Registering an AU domain name as a Trust

When attempting to register or complete a Change of Registrant on an eligible .au domain name using a Trust ABN, you will receive the following error:

‘Invalid ABN Entity. We cannot accept a Trust entity as a form of eligibility.’

auDA (the .au Domain Administration) does not allow direct registrations of .au domains using a Trust as they are not a legal entity, They need to be registered to a individual or company.

auDA verifies the entity type on the Australian Business Register (ABR). If the ABR shows the entity as a Trust, regardless of the Entity Name, the registration cannot proceed unless the applicant uses the Trustee’s details. 

The Trustee will either be a company with its own ABN/ACN, or a natural person who can have their own Sole Trader ABN in some cases.

If you place the order using the Trustee’s details, it will allow the domain to successfully register.

If you are unsure of which details to put or require assistance with registering your domain name, you can provide our team via an eTicket with any of the following:

• Trust Deed: The complete legal document outlining the trust’s structure and beneficiaries.
• Schedule Page: A specific page from the trust deed that clearly identifies the trustee(s).
• Any other documentation that clearly shows who the actual trustee of the trust is.

Once we receive this information, we will review your situation and advise on the appropriate registration process.

Below is an example of a correctly registered domain in accordance with the .au Domain Administration rules:

A natural person as Trustee for a Trust

Registrant: First Name and Last Name as Trustee for <Name of Trust>

Registrant ID: <Leave Blank>

Eligibility Type: Trust

Eligibility ID: ABN of the trust

Eligibility Name: <Name of the Trust>

A company as Trustee for a Trust:

Registrant: Company Name Pty Ltd as Trustee for <Name of Trust>

Registrant ID: ACN or ABN of the Company Name

Eligibility Type: Trust

Eligibility ID: ABN of the Trust

Eligibility Name: <Name of the Trust>

We understand that this can be quite confusing, so If you have any questions about this process at all, don’t hesitate to contact our support team as we are happy to help.