- Category
- New generic (2013 on)
- IANA type
- Generic
- Manager
- The Crown in right of the State of Victoria, represented by its Department of State Development, Business and Innovation
- Script
- Latin
- Delegated
- 2014-07-10
- DS in root
- 1 record(s)
- Algorithm
- 13 · ECDSA P-256
- IDN names
- no IDN tables at IANA
- WHOIS
- whois.nic.melbourne
- RDAP
- yes
Checked 26 Oct 2026 by our weekly check.
Is a .melbourne 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 .melbourne, so the extension is signed and anchored. A domain under .melbourne 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.
IDN names under .melbourne
No IDN tables for .melbourne at IANA: names are usually ASCII only (a–z, 0–9 and hyphen).
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.nic.melbourne/. Classic WHOIS (port 43) answers at whois.nic.melbourne. For most gTLD names the owner's contact details are redacted for privacy; the registrar, dates and status are public.
Lifecycle and drop
A generic extension under contract with ICANN follows the common gTLD lifecycle. Exact days can vary by registrar inside these limits:
| Stage | Days | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Add grace | 5 | Right after registration the registrar can delete the name for a refund. |
| Transfer lock | usually 60 | After registration or a transfer, the name cannot move to another registrar. |
| Expiry | 0 | The term ends. The name usually stops resolving within days. |
| Renewal grace | at least 30, up to 45 | The holder can still renew at the normal price. |
| Redemption | 30 | Deleted, but the holder can restore it for a fee. |
| Pending delete | 5 | No changes. Then the name drops and anyone can register it. |
So an expired name usually becomes free again 65 to 80 days after expiry. The lookup above shows a name's current status, for example redemption period or pending delete.