Domain name status

The status of a domain name is the condition of a given domain name at a particular moment.

Available
When a domain name is available it means that it is not registered. It can be registered except if it does not comply with the Terms & Conditions (point 2. Acceptable domain names).

Not available
A domain name that is not available cannot be registered any more. You can request more information about the domain name in order to view its exact status and check the registrant's details. These are the possibilities:
  • REGISTERED
    The domain name is in use. You can view the registrant's details, except if it is a private person. In the latter case, only the e-mail address and the registrar who manages the domain name will be visible.
  • ON HOLD
    DNS.be will place a domain name 'on hold' whenever:
    When a domain name is placed 'on hold', its characteristics may no longer be altered. Registration cannot be cancelled, nor can the domain name be transferred to another registrar or modifications be made to the registrant's details. The domain name is 'frozen', as it were, until a final ruling is made about the dispute in question. The website and e-mail addresses linked to the domain name will remain operational.

    If the dispute is placed before CEPINA, the domain name will automatically be placed 'on hold' by DNS.be. If the domain name dispute is submitted to the relevant court, DNS.be must be notified immediately so that the domain name can be placed 'on hold'.
  • OUT OF SERVICE
    Domain names of which the registrar stopped being a .be registrar (failure or termination of the contract) and whose due date has passed, are accorded this status. The right of use of these names can only be renewed through a new registrar.
    Such domain names have the following lifecycle:

  • QUARANTINE
    Domain names deactivated by the registrant (through a registrar) or by the registrar himself (e.g. when the renewal invoice was not settled on time) will not be immediately released but will be blocked for 40 days. These names are not active, but are not yet released.

Not valid
The domain name you inserted does not comply with the .be registration rules. You may have entered invalid characters.

What is a valid domain name?
  • Use valid characters (“a-z”, “A-Z”, “0-9”, “-“)
  • Choose a name with more than 2 and less than 63 characters
  • Avoid a name starting or ending with a “–“
  • Avoid charactercharacterdashdash combinations like aa--.be
 
WHOIS registration details certificate
A .be registrant can request a summary in pdf format of the details of the individual or organisation who/which, at that time, is registered as the holder of the .be domain name, as stated in DNS.be’s registration system.

In this way, you may verify whether the domain name has been registered with DNS.be with the correct details and receive a document in pdf format drawn up and signed by DNS.be to this effect. You may use this document for certain business transactions, such as applying for a digital certificate.

How do you proceed?
You simply look up your domain name in the WHOIS on the top-right corner of our website. At the bottom of the page you will see a button to request the “WHOIS registration details certificate”.

More information? The answers to your questions can be found here.

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