IPv4 Addressing Options

Options After IPv4 Free Pool Depletion

ARIN’s free pool of IPv4 address space was depleted on 24 September 2015. As a result, we no longer can fulfill requests for IPv4 addresses unless you meet certain policy requirements that reserved blocks of IPv4 addresses for special cases, such as:

  • NRPM 4.10: organizations may request a /24 of IPv4 address space to facilitate the transition to IPv6
  • NRPM 4.4: micro-allocations to critical Internet infrastructure providers such as exchange point operators and core DNS service providers

If you do not qualify to receive IPv4 address space under either of these two policies, there are several other options that you may wish to explore.

Waiting List for Unmet Requests

Submit an IPv4 request and go on the Waiting List for Unmet Requests. Requests on the waiting list can only be filled when ARIN adds IPv4 address space to its available IPv4 inventory. This usually occurs after: a registrant returns IPv4 address; a revocation by ARIN (typically for non-payment of annual fees); IPv4 address space distribution to ARIN by Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA); or otherwise made available to be re-issued.

Transfers to Specified Recipients

Seek IPv4 address space via a Transfer to Specified Recipients (NRPM 8.3 or NRPM 8.4).

Adoption of IPv6

To ensure the growth of your network well into the future, you might also consider requesting IPv6 address space directly from ARIN.

Phase Four processing concluded and the IPv4 Countdown Plan was retired on 1 June 2016. Please refer to the IPv4 Countdown Plan page for a description and history of this process.