State Business Entity Search

Company domain name

A company domain name is the website address of a business, which the SBA also calls its URL. Once you register it, the SBA says no one else can use it for as long as you continue to own it.

By the State Business Entity Search team. ICANN's registrant, registry and expiry pages were used along with the SBA's name guide, six official documents in all. Last updated November 13, 2026. How guides are prepared.

What a company domain name is

A domain name is the registered address people type to reach a business online. ICANN says people and organizations register one to have a unique presence on the internet. Examples are a website, an email address or an online service.

The person or organization that registers it is the registrant. The SBA suggests starting with a domain name if you want an online presence for your business.

A domain name does not have to match the company's legal name. The SBA says it does not need to be the same as your legal business name, trademark or DBA. The state filing for the company is a separate step, covered in the guide to registering a company name with the state.

Who does what

Several kinds of company touch one domain name, and ICANN describes each.

Role What ICANN says it does
Registrar Registers the domain name for you, under a registration agreement that governs fees, transfers and renewals
Registry Maintains the records of names under a top-level domain and sets the registration rules for it
Reseller Sells names for a registrar and is not accredited by ICANN, while the registrar stays accountable
DNS host Manages the settings that point your domain name to your website and email
Privacy or proxy service Lets you register a name without showing your contact details in the directory

The SBA says to register through a registrar service. It says to consult a directory of accredited registrars to find which are safe to use.

Registering through a registrar

ICANN says registrars are responsible for registering domain names, while registry operators maintain the registry for each top-level domain. ICANN adds that generic top-level domain names can be registered with one of more than two thousand ICANN-accredited registrars or their resellers.

The registration agreement between you and the registrar governs fees, transfers and renewals. ICANN says you are entitled to review it at any time. The price and terms for your own name are in that document.

Once registered, the SBA says no one else can use the name for as long as you continue to own it. That makes the renewal date the one date to keep.

Email on your domain

A domain can be used for an email address, and DNS settings point a domain to email as well as to a website.

ICANN also says resellers may sell web hosting or email mailboxes alongside domain names. A mailbox is therefore one of the other services a reseller offers. The terms for the domain itself sit in the registration agreement with your registrar.

If the domain expires, the email stops. ICANN says the disruption stops any service tied to the domain, such as a website or email service.

Renewal and expiry

The SBA says you need to renew a domain registration on a regular basis. ICANN's expired registration policy sets out what happens when you miss it.

  1. Your registrar must send at least two renewal reminders, about one month and about one week before expiration.
  2. The notices go to the registrant email address in the official contact information.
  3. After expiry, the registrar must disrupt the domain's DNS service for up to 8 days before deleting the name.
  4. A registrar may offer an Auto Renew Grace Period of 1-45 days, possibly for a fee.
  5. For generic top-level domains, the registry must offer a Redemption Grace Period of 30 days after deletion.

If you turn on automatic renewal, ICANN says you must keep your payment information current.

Contact details in the registration data

Registrants must give accurate information for directories such as WHOIS and promptly update it when something changes. The same page says to answer your registrar within 15 days. ICANN also says you may review your registration agreement at any time and download a copy for your records.

WHOIS is the service that answers who is responsible for a domain name. On January 28, 2025, ICANN made RDAP the definitive source for generic top-level domain registration data in place of WHOIS. The guide to checking whether a business name is taken shows where the domain lookup fits among the other name records.

Company domain name: more questions

Does a domain name come with free business email?

ICANN says resellers sell domain names and other services offered by the registrar, such as web hosting or email mailboxes. It also says the registration agreement governs fees, transfers and renewals.

Can I register a domain with privacy protection?

ICANN says privacy and proxy service providers let you register a domain name without displaying your contact information in the registration data directory.

How soon do I need to answer my registrar?

ICANN's registrant responsibilities say you must respond to inquiries from your registrar within 15 days and keep your registrar account data current.

Next: registering a company name with the state and four places to check a business name.

6 official sources
  1. SBA, guide to choosing a business name, retrieved November 12, 2026.
  2. ICANN, WHOIS and Registration Data Directory Services, retrieved November 12, 2026.
  3. ICANN, Domain Name Industry, retrieved November 12, 2026.
  4. ICANN, Registering Domain Names, retrieved November 12, 2026.
  5. ICANN, Registrants' Benefits and Responsibilities, retrieved November 12, 2026.
  6. ICANN, 5 Things every Domain Name Registrant should know about the Expired Registration Recovery Policy, retrieved November 12, 2026.