the administrative contact for a domain registered to a third party.

The administrative contact may be specified in one of two ways; NIC Handle or full details.

4a. NIC-Handle:

Anyone registering a domain is assigned a NIC Handle of the form NIC-xxxxxxx.

If the administrative contact for this registration/modification/deletion already has a NIC Handle you may enter the appropriate value here.

A maximum of 18 characters may be entered and it is not necessary to enter the NIC- prefix.

If a NIC Handle is entered in this field any data entered in fields 4b. through 4n. will be ignored.

If you do not have a NIC Handle for the administrative contact enter the following data and one will be automatically assigned to you.

4b. (I)ndividual or (R)ole:

This is a single character specifying the action to be performed by this request;

Value Details Apply to I An individual, the person named R A named role within an organisation

4c. Name (Last , first):

This is the full name of the administrative contact. Please Note: All information supplied will be displayed in the WHOIS. If you do not want your personal address details displyed, you may enter an alternative address accomodation address where you may be contacted.

A maximum of 78 characters may be entered and case is preserved.

4d. Organization Name:

This is the name of the organisation acting as administrators for the above domain name.

A maximum of 78 characters may be entered and case is preserved.

4e. Street Address:

This is the street address of the organization acting as administrators for the above domain name.

Any building name and/or house number should be included as well as the street name.

A maximum of 78 characters may be entered and case is preserved.

4f. Town/City:

This is the town or city of the organization acting as administrators for the above domain name.

A maximum of 78 characters may be entered and case is preserved.

4g. State:

This is the state, county or region of the organization acting as administrators for the above domain name.

A maximum of 78 characters may be entered and case is preserved.

4h. Postcode:

This is the postal code or zip code of the organization acting as administrators for the above domain name.

A maximum of 38 characters may be entered and case is preserved.

4i. Country:

This is the country of the organization acting as administrators for the above domain name.

A maximum of 38 characters may be entered and case is preserved.

4j. Phone Number:

This is the telephone number of the administrative contact for the above domain.

Remember to enter your country’s international dialing code and any extension number.

A maximum of 38 characters may be entered.

4k. Fax Number:

This is the telephone number of the administrative contact for the above domain.

Remember to enter your country’s international dialing code.

A maximum of 38 characters may be entered.

4l. E-Mailbox:

This is the email address of the administrative contact.

A maximum of 50 characters may be entered and case is preserved.

4m. Password:

This is the password used to access the administrative functions.

A maximum of 18 characters may be entered and case is significant.

5. Technical Contact

The Technical contact is responsible for ‘sys admin‘ functions for the domain and can modify DNS entries and update the addresses used for web and email forwarding

It is permissible, and quite common, for the registrar to be the technical contact for domains registered to third parties.

Fields 5a. through 5m. are otherwise identical to fields 4a through 4m.

The technical contact may be specified in one of two ways; NIC Handle or full details.

6. Billing Contact

The billing contact can modify their Name and address details of their NIC handle.

It is permissible, and quite common, for the registrar to be the billing contact for domains registered to a third party.

Fields 6a. through 6m. are otherwise identical to fields 4a through 4m.

The billing contact may be specified in one of two ways; NIC Handle or full details.

NS1. Primary Name Server

Details of the primary name server are specified here.

ns1b. Primary Server Hostname:

This is the name of the primary name server.

ns1c. Primary Server Net Address:

This is the IP address of the primary name server.

This should only be specified for hosts within the same ccTLD as the domain being registered.

NS2. Secondary Name Server

Details of the secondary name server are specified here.

Fields ns2b. and ns2c. are otherwise identical to fields ns1b. and ns1c.

NS3. Optional Name Server

Details of an [optional] tertiary name server may be specified here.

Fields ns3b. and ns3c. are otherwise identical to fields ns1b. and ns1c.

9. Payment Details (for New)

For new registrations these fields contain information relating to payment.

If you are using the web interface the correct value of these fields will be supplied automatically.

9a. Product: (The relevant Product Code - see guide)

This is the product code for the registration.

9z. Account: (Your assigned account number)

This is the accredited Registrar's account number.

10. Current Admin Contact Password (for Modify)

For domain modifications [field 0. has the value M] this field contains the administrative contact’s password.

10. Password:

Enter the administrative contact’s password here. Case is important.

How do I change my password?

To change the password associated with a NIC Handle select Change my password from the Administer Domain option from the main menu on the left hand side of the nic website.

You will need to know the NIC Handle and password to access this function. If you do not remember your it can be mailed to you using the Mail Password function.

For security purposes the existing password has to be entered and the new password entered identically in two places before the change is made.

I’ve lost my password, what do I do?

To discover the password associated with a NIC Handle select Mail me my password from the Administer Domain option from the main menu on the left hand side of the nic website.

