Short answer
You register a .nz or .co.nz domain through a registrar authorised by the Domain Name Commission. Anyone over 18, or any lawfully set up business or organisation, can apply. Every .nz name carries a wholesale fee of $22 a year, ex GST (.nz Rules, March 2026), and NZ cost guides put the retail price at about $25 to $60 a year.
- .nz and .co.nz work the same way and carry the same wholesale fee. Pick the one your customers will remember.
- The registrant is the domain holder. Make sure that’s you or your business, not your designer.
- Turn on auto-renew. A lapsed domain takes your website and email offline.
- Moving out is free: your registrar must give you the auth code at no charge. The new registrar may charge for the move in.
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Should you choose .nz or .co.nz?
Both .nz and .co.nz are fine for a NZ business: they’re registered the same way, through the same registrars, and the wholesale fee is the same for every .nz name. A plain .nz name (yourbusiness.nz) is shorter. A .co.nz name (yourbusiness.co.nz) is the familiar choice many NZ businesses already use.
Many businesses register both, so nobody else takes the matching name, then point one at the other. The full list of .nz endings is set out in the .nz Rules, version 3.2, in effect from 17 March 2026. The Rules also say no new second level endings will be created.
| Ending | Who it suits | Approval needed? |
|---|---|---|
| yourname.nz | Any business or person who wants a short address | No |
| yourname.co.nz | The familiar choice for NZ businesses | No |
| yourname.org.nz | Organisations such as clubs, charities and societies | No |
| .net.nz, .gen.nz, .geek.nz, .kiwi.nz, .maori.nz, .ac.nz, .school.nz | Open endings; .ac.nz and .school.nz suit schools and academic bodies | No |
| .govt.nz, .iwi.nz, .health.nz, .cri.nz, .mil.nz, .parliament.nz | Only eligible bodies, such as government agencies or iwi and hapū | Yes, by a moderator |
Source: .nz Rules v3.2 (17 Mar 2026) and the DNC’s list of moderated second levels, checked 21 Oct 2026.
Who can register, and how does it work?
Under the .nz Rules, you can register a .nz domain if you’re an identifiable person over 18, or a lawfully constituted entity such as a company or incorporated society. Names are first come, first served. The Domain Name Commission (DNC) can ask the holder to prove who they are, with ID or a certificate of incorporation, so the details must be real.
Three groups run .nz. InternetNZ runs the .nz register. The DNC is the regulator: it authorises registrars, enforces the Rules and handles complaints and disputes. Registrars are the businesses that sell and renew your domain. Some web designers and hosts are resellers who sell through a registrar. The DNC keeps a list of .nz authorised registrars and doesn’t recommend one over another.
- Registering your .nz domain
- 1
Check the name is free
Search it on the DNC domain search. Check the .nz and .co.nz versions.
- 2
Choose a registrar
Pick one from the DNC’s authorised list. Compare renewal prices and support, not just the first-year price.
- 3
Register it in your name
Enter your business’s legal name (or your own name if you’re a sole trader) as the registrant. Use an email address you’ll keep.
- 4
Check the record
Look it up on the DNC WHOIS. Make sure the registrant is you and note the renewal date.
What does a .nz domain cost?
A .nz domain usually costs about $25 to $60 a year, depending on the registrar, based on NZ cost guides published in 2026. Behind that, every registrar pays InternetNZ a fixed wholesale fee of $22.00 a year, ex GST, for each .nz name, set in clause 7.3.1 of the .nz Rules (March 2026). It’s the same fee for .nz, .co.nz and every other ending.
You can register for 1 to 10 years at a time. The DNC’s page on what domain names cost warns that some registrars discount the first year and charge more at renewal, so check the renewal price before you buy.
| Item | Can they charge? |
|---|---|
| Yearly registration and renewal | Yes, at their own price |
| Moving your domain in from another registrar | Yes, the new registrar may charge |
| Changing the registrant (holder) | Some do |
| Reinstating a domain after it lapses | Yes, often on top of the renewal |
| The privacy option for individuals | Some do |
| Moving your domain out to another registrar | No. There’s no exit fee. |
| Giving you your auth code | No. It must be free. |
Source: Domain Name Commission, “Get information on how much domain names cost”, checked 21 Oct 2026. Wholesale fee: .nz Rules v3.2, cl 7.3.1.
How to check who holds your domain, and keep it
Check who holds your domain with the free DNC WHOIS lookup. The registrant shown is the holder. The DNC’s guide to managing your domain says to make sure it’s your company name or your own name, not your web developer or a past staff member. Our guide to who owns your website and domain walks through the check.
If a domain isn’t renewed, it goes into a 90-day pending release (redemption) period. Your website and email stop working during that time. You can usually reinstate it, sometimes for a fee, and it can take a few days or longer. After 90 days anyone can register it.
Keep it in your name
- The registrant is your business’s legal name, or your own name.
- Auto-renew is on, and the card on file is current.
- The contact email is one you check, and it isn’t an address on the same domain.
- The renewal date is in your calendar, with a reminder a month before.
- You know which registrar holds it and you have the login.
Why not use your domain email?
The DNC advises against using an address on the same domain (like you@yourbusiness.co.nz) as the registration email. If the domain lapses, that email stops too, and so do the renewal reminders.
How do you move a .nz domain to another registrar?
You move a .nz domain with an authorisation code, which used to be called a UDAI. The DNC’s guide to getting an auth code says it’s 16 characters, works once and expires after 30 days. Your registrar must give it to the registrant free of charge and can’t delay a transfer by holding it back. Only share it with your new registrar.
- Moving registrar
- 1
Open an account with the new registrar
Read their terms first. They must give you their terms and a contract.
- 2
Ask your current registrar for the auth code
Many let you generate it in your dashboard. Otherwise, email them from the registrant’s email address.
- 3
Check for a transfer lock
If WHOIS shows “client transfer prohibited”, ask your current registrar to remove it.
- 4
Give the code to the new registrar
Enter it in their dashboard or send it to them. They complete the transfer.
- 5
Check WHOIS
Look the domain up again and make sure your details are right.
Changing the holder is a separate process. If your designer is the registrant, ask them to change the domain name holder to you through their registrar. If they refuse, the DNC runs a dispute service.
Common .nz domain mistakes
The most common mistakes are a domain registered in someone else’s name and a renewal that slips through. The DNC says it gets many requests from people who believe they own a domain, but the record shows a different registrant.
Watch for these
- The domain is in your designer’s, host’s or a former staff member’s name.
- Renewal reminders go to an old email address, or to spam.
- Auto-renew is off, or the card on file has expired.
- You chose on first-year price and the renewal costs much more.
- The auth code was shared with someone other than your new registrar.
- The registrant is a company that’s been struck off. Contact the DNC for help.
Where Web Smart HQ fits
You can do all of this yourself. If we build your website, year one of hosting and your domain is included in both packages ($499 + GST and $899 + GST). Your domain, content, Google profile and analytics are in your name. We host the site, and you can move it any time.
After year one, hosting and your domain continue at a monthly rate we agree with you before renewal. No surprises: we remind you before anything renews. Already have a domain? We use the one you’ve got. See how we work or our prices.