.co.uk is the address most people in Britain expect a business website to have. It has been part of the UK's internet namespace since the 1980s, and anyone can register one, wherever they live, for one to ten years.
PD Hosting is a UK company and a Nominet accredited registrar. We register your .co.uk directly with the registry, check the ownership details ourselves and look after renewals and transfers from one account. Search for yours below.
Per year. Compare every extension on our domain pricing page.
What is a .co.uk domain?
- Type
- A second-level name under .uk, the United Kingdom's country code. It's meant for commercial use, but that guidance is advisory, not enforced. Source
- Registry
- Nominet, the not-for-profit registry for .uk, which has run it since 1996. Source
- Who may register
- Any person or organisation, in the UK or abroad. There's no restriction on who can hold a .co.uk. Source
- Registration period
- From one to ten years at a time. Source
- Identity checks
- The owner's name and address must be real. As your registrar, we confirm them: automatically in most cases, otherwise by asking you for a document. Details that can't be confirmed within 30 days mean the name must be suspended. Source
- Public WHOIS
- Since May 2018 the public .uk WHOIS hasn't shown an owner's name or address unless they choose to publish it, and it never shows their email address. Source
- Transfers
- Until 8 February 2027 a .co.uk moves between registrars by a change of registrar tag (ours is PDHOSTING). From 9 February 2027 .uk names switch to transfer authorisation codes, as used by .com. Source
- After expiry
- Suspended 30 days after expiry, renewable until day 90, and released 95 days after the expiry time. Source
Facts checked against the registry on 9 November 2026.
Who a .co.uk domain suits
A .co.uk is the natural choice for a business whose customers are mainly in the United Kingdom: a plumber in Leeds, an accountancy practice, a café, an online shop that ships within the UK. British visitors recognise it at once as local, and many will type .co.uk by habit when they guess a company's address.
It also suits sole traders and freelancers who want a professional email address rather than a free webmail account, and overseas companies that want a recognisably British presence without opening a UK office.
- A company or shop website aimed at UK customers
- Professional email such as [email protected]
- A UK version of an international brand alongside its .com
- Protecting your trading name from being registered by someone else
- Campaign or product sites for the British market
Benefits of a .co.uk domain
Instantly read as British
Shoppers and suppliers in the UK see .co.uk and know they're dealing with a business that works here, which matters when they're deciding whom to trust with a payment.
Usually still available
Short, sensible names that went years ago in .com can often still be found in .co.uk, because the namespace is mostly used by UK firms.
Registered directly by us
We're an accredited .uk registrar rather than a reseller, so your name sits on our own registrar account and we deal with any query about it ourselves, without passing you along a chain.
Free to move to us
Bringing an existing .co.uk to PD Hosting costs nothing. A transfer changes who manages the name, not where your website or email point.
How we verify .co.uk owners
Every .uk name must belong to a real, identifiable person or organisation, and checking that is the registrar's job. When you register a .co.uk with us, the name and address you give are matched against independent records. For most customers this happens in the background and there's nothing more to do.
If the details can't be matched, for example just after a house move or for a newly formed company, we contact you and ask for a document that proves them: photo ID or a recent utility bill for a person, or the incorporation certificate for a company. We keep a record of which check was done and when, as every accredited registrar must. Anything you send is handled under UK data protection law; we're registered with the Information Commissioner's Office (ZA920919).
If the details still can't be confirmed within 30 days, the rules require us to suspend the name, and a suspended domain stops serving its website and email. So register in your real name or your company's legal name, tell us within seven days if your address changes, and reply to any verification request from us. If you get one and aren't sure it's genuine, call or open a ticket and we'll confirm it.
.co.uk pros and cons
Works well if
- Most of your customers, suppliers and staff are in the UK
- You want the address people in Britain are most likely to guess for a business
- You want an established, inexpensive extension with predictable renewal pricing
- You already own the matching .com and want to protect your name in the UK
Look elsewhere if
- You trade mainly outside the UK: a .com or your customers' own country code will feel more local to them
- You want the shortest possible address: the same name in .uk drops the "co"
- You'd rather not be identifiable as the owner: every .uk owner's details are verified, even though they're hidden from the public WHOIS
.co.uk compared with similar extensions
| Extension | Best for | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| .co.uk | UK businesses and sole traders | The most familiar British business address. |
| .uk | Short, modern UK brands | Same rules and registry, two characters shorter. Many owners hold both so customers land on the same site either way. |
| .com | International trade | Recognised everywhere, but good names are much harder to find. |
| .org.uk | Charities, clubs and community groups | Signals a non-commercial organisation; open to anyone, like .co.uk. |
Register your .co.uk domain
- Search for the name you want below.
- Add it to your basket and choose how many years to register it for.
- Check out. Your domain is registered straight away and appears in your client area, ready to point at your website and email.
Every domain includes DNS management, DNS backup and restore, and free mail forwarding.
.co.uk questions
Can I register a .co.uk if I don't live in the UK?
Yes. There's no residency rule for .co.uk, so people and companies anywhere in the world can register one. Your name and address still need to be real, because we verify them.
Who checks my details when I register a .co.uk?
We do. As your registrar, we're responsible for making sure every .uk name we register belongs to a real person or organisation. Most checks are automatic. If one isn't, we'll email you and ask for a document such as photo ID, a utility bill or a company certificate.
Is a .co.uk better than a .com for a UK business?
For a business that sells mainly to UK customers, a .co.uk is usually the better first choice: it's what British visitors expect and good names are easier to find. If you also trade abroad, register the .com too and point both at the same website.
How much does a .co.uk renew for?
A .co.uk renews at £8.70 a year with us. You can renew for up to ten years at once, and we email you before it's due.
How do I transfer my .co.uk to PD Hosting?
Ask your current provider to change the domain's registrar tag to PDHOSTING, then let us know and we'll add it to your account. Transferring a .co.uk to us is free. From 9 February 2027 .uk names move with a transfer authorisation code instead, and we'll update these steps then.
Should I register the .uk as well as the .co.uk?
If the matching .uk is free, it's worth holding both. People increasingly type the shorter .uk, and owning it stops anyone else using your name there. You can point the .uk at the same website at no extra hosting cost.
What happens if I forget to renew my .co.uk?
We send renewal reminders before it expires. If it still lapses, it keeps working for 30 days and is then suspended, so your site and email stop. You can renew it until day 90 after expiry; after that it's cancelled and released for anyone to register.
Sources: Nominet .uk rules of registration · Nominet .uk policies · Nominet data validation · How registrars validate .uk data · Nominet .uk standardisation · IANA .uk record
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