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Guidelines - Requesting an Additional IPv4 Assignment from ARIN

This is an overview of the steps used to request and manage an additional assignment of IPv4 address space from ARIN. Organizations that receive assignments are often referred to as "end-users."

Allocation and Assignment

ARIN makes a distinction between address assignment and address allocation. End-users are "assigned" address space as described herein, while organizations, like Internet Service Providers (ISPs), are "allocated" address space for the purpose of reassigning or reallocating that space to their customers.

ARIN assigns blocks of IPv4 addresses to organizations that request address space for internal use in running their own networks, and not for subdelegation of those addresses outside their organization's networks. Typically, end-users receive IPv4 addresses from an Internet Service Provider (ISP), not directly from ARIN. Assigned addresses obtained directly from ARIN are the least likely to be globally routable.

Obtaining an Additional End-user Assignment from ARIN

Step 1 - Requirements

Review ARIN's policies to ensure your request meets the requirements. End-users that are not currently connected to an ISP and do not plan to be connected to the Internet are encouraged to use private IP addresses reserved for non-connected networks. Please see RFC 1918 for more information about private IP addresses.

ARIN makes IPv4 address space assignments based on an immediate to one-year need.

To request an IPv4 assignment, your organization must first have established Point of Contact (POC) handles and an Organization Identifier (Org ID) with ARIN. Additional information about creating and managing POCs and Org IDs is available in ARIN's Guidelines for Managing Organization and Contact Identifiers.

Once your organization has POCs and an Org ID registered in the ARIN database, complete and submit the IPv4 End-user Network Request template. All IPv4 assignment requests must be sent from the Admin or Tech POC associated with the organization's Org ID.

Step 2 - Completing the Template

Your organization must establish justification for the request.

Requirements for General and Multi-homed Assignments:

Utilization is a key factor in justifying an additional assignment of IPv4 address space. You must show exactly how previous address assignments have been used and provide details to verify your one-year growth projection. The basic criteria are:

  • 80% utilization of all existing assignments
  • 25% utilization of the requested block immediately upon assignment
  • 50% utilization of the requested block within one year

A greater utilization rate may be required based on individual network requirements.

Size of Assignments

In general, the minimum block of IPv4 address space assigned by ARIN to end-users is a /20. For multi-homed end-users, the minimum block of IP address space assigned is a /22.

If you require a smaller assignment or need to ensure routability, contact your upstream provider(s) for space. Prefixes longer than /20 are assigned from a block reserved for that purpose.

Requirements for Micro-allocations to End-users:

Guidelines for Micro-allocations outlines how critical infrastructure providers and public exchange points can qualify and request IPv4 micro-allocations from ARIN.

Instructions for completing and submitting the template are provided at the bottom of the document. To ensure prompt and accurate processing of your IPv4 End-user Network Request Template, follow these instructions exactly. Any errors found may result in the template being returned for correction.

Step 3 - Submittal of Template and Auto Response

Upon successfully submitting the template, ARIN verifies its receipt of the request and issues a ticket number via e-mail to the individual who submitted the request. Based on the volume of requests, this may take up to 60 minutes.

Step 4 - Review Process

ARIN reviews and responds to a resource request within three (3) business days.

The response may include a request for additional information. For each question and response cycle, ARIN responds within three (3) business days. If ARIN does not receive a response within ninety (90) days, the ticket is considered closed and the request must be resubmitted. A response from ARIN requesting additional documentation or information does not imply a request will be denied; it simply means that additional information is needed to evaluate the request.

For questions about requests, communicate via e-mail to hostmaster@arin.net or call ARIN's Registration Services Help Desk at +1.703.227.0660. When contacting the Help Desk, have appropriate ticket numbers and other request documentation readily available, and have access to the ARIN website. In follow-up communication, supply the name of the ARIN Help Desk Resource Analyst that provided previous assistance. Click here for additional guidance on calling the Help Desk.

Step 5 - Request Approval

ARIN notifies your organization, via e-mail to the individual who submitted the request, whether the request was approved or not. The approval is good for ninety (90) days. If your organization does not follow up on the approval within that time, you must resubmit the request.

If a request is rejected and you feel that it has the proper justification for receiving the requested resource, you may contact ARIN to further explain its position.

