What a regional registry does
RIR means Regional Internet Registry. A registry records Internet number resources and administers them under its region's policies. It is not an ISP, a domain-name registrar or a guarantee that a listed prefix can be bought, leased or routed.
The resources
- IPv4: 32-bit address space. The total address space is different from the pool available for allocation or transfer.
- IPv6: 128-bit address space, distributed under its own policies.
- ASNs: identifiers for autonomous systems participating in inter-domain routing.
The five RIR service regions
| Registry | Service region | Official site |
|---|---|---|
| AFRINIC | Africa | AFRINIC |
| APNIC | Asia Pacific | APNIC |
| ARIN | United States, Canada, and many Caribbean and North Atlantic islands | ARIN |
| LACNIC | Latin America and parts of the Caribbean | LACNIC |
| RIPE NCC | Europe, the Middle East and parts of Central Asia | RIPE NCC |
Service regions are not simple continent boundaries. Start with the NRO's RIR overview, then confirm the exact country or territory with the registry. A resource's registration region does not establish the physical location of every system using it.
How the registry system fits together
- IANA: coordinates the global number-resource pools and allocations to RIRs under global policy. It ordinarily does not allocate addresses directly to ISPs or end users.
- RIR: applies regional policy and maintains resource registrations.
- Providers and registries: NIRs, LIRs and ISPs may distribute or assign resources onward under the applicable arrangements.
- Record maintenance: the responsible organizations keep resource, contact and delegation records current.
RIR, NIR, LIR and IRR are different roles
NIR: a National Internet Registry, present in some regions. It provides number-resource services within a national framework.
LIR: a Local Internet Registry, often an ISP or another organization receiving resources for onward distribution or its network.
IRR: an Internet Routing Registry, which publishes routing-policy objects. An IRR route object is not a transfer approval or a cryptographic RPKI authorization.
Find the registry for an address or prefix
Use RDAP and follow the source registry
- Record the exact public IP address, CIDR prefix or ASN and the observation time.
- Use an official registry's RDAP interface, such as ARIN Whois/RDAP. Follow the source-registry references when the result comes from another registry. Software clients can use the IANA IPv4 RDAP bootstrap registry to find a service.
- Compare the returned range, handle, organization, status, contacts, events and related records with the exact resource. A parent allocation can contain a smaller assignment; record which one you actually found.
- Retain the source URL and time. Resolve mismatches with the responsible registry or authorized organization before relying on the record.
RDAP returns structured registration data; WHOIS is a different lookup protocol and may format or expose data differently. See ARIN's RDAP documentation for query methods and source-registry interpretation.
What the lookup does not establish
A registry record alone does not prove the counterparty's current authority to lease or transfer a prefix, clean reputation, route acceptance or a person's location. Private and special-purpose addresses do not identify a globally unique customer assignment. Check authorization, policy, routing and dated reputation evidence separately.
Registry services and their limits
- Allocation and assignment: distribute resources under the applicable policy and eligibility rules.
- ASN registration: maintain autonomous-system number registrations.
- Registration data: publish resource and contact information through services such as RDAP and WHOIS.
- Reverse DNS: support delegations; the responsible operator maintains the relevant records.
- Transfers: process qualifying registry changes under current policy.
- Routing security: offer services such as RPKI and IRR. Networks still decide which routes they accept.
- Training: provide technical resources and community support.
Why the registry system matters
- Coordinated distribution and records help avoid conflicting public resource assignments.
- Registration and authorization data support routing operations; they do not provide connectivity by themselves.
- Published policies and documented decisions make resource administration accountable.
- Contact records help route abuse reports and operational questions; they are not proof of who generated particular traffic.
- Training and IPv6 support help operators develop their networks.
Before a transfer or IPv4 lease
IPv4 scarcity does not create one universal acquisition process. New allocations, waiting lists, transfers and contractual leases have different conditions. A lease is not itself a registry transfer. Neither a purchase agreement nor a marketplace listing guarantees registry approval.
- Identify the exact prefix, current registry, registered organization and each party's authority.
- Check current source and recipient policy, resource eligibility, organization requirements, documents, fees and approval dependencies. For an inter-RIR transfer, check both registries and whether that path is supported.
- Separately agree who handles LOAs, origin ASN, IRR objects, ROAs, reverse DNS, abuse reports and operational acceptance.
- Coordinate the registry change, routing transition, renewal or return, and an exception path. Do not assume the old holder's authorizations survive a transfer.
ARIN's transfer guidance illustrates why the source, recipient and routing handover need separate checks. Use the applicable registry's current rules for your case.
Who makes regional policy?
Regional communities develop resource policies through open, bottom-up processes; each registry implements its applicable policies. Membership and policy participation are not the same thing. The RIPE policy process, for example, is open to participants beyond RIPE NCC members.
IANA, ICANN and the NRO
- IANA coordinates global identifier registries and resource pools.
- Public Technical Identifiers, an ICANN affiliate, performs the IANA functions. This is not a claim that ICANN decides each regional resource request or approves private leases.
- The NRO coordinates the five RIRs on shared matters. Regional policy and registry decisions retain their own processes.
RIR questions
What does RIR stand for?
RIR stands for Regional Internet Registry, an organization that coordinates and records Internet number resources for a service region.
What does an RIR do?
It registers and distributes Internet number resources and provides associated services under regional policy.
How many RIRs are there?
Five: AFRINIC, APNIC, ARIN, LACNIC and RIPE NCC.
Which RIR serves the USA and Canada?
ARIN. Its service region also includes many Caribbean and North Atlantic islands.
Which RIR covers Europe?
RIPE NCC, whose region also includes the Middle East and parts of Central Asia.
Which RIR covers Asia?
APNIC serves Asia Pacific, while RIPE NCC serves the Middle East and parts of Central Asia. Check the exact country or territory.
Does an RIR register website domain names?
Website domain registration is a separate system. An RIR's reverse-DNS services do not make it your website's domain registrar.
Can an individual obtain addresses directly?
Eligibility depends on the registry, resource and current policy. Many users obtain addresses through their ISP; do not assume that payment alone qualifies a request.
Does registration prove ownership or leasing authority?
Registration records resource administration. Contracts, applicable policy and verified authority must be examined separately for a proposed transaction.
Is WHOIS the same as RDAP?
No. They are different registration-data protocols. RDAP uses structured responses and supports source-registry references.
Does a registry lookup locate a person?
No. An organization's registration address or country does not establish an individual device's location or the identity of a user.
How is an RIR different from an ISP?
An RIR provides number-resource registry services. An ISP provides network services and may also assign addresses to customers.
Prepare the next registry or operating step
Start with the record, then verify authority and operational readiness. Review registry coordination, RPKI and ROA responsibilities, or discuss a resource-management requirement. i.lease provides workflow and administrative coordination; registry approval, counterparties and routing outcomes require their own verification.
