How to Register a .CA Domain: Complete Guide for Canadian Businesses

The .CA domain is managed by CIRA, the Canadian Internet Registration Authority, and it is restricted to entities with a genuine Canadian connection. That restriction is exactly what gives it value: a .CA domain tells visitors and search engines that the registrant has been verified as having a Canadian presence. This guide covers the eligibility requirements, the registration process, and what to do with the domain after you have it.

Who is eligible to register a .CA domain

CIRA's Canadian Presence Requirement, the CPR, defines who can register a .CA. The eligible categories are: Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and protected persons; Canadian corporations and organizations legally incorporated in Canada; Canadian unincorporated associations, trade unions, and political parties; Canadian educational institutions; government bodies and agencies at the federal, provincial, and municipal levels; and trademark holders with a trademark registered in Canada that corresponds to the domain name they want to register.

Notably absent from this list: foreign companies that are not incorporated in Canada. A US company cannot register a .CA domain unless it holds a relevant Canadian trademark. A US company with a Canadian subsidiary can register through the subsidiary. This restriction is enforced at registration and can be challenged by third parties if they believe the registrant does not meet the CPR.

How the registration process actually works

You register .CA domains through CIRA-accredited registrars, not directly through CIRA. Accredited registrars include most Canadian hosting companies and major international registrars. When you register, you attest that you meet the CPR for the eligibility category you select. This attestation has legal implications: providing false eligibility information can result in the domain being cancelled and is a violation of the registration agreement.

Registration terms run from one to ten years. The annual cost through most accredited registrars is in the $15 to $25 range, lower than many premium TLDs. Renewal is straightforward through your registrar's interface. CIRA allows domain transfers between accredited registrars if you want to move registration to a different company, using a standard transfer process that involves an authorization code from the current registrar.

Why .CA matters for Canadian SEO

Google uses country-code top-level domains as a strong geotargeting signal. A .CA domain tells Google the site is intended for Canadian audiences, which improves its likelihood of appearing in search results for queries conducted from Canada, particularly for terms without an explicit location component. This is a more reliable signal than setting a geographic target in Google Search Console, because it is embedded in the domain itself rather than in a configuration file that can be changed. For businesses targeting Canadian customers, the .CA domain is the clearest SEO signal of Canadian intent available.

The .QC.CA second-level domain is available for Quebec entities and provides an additional provincial identity signal. It is less common than .CA but more specific for Quebec-focused businesses. Using both, with .QC.CA as an alias pointing to the same site, is a reasonable approach for businesses with a strong Quebec identity who also want the broader Canadian recognition of .CA.

DNS setup after registration: the records you need

After registering your .CA domain, you need to configure DNS records to make it functional. The minimum set is: an A record pointing your root domain and www subdomain at your server IP address, and MX records pointing at your mail server for email to work. You will also want a TXT record for SPF to authorize your mail server to send email for your domain, a CNAME or TXT record for DKIM public key publication, and a TXT record for DMARC policy. Without these three email authentication records configured correctly, email from your domain will increasingly be filtered as spam by major providers.

If your domain registrar provides DNS management, you can manage all records there. Alternatively, you can delegate DNS to a third-party provider like Cloudflare for better performance and more interface features, or to your Canadian hosting provider if they offer DNS management as part of your hosting plan. Either way, keep a record of your current DNS configuration before making changes, as incorrect records can take your email or website offline while they propagate.