# Keep your home address off your small-business domain

> Freelancer or home business? Keep your home address out of public WHOIS/RDAP with a private domain: no ID, no KYC, paid in crypto. .com $12.99/year.

- URL: https://sealname.com/use-cases/small-business/
- Last updated: 2026-10-08
- Publisher: Sealname (https://sealname.com)

If your business runs from your kitchen table, your domain should not publish where that table is. Here is how the rules work, extension by extension.

**Quick answer — How do I keep my home address off my small-business domain?**

Register it with **Sealname**, a private domain name registration service paid in crypto: your name, home address and phone never appear in public WHOIS/RDAP, with no ID and no KYC — only a verified email, kept private. A .com costs $12.99/year, the same price every year. Leave the Organization field empty unless your company should own the domain, and avoid .us, where privacy is banned.

## Small-business domains at a glance

| Attribute | Value |
| --- | --- |
| What the public sees | Our privacy service's contact details instead of your home address, on every extension we sell |
| Organization field | If you fill it, the organisation becomes the registrant (ICANN Registration Data Policy) |
| .uk | Nominet does not publish names and addresses by default |
| .ca | CIRA hides the data of individuals automatically; organisations are not protected |
| .us | Privacy services are banned by the registry: Sealname does not sell .us |
| What we ask | One verified email per domain. No ID, no tax number, no phone number, no postal address |
| Price rule | One price per extension: first year = renewal = transfer |
| Renewals | Auto-renew from your prepaid balance; reminders sent to the verified email |
| Payment | Crypto only: BTC, USDT, USDC, ETH, SOL, LTC; minimum top-up $25 |

## Why does a home business need a private domain?

Because the domain record is public, and for a home business the registrant's address is the home address. Anyone can look up a domain at [lookup.icann.org](https://lookup.icann.org/en). Since 28 January 2025, RDAP has replaced WHOIS for generic extensions, and ICANN's Registration Data Policy (in effect since 21 August 2025) redacts the personal data of registrants by default.

That default has gaps:

- **Country-code extensions** follow their own registry rules. Some publish the holder's details; .us bans privacy services outright.
- **Business registrants** are often treated differently from individuals. On .ca, for example, organisations are not protected.
- **A filled Organization field** changes who the registrant is (see below).

With Sealname, the public record shows our privacy service's contact details instead of yours on every extension whose registry allows it. Clients and suppliers can still reach you: messages sent to that contact are forwarded to your verified email; we never forward spam or bulk mail.

## What happens if I fill in the Organization field?

The organisation becomes the registrant: the legal holder of the domain. This rule comes from ICANN's Registration Data Policy ([Dreyfus analysis](https://www.dreyfus.fr/en/2025/10/28/icanns-registration-data-policy-key-measures-and-impacts/)).

- **Sole trader or freelancer without a company**: leave the field empty. You hold the domain personally.
- **Limited company or LLC**: fill in its exact legal name if the company should own the domain. It stays with the company if you sell the business or bring in partners.
- **Never** type the name of an employer, a client or an agency "just to fill the field": that organisation would become the owner of your domain.

On some extensions, organisations get less privacy than individuals. Check the extension's page before you choose, for example [.ca](https://sealname.com/tld/ca/).

## Which extensions keep a small-business owner out of the record with only an email?

The generic ones, and every other extension Sealname sells: the registry accepts our privacy service, so it receives our contact, not your name or home address. Our [privacy index](https://sealname.com/tld-rules/) rates every extension Yes, No or "not with only an email", with its source.

- **[.com](https://sealname.com/tld/com/), [.net](https://sealname.com/tld/net/), [.co](https://sealname.com/tld/co/), [.biz](https://sealname.com/tld/biz/)**: the registry allows a privacy service, so our contact details replace yours. One email is enough.
- **[.uk](https://sealname.com/tld/uk/), [.de](https://sealname.com/tld/de/)**: Nominet and DENIC need a real name and postal address for every holder. Sealname registers them in our name only, so they hold our company's details, not your home address; the price shown includes the option.
- **[.ca](https://sealname.com/tld/ca/)**: CIRA hides individuals' data, but only holders who meet the Canadian Presence Requirements may register. Not sold either.
- **[.us](https://sealname.com/tld/us/)**: no. The usTLD policy bans privacy and proxy registrations, so the holder's details can be public. Sealname does not sell .us.

## What do popular small-business extensions cost?

One price per extension: the first year, every renewal and a transfer cost the same, with no first-year teaser price. Prices are per year, in US dollars.

| 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 |
| .co | $33.99 | $33.99 | $33.99 | Free | None |
| .biz | $21.99 | $21.99 | $21.99 | Free | None |
| .company | $13.99 | $13.99 | $13.99 | Free | None |
| .llc | $35.99 | $35.99 | $35.99 | Free | None |

*6 extensions · prices per year in USD*

Every other extension is on the [pricing page](https://sealname.com/pricing/).