The current password will be sent by to the email address given in the contact details for that NIC Handle.

If the email address listed in the contact details is no longer current you will have to contact the technical support department.

How do I change DNS details?

To change any or all of the DNS (Name Server) details for the domain select Change DNS or Web/email forwarding details from the Administer Domain option from the main menu on the left hand side of the nic website.

Enter the domain name and the administrative or technical password and click the Continue button.

You may now enter the host names and IP addresses of up to 5 name servers for your domain.

For security reasons it is necessary to correctly enter the administrative or technical password at the bottom of the form before any changes will be made.

How do I change Web & Email forwarding details?

To change the web and email forwarding details for the domain select Change DNS or Web/email forwarding details from the Administer Domain option from the main menu on the left hand side of the nic website.

This is a very basic facility and you are encouraged to use the services of a Registrar and DNS provider who can offer facilities more suited to modern business needs such as multiple mail accounts, web hosting, e-commerce platforms etc.

Enter the domain name and the administrative or technical password and click the Continue button.

You may now enter the web site and email forwarding details.

For security reasons it is necessary to correctly enter the administrative or technical password at the bottom of the form before any changes will be made.

How do I change the registrant (transfer the domain)?

To change registrant details for the domain select Change registrant details, or Admin, Technical or Billing details from the Administer Domain option from the main menu on the left hand side of the nic website.

Enter the domain name and the administrative password and click the Continue button.

The registrant details are in fields 3a. through 3f. inclusive and may be modified as required.

For security reasons it is necessary to correctly enter the administrative password at the bottom of the form before any changes will be made.

How do I change the Administrative Contact?

To change the administrative contact for the domain select Change registrant details, or Admin, Technical or Billing details from the Administer Domain option from the main menu on the left hand side of the nic website.

Enter the domain name and the administrative password and click the Continue button.

The NIC Handle for the administrative contact is in field 4a. and may be modified as required.

For security reasons it is necessary to correctly enter the administrative password at the bottom of the form before any changes will be made.

How do I change the Administrative Contact Details?

To change the details for the administrative contact select Change my contact information from the Administer Domain option from the main menu on the left hand side of the nic website.

You will need to know the technical NIC Handle and password to access this function.

Once the desired amendments have been made it is necessary to enter the password again before any changes are made.

It is not possible to change the password using this function.

How do I change the Technical Contact?

To change the technical contact for the domain select Change registrant details, or Admin, Technical or Billing details from the Administer Domain option from the main menu on the left hand side of the nic website.

Enter the domain name and the administrative password and click the Continue button.

The NIC Handle for the technical contact is in field 5a. and may be modified as required.

For security reasons it is necessary to correctly enter the administrative password at the bottom of the form before any changes will be made.

How do I change the Technical Contact Details?

To change the details for the technical contact select Change my contact information from the Administer Domain option from the main menu on the left hand side of the nic website.

You will need to know the technical NIC Handle and password to access this function.

Once the desired amendments have been made it is necessary to enter the password again before any changes are made.

It is not possible to change the password using this function.

How do I change the Billing Contact?

To change the billing contact for the domain select Change registrant details, or Admin, Technical or Billing details from the Administer Domain option from the main menu on the left hand side of the nic website.

Enter the domain name and the administrative password and click continue.

The NIC Handle for the billing contact is in field 6a. and may be modified as required.

For security reasons it is necessary to correctly enter the administrative password at the bottom of the form before any changes will be made.

How do I change the Billing Contact Details?

To change the details for the billing contact select Change my contact information from the Administer Domain option from the main menu on the left hand side of the nic website.

You will need to know the technical NIC Handle and password to access this function.

Once the desired amendments have been made it is necessary to correctly enter the password again before any changes are made.

It is not possible to change the password using this function.

How do I get a NIC Handle?

To apply for a NIC Handle select Apply for NewNIC Handle from the Administer Domain option from the main menu on the left hand side of the nic website.

You should fill out the form as appropriate entering the desired password at the bottom of the form. The password has to be entered a second time and both copies have to match exactly, case is important, before the details will be accepted.

The NIC Handle is displayed and confirmation sent to the email address entered on the form.

How do I list my Domains?

To list the domains associated with a given NIC Handle select List all my Domain Names from the Administer Domain option from the main menu on the left hand side of the nic website.

Click the List all my domains radio button, enter the NIC Handle and associated password in the fields provided and click the Continue button.

Brief details of any domains associated with the given NIC Handle are displayed and full details of a domain may be obtained by clicking on its name.

How do I list Domains about to expire?

To list the domains due to expire select List all my Domain Names from the Administer Domain option from the main menu on the left hand side of the nic website.

