Assuming that all the searches have been satisfactory, registration of the domain name can proceed. The procedures, requirements and costs vary according to the Register or Top-Level Domain (TLD). Two of the most popular are the .COM and .CA Registers. In both cases, it is necessary to apply through a Registrar, who actually enters your name on the registry or database for that domain.
Registering .COM Domain Names
This is the most popular commercial top-level domain. There are many registrars for the .COM registry. We recommend going to the Internic site, which contains a complete listing of registrars.
Registering .CA Domain Names
On November 1, 2000, operational management of the ,CA Registry was taken over by the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA), a non-profit organization. CIRA in turn has contracted out registry functions to private registrars. For the most recent information, see the CIRA site.
Choosing a Domain Name
For most domains (e.g. .COM, .CA, .ORG, .NET) you can choose any domain name that is not already registered, subject to the restrictions of that particular register. Availability can be determined by checking with a domain name Registrar. Follow this link to a list of Registrars. A domain name points to one particular IP number. This means that even slightly different domain names may be technically registrable. However, this does not mean that one is free to use the domain name in any way.