Registration Services Agreement (RSA) FAQs

ARIN provides the FAQs and answers below to enhance the Internet community’s understanding of Registration Services Agreement (RSA) Version 14.0. The FAQs do not alter or otherwise modify any terms of any RSA. For information focused specifically on Legacy Resources, please see our Legacy Resources page.

What is different about the current ARIN Registration Services Agreement (RSA)?

The current RSA (Version 14.0) includes an update to section 13(c). It now allows a customer to terminate the RSA if a change to the Service Terms is believed to materially and adversely impact their rights or use of the Included Number Resources. In such cases, Internet number resources received prior to ARIN’s formation would revert to Legacy Number Resource status, while any resources issued directly by ARIN would be returned.

What happened to the Legacy Registration Services Agreement (LRSA)?

In August 2022, the ARIN Board of Trustees voted to end the annual legacy maintenance fee cap that had been in place since the LRSA was introduced in 2007. The fee cap officially ended on 31 December 2023. Beginning 1 January 2024, all legacy resources brought under agreement are covered by the ARIN Registration Services Agreement (RSA) and invoiced under the current Registration Services Plan fees.

I represent a federal, state, or provincial governmental entity. Therefore, I cannot agree to the RSA’s standard provisions concerning indemnification, bankruptcy, governing law, and/or binding arbitration. How does ARIN handle this situation?

ARIN recognizes the unique legal requirements of federal, state, and provincial governmental entities and does make accommodations where necessary. To request modifications, governmental entities must provide statutory or legal references that demonstrate why a change is legally required in order for them to execute the RSA.

Examples include:

• Indemnification: ARIN has modified or deleted this provision when law prohibits a governmental entity from providing indemnification.
• Bankruptcy: ARIN has deleted this provision when appropriate.
• Governing law: If a statute requires that another state’s law not apply, ARIN may revise the agreement to remain silent on governing law.
• Arbitration: ARIN can substitute non-binding mediation for binding arbitration when required by law.

ARIN’s attorneys can review and respond to such requests promptly.

My company signed a previous RSA version. Is it possible to have my previously issued Internet number resources covered under the most current RSA?

Yes. You may sign the latest RSA at any time to bring your existing Internet number resources under the current agreement. Please contact ARIN’s Registration Services Department, who will assist you with the process.

My attorney reviewed the RSA and has suggested certain revisions. Will ARIN consider my proposed revisions?

ARIN does not negotiate individual changes to the RSA. This ensures all RSA holders have the same rights and responsibilities under each version. While ARIN cannot adopt individual revisions, we do review community and customer feedback when developing future versions. The only exceptions are limited accommodations for governmental entities. Because ARIN processes thousands of RSAs each year, it is not feasible to provide most requested revisions.