Click the List all domains expiring radio button, select the desired period, 1 – 12 months, from the drop down list, enter the NIC Handle and associated password in the fields provided and click the Continue button.

Brief details of any domains associated with the given NIC Handle are displayed and full details of a domain may be obtained by clicking on its name.

How do I generate an invoice statement?

To generate an invoice ‘statement’ select List all my Invoices from the Administer Domain option from the main menu on the left hand side of the nic website.

Use the drop down lists and radio buttons to select the desired Start Date and End Date, enter the NIC Handle for the billing contact and the associated password in the fields provided and click the Continue button.

Brief details of all invoices for the desired period are displayed on the screen and clicking on a given invoice number causes a copy to be sent to the billing contact email address.

How do I request a copy invoice?

To request a copy invoice select List all my Invoices from the Administer Domain option from the main menu on the left hand side of the nic website.

Use the drop down lists and radio buttons to select the desired Start Date and End Date, enter the NIC Handle for the billing contact and the associated password in the fields provided and click the Continue button.

Brief details of all invoices for the desired period are displayed on the screen and clicking on a given invoice number results in a copy being sent to the billing contact email address.

My domain’s about to expire, what do I do?

You are encouraged to contact a Registrar of your choice - who can renew your domain for you and offer valuable services.

If you must renew directly with the Registry - to renew a domain select Renew Domain from the main menu on the left hand side of the nic website.

Enter the name of the domain you wish to renew together with the renewal period and payment details.

An acknowledgement message is displayed and, if everything is in order, the domain will be renewed for the requested period.

How do I delete a domain?

To delete a domain select Delete Domain Name from the Administer Domain option from the main menu on the left hand side of the nic website.

Fill in the appropriate details including the password associated with the administrative contact and click the Delete Domain button.

An acknowledgement message is displayed and, if everything is in order, the domain will be deleted in due course.

Why can't I register this domain?

There are a few restrictions on the names that may be registered. For example, a domain name must be at least 3 (three) characters and no more than 63 characters in length and may not begin or end with the hyphen character.

Why is my Name Server IP address not displayed?

When I registered my domain I entered IP addresses for the Name Servers and now they've gone. What's gone wrong?

In short, nothing...

The domain name system was designed to replace IP addresses by host names.

As we are only authoritative for one section of the entire name space, corresponding to this ccTLD, the IP address of a name server for which we are not authoritative is not within our control and should you wish to change the IP address you are advised to update your DNS with the appropriate registry.

For domains where this registry is authoritative we record the IP address.

But this document hasn't answered my question...

We have an award winning Technical Support Team who would be more than happy to answer your questions. Send us an email and we'll be pleased to assist you.

Glossary

NIC Handle

    A NIC Handle is a convenient shorthand used to identify a particular contact point within the Registry System and consists of the characters NIC followed by a hyphen and then a sequence of digits eg: NIC-0090073.
    Generally speaking when a NIC Handle is requested as input on a web form it is not necessary to enter the 'NIC-' prefix.

    NIC Handles are used to identify the Administrative, Technical and Billing contacts for a domain.

DOM Handle

    A DOM Handle is a convenient shorthand used to identify a particular domain name within the Registry System and consists of the characters DOM followed by a hyphen and then a sequence of digits eg: DOM-0070039.

    Generally speaking when a DOM Handle is requested as input on a web form it is not necessary to enter the 'DOM-' prefix.

Administrative Contact

    The administrative contact has overall responsibility for the domain and will be contacted regarding administrative matters.

    The administrative contact's password gives access to all administrative functions giving them complete control over the domain. The Administrative Contact should NOT be a Registrar but a contact directly associated with the Registrant.

Technical Contact

    The technical contact is responsible for the basic system administration of the domain; Name Servers, Web Forwarding and Email Forwarding. This may or may not be Registrar.

Billing Contact

    The billing contact receives any invoices generated by the system and is responsible for payments etc. This contact should be a Registrar.

    The billing contact's password gives access to invoicing functions for the domain.

Email Forwarding

    This is a very basic facility which forwards email for a given domain to a remote email address.

    You are encouraged to use the services of a Registrar and DNS provider who can offer facilities more suited to modern business needs, such as multiple email accounts, and corporate management services.

Web Forwarding

    This is a very basic facility which redirects web traffic for a given domain to a remote URL.

    You are encouraged to use the services of a Registrar and DNS provider who can offer facilities more suited to modern business needs, such as web hosting and e-commerce platforms.

Registrant

    This is the person for whom the domain was registered.

    Details of the registrant are entered in section 3 (Organisation/Individual Using Domain Name) of the registration form.

ccTLD

    This is a two character Top Level Domain as recorded on the International Standard Organisation's List 3166.