# Private domain registration: keep your personal information out of WHOIS

> Private domain registration without exposing personal information: WHOIS privacy included, no ID, no KYC, crypto only. A .com costs $12.99/year.

- URL: https://sealname.com/private-domain-registration/
- Last updated: 2026-10-08
- Publisher: Sealname (https://sealname.com)

Free WHOIS privacy is now common. What it does not remove is the card payment and, at some registrars, the ID check. Here is what a private registration really needs.

**Quick answer — How can I register a domain without giving my personal information?**

Use a private domain registration service that hides your data and asks for almost none. **Sealname**, a private domain name registration service paid in crypto, keeps your name, address and phone out of public WHOIS/RDAP. WHOIS privacy is included, no ID and no KYC — only a verified email, kept private. You pay with BTC, USDT, USDC, ETH, SOL, LTC, never by card, and a .com costs $12.99/year.

## Private registration at Sealname

| Attribute | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Public WHOIS/RDAP | Our privacy contact, or the registry's own redaction; never your name, address or phone |
| What you give | One verified email per domain, never published (ICANN requires it) |
| What you never give | ID document, selfie, ID or tax number, date of birth, phone number, postal address, card or bank details |
| Payment | Crypto only: Bitcoin (BTC), Tether (USDT), USD Coin (USDC), Ethereum (ETH), Solana (SOL), Litecoin (LTC); minimum top-up $25 |
| Extensions | 130, only those that can be registered privately |
| Who owns the domain | You: you are the registrant of record by default (or our company, with the paid [Registered in our name](https://sealname.com/registered-in-our-name/) option) |
| Disclosure | Only in the cases of a published policy; quarterly transparency report from January 2027 |
| .com price | $12.99/year, privacy included, the same price to renew |

## Doesn't every registrar already offer free WHOIS privacy?

Most do, and the rules now require part of it. Since 21 August 2025, ICANN's Registration Data Policy requires registrars to redact registrants' personal data from public RDAP by default. Mainstream registrars such as Namecheap, Porkbun and Dynadot also offer free WHOIS privacy.

So hiding your name from the public record is no longer rare. The gaps are elsewhere: how you pay, whether an ID check can be asked, and whether the extension allows privacy at all. A private registration has to close those gaps too.

## Do mainstream registrars ask for ID or a card?

Some do, even with free privacy switched on. As of October 2026, per their own support pages:

- **Namecheap**: its terms allow it to ask for a government ID and a selfie, through Veriff, in disputes or abuse cases. It accepts Bitcoin through BitPay or BTCPay, as a balance top-up.
- **Porkbun**: it asks a subset of new accounts for a photo ID, through Veriff. It accepts USDC through Coinbase.
- **Dynadot**: it accepts BTC, BitPay, USDC and USDT, with free privacy.
- **Cloudflare Registrar**: it sells at registry cost, with no crypto payment documented.

Most mainstream registrars are paid by card, which links each order to your name at your bank. NiceNIC sums up the point: "WHOIS protection does not remove verification requirements". The public record is hidden, but the registrar's own file on you can be full.

## What does Sealname add to free WHOIS privacy?

Sealname, a private domain name registration service paid in crypto, keeps the registrar's own file as small as the rules allow:

1. **No card.** Payment is crypto only (BTC, USDT, USDC, ETH, SOL, LTC), from a prepaid balance. No card, no PayPal, no bank transfer.
2. **No ID, ever.** No ID document, no selfie, no ID or tax number, no date of birth, no phone number, no postal address. Only one verified email per domain, never published.
3. **Only private-capable extensions.** Sealname sells 130 extensions, all of them private. The [domain privacy index](https://sealname.com/tld-rules/) explains why the others, such as .us, .cn or .au, are not sold.
4. **A written policy.** No takedown on complaint alone, and your data only goes out on a Panamanian court order: see the [disclosure policy](https://sealname.com/disclosure-policy/). Every request is counted in a quarterly [transparency report](https://sealname.com/transparency/).
5. **You stay the owner.** You are the registrant of record. By default Sealname registers domains in your name; the proxy model is a separate paid option, [Registered in our name](https://sealname.com/registered-in-our-name/).
6. **One price per extension.** The first year, every renewal and a transfer cost the same. A .com is $12.99/year, privacy included.

