auDA will be commencing a series of new rules surrounding the .au namespace. In the particular case of .id.au rules, these are set to commence sometime late 2021. These changes will primarily impact anyone using a .id.au under the previously accepted personal interest or hobby eligibility, as of late 2021 this will no longer be a valid reason to register or renew a .id.au domain.

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The changes:

In an effort to narrow the purpose of the .id.au namespace, the new rules are designed to ensure the domain can only be used as a personal identifier. The new accepted registration rules are as per below. The id.au domain name being applied for must be:
  1. a) a match to a Person’s legal name, first name or family name;
  2. b) an acronym or abbreviation of the Person’s legal name, first name or family name; or
  3. c) a nickname of the Person.

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Existing registrations:

If you are the current holder of a .id.au domain name that does not meet the above criteria, unfortunately that domain will not be able to renew once these rules commence. Current licensing will be honoured up to the maximum five-year registration period possible on .au domains. Domains can still be transferred and renewed prior to the rules commencing (late 2021). The upcoming .au namespace will allow registrations for a personal interest or a hobby. The second level .au namespace (like “example.au”) will have no allocation rules, meaning that as long as you meet the Australian presence eligibility requirement, you can register any name you like provided it is not restricted by Australian law. Presently, as a current .id.au domain holder, you can register for priority registration on the second level .au namespace. This would be ideal if you’re looking to secure an existing domain that will not be renewable once the .id.au rules commence late 2021. More information can be found here.