- Category
- Country code
- IANA type
- Country Code
- Country
- Canada
- Manager
- Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) Autorité Canadienne pour les enregistrements Internet (ACEI)
- Script
- Latin
- DS in root
- 1 record(s)
- Algorithm
- 13 · ECDSA P-256
- Second-level
- 15 suffixes
- IDN names
- yes, 1 scripts/languages
- WHOIS
- whois.cira.ca
- RDAP
- yes
Checked 26 Oct 2026 by our weekly check.
Is a .ca name registered?
Looked up from your browser in the registry's RDAP service; if that does not answer, in DNS. Nothing is stored on dnssec.in.What this means
The root zone holds a DS record for .ca, so the extension is signed and anchored. A domain under .ca can use DNSSEC with a full chain of trust: it needs to be signed at its DNS host and have its own DS at the registrar. .ca is the country code for Canada; its registry sets who can register.
Second-level suffixes under .ca (15)
You can register names directly under .ca or under these suffixes, for example example.ab.ca. Some are restricted to certain users (government, education, banks). Source: the Public Suffix List.
- .ab.ca
- .bc.ca
- .gc.ca
- .mb.ca
- .nb.ca
- .nf.ca
- .nl.ca
- .ns.ca
- .nt.ca
- .nu.ca
- .on.ca
- .pe.ca
- .qc.ca
- .sk.ca
- .yk.ca
IDN names under .ca
The registry publishes IDN tables at IANA for 1 scripts or languages, so names can use these characters (stored as xn-- in the DNS):
- French Language
Length
DNS limits are the same everywhere: each label is 1 to 63 characters, the whole name at most 253, letters, digits and hyphens, not starting or ending with a hyphen. IDN labels count their xn-- form, so fewer native characters fit. A registry can set a higher minimum (often 2 or 3 characters) or reserve short names: that is in its own policy.
WHOIS and RDAP
RDAP (the JSON successor to WHOIS) answers at https://rdap.ca.fury.ca/rdap/. Classic WHOIS (port 43) answers at whois.cira.ca.
Lifecycle and drop
Country code extensions set their own lifecycle: grace periods, redemption and release dates differ from country to country and are not covered by ICANN's gTLD policies. Read the registry's rules: http://www.cira.ca/.