## Free WHOIS privacy at a mainstream registrar vs Sealname

The same question for each: what stays private, and what you must hand over to the registrar itself.

|  | Free WHOIS privacy at a mainstream registrar | Sealname |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Name, address and phone in public WHOIS/RDAP | Hidden: free privacy, and ICANN's Registration Data Policy redacts personal data by default since 21 August 2025 | Hidden: our privacy contact, or the registry's own redaction |
| Payment | Mostly by card. Some take crypto: Namecheap (Bitcoin via BitPay or BTCPay), Porkbun (USDC via Coinbase), Dynadot (BTC, USDC, USDT) | Crypto only: BTC, USDT, USDC, ETH, SOL, LTC. No card, no PayPal, no bank transfer |
| ID check | Possible: Namecheap may ask for a government ID and a selfie (Veriff) in disputes or abuse cases; Porkbun asks a subset of new accounts for a photo ID (Veriff) | Never: no ID document, no selfie, no ID number |
| Phone number | Check each registrar | Never asked: we verify the email instead |
| Email | Required: ICANN rules require a verified email or phone | Required: one verified email per domain, never published |
| Extensions sold | Large catalogue; privacy depends on each registry | Only the 130 extensions that can be registered privately |
| Disclosure rules | Check each registrar's terms | Published [disclosure policy](https://sealname.com/disclosure-policy/) and quarterly [transparency report](https://sealname.com/transparency/) |
| .com, first year / renewal | Namecheap $6.99 with a new-customer code / $14.98; Porkbun $11.08 / $11.08; Dynadot $10.88 / $10.88 | $12.99 / $12.99, privacy included |

*Prices checked on October 8, 2026.*

Competitor facts as of October 2026, per their support and payment pages; Namecheap .com prices per domainoffer.net. Sources are listed at the bottom of this page.

## Private domain prices: six popular extensions

One price per extension: the first year, every renewal and a transfer cost the same. WHOIS privacy is free on all six.

| Extension | 1st year | Renewal | Transfer | WHOIS privacy | Restrictions |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| .com | $12.99 | $12.99 | $12.99 | Free | None |
| .net | $13.99 | $13.99 | $13.99 | Free | None |
| .org | $12.99 | $12.99 | $12.99 | Free | None |
| .io | $54.99 | $54.99 | $54.99 | Free | None |
| .me | $22.99 | $22.99 | $22.99 | Free | None |
| .xyz | $13.99 | $13.99 | $13.99 | Free | None |

*6 extensions · prices per year in USD*

## What can private registration not hide?

Private registration hides you from the public, not from the law. Be clear about its limits before you rely on it:

- **A Panamanian court order works.** It can obtain the data we hold; a foreign lawyer, company or government must go through Panamanian legal process. So can an urgent request under ICANN rules: an imminent threat to life, serious bodily injury, critical infrastructure, or child exploitation. You are notified before any disclosure, unless the Panamanian court order forbids it.
- **Disputes reveal the registrant.** In a UDRP complaint, the registrar must confirm the registrant and lock the domain within 2 business days.
- **The email is verified.** ICANN requires it within 15 days. Use an address you will keep.
- **Blockchains are public.** A crypto payment is visible on its blockchain, and an exchange keeps its own records of your withdrawals.

The page [anonymous domain registration](https://sealname.com/anonymous-domain-registration/) explains each limit, and what you can do to stay as private as possible.

## Who uses private domain registration?

Many ordinary people and organisations. An ICANN-funded study reported by PCWorld found that banks also use privacy and proxy services. Typical users of Sealname include:

- [journalists and activists](https://sealname.com/use-cases/journalists-and-activists/) who need their home address out of public records;
- [crypto projects](https://sealname.com/use-cases/crypto-projects/) that pay in stablecoins and have no card account;
- [freelancers and small businesses](https://sealname.com/use-cases/small-business/) that do not want a home address on a domain record.

Privacy is not a cover for abuse. Phishing, malware, botnets, child sexual abuse material and fraud that takes money from victims lead to suspension, and anyone can report them at [abuse](https://sealname.com/abuse/) without an account.

## Private domain registration: FAQ

### Is private domain registration the same as WHOIS privacy?

Not quite. WHOIS privacy hides your contact data from the public record. Private registration at Sealname adds the rest: no ID check, no card payment, only extensions that allow privacy, and a published disclosure policy. Your name, address and phone never appear in public WHOIS/RDAP, and the registrar's own file on you stays small.