Step 6- Fee Payment and Registration Services Agreement

ARIN charges a one-time registration fee for each IPv4 assignment, based on the size of the assignment. Exact fees and other billing information are supplied in ARIN's Fee Schedule. After receiving approval confirmation and a ticket number from ARIN, submit a completed IPv4 Assignment Billing Account Form. Additional fee and payment information is available in the Billing section.

ARIN does not accept purchase orders as the equivalent of payment and payment information is not accepted by phone. The approval of a request can be dependent on the billing status of the Org ID in question. Outstanding fees due to ARIN must be paid before additional resources are allocated.

Submission of Signed Registration Services Agreement (RSA)

All applicants requesting resources from ARIN are required to sign the Registration Services Agreement (RSA). The RSA must be signed and returned before ARIN allocates resources. The RSA cannot be altered or modified. If the organization already has a signed RSA on file with ARIN, a new one is not needed unless the request for resources will be issued under a new Org ID. Organizations may fax a signed, but otherwise unaltered, RSA to +1.703.227.0671. ARIN requests that the organization also forward two (2) signed originals via postal mail to:

ARIN
Attention: Financial Services Department
3635 Concorde Parkway, Suite 200
Chantilly, VA 20151

Submission of Payment

When completing ARIN's online billing forms, organizations may choose between two payment options:

Immediate online payment by credit card (American Express, Discover, MasterCard, and Visa)

If payment is by credit card, an automatic receipt is e-mailed to the organization, along with instructions on how to download the Registration Services Agreement (RSA).

Receive an invoice for payment by check or wire transfer

For organizations choosing to receive an invoice, ARIN sends an invoice within three (3) business days and instruction on how to download the Registration Services Agreement (RSA). For instructions to send payment by wire transfer, call +1.703.227.9886 or e-mail billing@arin.net.  For wire instructions by e-mail, include the ARIN ticket or invoice number, the organization name, and Org ID. For payments by check, send payment to:

American Registry for Internet Numbers
P. O. Box 79010
Baltimore, Maryland  21279-0010

Step 7- Assignment

ARIN assigns the IPv4 address space assignment within two (2) business days of ARIN's receipt of the registration fee and a signed RSA. The assignment of IPv4 addresses does not qualify organizations for ARIN membership. Only organizations that receive and pay for a direct allocation of IP address space from ARIN are automatically accorded membership.

As membership is open to all interested parties, any organization or individual may become a member of ARIN by completing a Membership Application Form and paying an annual membership fee.

Managing an IPv4 Assignment Record

Organization and Contact Identifiers

To ensure efficient and accurate processing, promptly update Org ID and POC records after any change. Additional information about Org IDs and POCs is available in ARIN's Guidelines for Organizations and Contact Identifiers.

Maintenance Fee and Exemptions

ARIN assesses a single consolidated annual maintenance fee to each Org ID for certain resources registered with it. This single fee covers all ASNs, IPv4 assignments, and transfers registered with ARIN per Org ID. This fee is due on the anniversary date of the organization's first resource registration associated with the Org ID.

Organizations that have received a direct allocation from ARIN are not charged the annual maintenance fee. Additional information about ARIN's fees is available on the Fee Schedule and the Guidelines for Billing Procedures pages.

Modifying or Returning an IPv4 Assignment

There are two types of changes that can be made to an IPv4 assignment record.

Modification

The Network Modification (Net-Mod) template can be used to change the POC handle associated with an IPv4 assignment, modify a network name, or change IN-ADDR name server information. Modifications are submitted by the Administrative or Technical POC for the appropriate Org ID, or the Technical POC for the resource.

To change POCs associated with an IPv4 assignment, the POCs must already exist. If the POCs are not currently registered in the ARIN database, submit a POC template prior to submitting the Net-Mod template.

Return

The Network Modification (Net-Mod) template can also be used to return unused IPv4 assignments to ARIN. Returns of an IPv4 assignment can only be submitted by the Administrative POC.

Transfers of IPv4 Assignments

Transfers of IPv4 assignments are handled similarly to the transfer of any ARIN resource. Specific guidelines for this process are provided in ARIN's Guidelines for Transferring Internet Number Resources.