## How do renewals work so the domain never lapses?

Turn on auto-renew and keep your balance topped up. Renewals cost the same as the first year — $12.99/year for a .com — and are paid from your prepaid balance. Renewal reminders go to the verified email of the domain.

If a domain does expire, the registry's grace periods apply. Each registry sets its own. A domain that has entered its redemption period can often still be restored: the restore price is shown in your account before you confirm. After that, the registry may delete the name and anyone can register it.

About the balance: Unused balance stays on your account and never expires, and it pays for new domains, renewals and transfers, but it is not refundable. Top up what you expect to spend on renewals and new domains. A lapsed domain can take your website and your business email with it.

## Can I run my business email on a private domain?

Yes. Domain privacy hides the registration record, not your email service. Our DNS settings include A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT and CAA records, or you can point the domain to your own nameservers.

- **MX records** send your business email to the mail provider you choose.
- **TXT records** hold email authentication and verification entries, such as SPF.
- **The verified email** of the domain is separate from your business mailbox. It is never published, and it receives relayed messages, renewal reminders and any legal notice.

## Small-business domains: FAQ

### Will customers think a private domain looks suspicious?

No. Privacy is now the default for individuals: ICANN's Registration Data Policy redacts the personal data of registrants from public RDAP since 21 August 2025. An ICANN-funded study found banks using privacy services too. Customers judge your business by its website, its contact page and how you answer. Your home address does not need to be part of that.

### Can I register a .us domain privately?

No. The usTLD privacy services policy bans privacy and proxy registrations, so the holder's name and address can be public. That is why Sealname does not sell .us. A .com at $12.99/year is the usual alternative for a US business that wants privacy. The [.us page](https://sealname.com/tld/us/) explains the rule and its source.

### Can my LLC or limited company own the domain?

Yes. Fill in the Organization field with the company's exact legal name. Under ICANN's Registration Data Policy, the organisation then becomes the registrant. Leave the field empty if you, as a person, should hold the domain. Never enter another organisation's name, or it becomes the owner.

### Do I need a tax number or a business registration?

No. We never ask for an ID document, a passport or ID scan, a selfie, an ID or tax number, a date of birth, a phone number or a postal address. Each domain needs one verified email. There is no exception, not even for country codes: and the registry may check it.

### Can I pay with a business card or a bank transfer?

No. Sealname takes crypto only: 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. USDT and USDC are stablecoins, which keeps the amount you top up close to the dollar prices on the [pricing page](https://sealname.com/pricing/).

### What happens if I forget to renew?

The domain expires, and the registry's grace periods apply. Each registry sets its own rules. During redemption, a domain can often still be restored, and the restore price is shown in your account before you confirm. Turn on auto-renew and keep enough balance to avoid this.

### Can I move my existing business domain to Sealname?

Yes. Unlock the domain at your current registrar, ask for the transfer code (auth code) and start the transfer from your account. A transfer costs the same as a renewal, for example $12.99 for a .com. Leaving us later is just as simple: the transfer code is free, from your account, at any time, with no exit fee.

### Does domain privacy protect me from legal claims?

No. Privacy keeps your address out of the public record; it does not put you above the law. We disclose registrant data only in the cases of our [disclosure policy](https://sealname.com/disclosure-policy/), such as a valid court order or a UDRP complaint, and we notify you before any disclosure, unless the Panamanian court order forbids it.

## Sources

1. [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. [ICANN's Registration Data Policy: key measures and impacts (Organization field)](https://www.dreyfus.fr/en/2025/10/28/icanns-registration-data-policy-key-measures-and-impacts/) — Dreyfus (2025-10-28)
3. [Launching RDAP, sunsetting WHOIS](https://www.icann.org/en/announcements/details/icann-update-launching-rdap-sunsetting-whois-27-01-2025-en) — ICANN (2025-01-27)
4. [usTLD privacy services policy](https://about.us/policies/us-privacy-services-policy) — usTLD (checked 2026-10-08)
5. [Domain registration tips: CIRA WHOIS privacy](https://www.cira.ca/blog/ca-domains/domain-registration-tips-cira-whois-privacy) — CIRA (checked 2026-10-08)
6. [Authorised recipient for the service of documents](https://www.denic.de/en/services/dispute-verfahren/authorised-recipient-for-the-service-of-documents/) — DENIC (checked 2026-10-08)
7. [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 (checked 2026-10-08)

**Register your business domain privately** No ID, no KYC, crypto only. A .com costs $12.99/year, privacy included, the same price every year. [Search a domain](https://sealname.com/app/domains/?lang=en) · [See all prices](https://sealname.com/pricing/)

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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.