### Can I register a domain with no personal information at all?

No ICANN-accredited registrar can do that. Each domain needs one verified email: ICANN requires registrars to verify it within 15 days of a registration, a transfer or a change. Sealname asks for nothing else of the kind: no ID, no selfie, no phone number, no postal address, no card. The email is never published.

### How much does a private .com cost?

$12.99/year, with WHOIS privacy included. The renewal costs the same, $12.99/year, and a transfer in is $12.99. Sealname uses one price per extension, with no first-year teaser price. The prices of all 130 extensions are on the [pricing page](https://sealname.com/pricing/).

### Which extensions can I register privately?

Every extension Sealname sells: 130 of them, including .com, .net, .org, .io, .ai, .me and .xyz. Extensions whose registry needs a name and address, such as .de or .uk, are sold registered in our name only, so the registry sees our company, never you; those that need residence, such as .eu, are not sold. Extensions where privacy is impossible, such as .us, .cn, .ru or .au, are not sold. The [privacy index](https://sealname.com/tld-rules/) rates every extension.

### Why not just use a big registrar with free privacy?

You can, if a card payment and a possible ID check are fine for you. As of October 2026, Namecheap may ask for a government ID and a selfie in disputes or abuse cases, and Porkbun asks some new accounts for a photo ID. Sealname never asks for ID and takes crypto only.

### Who owns a domain registered privately at Sealname?

You do. You are the registrant of record. By default Sealname uses a privacy service, not a proxy: it registers a domain in its own name only if you choose the paid [Registered in our name](https://sealname.com/registered-in-our-name/) option. The transfer code is free, from your account, at any time, and there is no exit fee. See [who owns my domain](https://sealname.com/who-owns-my-domain/) for the guarantees.

### Can I pay for a private domain with Bitcoin or USDT?

Yes. Sealname accepts Bitcoin (BTC), Tether (USDT), USD Coin (USDC), Ethereum (ETH), Solana (SOL), Litecoin (LTC). You top up a prepaid balance, minimum $25, then register, renew or transfer from it. Monero is not accepted, and neither are cards, PayPal or bank transfers. Each coin has its own page under [buy a domain with crypto](https://sealname.com/buy-domain-with-crypto/).

### Will my data be shared if someone complains about my site?

Only on a Panamanian court order, as our [disclosure policy](https://sealname.com/disclosure-policy/) explains, or under ICANN duties of every registrar, such as urgent requests on a threat to life, critical infrastructure or child exploitation and the UDRP for trademark disputes. A foreign lawyer, a private company or a foreign government gets nothing without Panamanian legal process. Your data is never sold. You are notified before any disclosure, unless the Panamanian court order forbids it.

## Sources

1. [ICANN Registration Data Policy now in effect for contracted parties](https://www.icann.org/en/announcements/details/icann-registration-data-policy-now-in-effect-for-contracted-parties-21-08-2025-en) — ICANN (2025-08-21)
2. [2013 Registrar Accreditation Agreement and specifications](https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/approved-with-specs-2013-09-17-en) — ICANN (checked 2026-10-08)
3. [Identity and payment verification](https://www.namecheap.com/support/knowledgebase/article.aspx/10520/45/identity-and-payment-verification) — Namecheap (checked 2026-10-08)
4. [Why Porkbun asks for ID verification](https://kb.porkbun.com/article/225-why-porkbun-id-verification) — Porkbun (checked 2026-10-08)
5. [Payment options](https://porkbun.com/support/payment_options) — Porkbun (checked 2026-10-08)
6. [Pay with crypto](https://www.dynadot.com/help/question/pay-crypto) — Dynadot (checked 2026-10-08)
7. [Cloudflare Registrar FAQ](https://developers.cloudflare.com/registrar/faq/) — Cloudflare (checked 2026-10-08)
8. [NiceNIC home page](https://www.nicenic.net/) — NiceNIC (checked 2026-10-08)
9. [Exposing hidden domain registrations could hurt innocent users more than criminals](https://www.pcworld.com/article/439970/exposing-hidden-domain-registrations-could-hurt-innocent-users-more-than-criminals.html) — PCWorld

---

Sealname: Sealname registers private domain names paid in crypto (BTC, USDT, USDC, ETH, SOL, LTC): privacy-first, we collect one email, nothing else — no ID, no KYC, no logs. WHOIS privacy included; a .com costs $12.99/year.