You do not register a new TLD the way you register a domain. To create your own top-level domain, you apply to ICANN to operate it as a registry. The 2026 application round charges a USD 227,000 evaluation fee per application, the all-in cost is usually $300,000 to $1,000,000+, and you must sign a Registry Agreement and run the technical infrastructure (typically through a specialist provider).
People search for “how to register a new TLD” or “make your own TLD” expecting something like buying a domain. It is nothing like that. Registering yourname.com takes a few minutes and a few dollars through a registrar. Bringing a brand-new extension such as .yourbrand into existence is a corporate-scale project that runs through ICANN, the body that decides which TLDs the world's DNS hierarchy will recognise.
This guide walks through the real process, the money involved, and the honest answer to the most common follow-up question: should you even try?
Is registering a new TLD the same as registering a domain?
No — and confusing the two is the single biggest source of disappointment. A domain registration is a retail transaction. A TLD application is an institutional one. The difference is stark:
| Register a domain | Apply for a new TLD | |
|---|---|---|
| What you get | A name like example.com | An extension like .example |
| Who you deal with | A registrar (e.g. Namecheap, GoDaddy) | ICANN, directly |
| Cost | ~$10–$50 per year | $227,000 fee; $300k–$1M+ all-in |
| Time | Minutes | Many months, often 1–2 years |
| When | Any time | Only during an open application round |
| Your role after | Registrant (you own one name) | Registry operator (you run the whole extension) |
The organisation that ICANN authorises to run a top-level domain — maintaining its zone, accepting registrations through accredited registrars, and meeting the obligations in the Registry Agreement. Applying for a new TLD means applying to become one.
How much does it cost to register your own TLD?
The headline number is the USD 227,000 evaluation fee for ICANN's 2026 round — a 22.7% rise from the $185,000 charged in the 2012 round. But the fee is only the entry ticket. The full picture includes:
- Consultants and application writers who specialise in passing ICANN's evaluation.
- A Registry Service Provider (RSP) to build and run the technical back end — the DNS, the registry database, the EPP interface registrars connect to.
- Legal work, including trademark clearance and responses to any objections.
- Contention or auction costs if someone else applies for the same string.
- Ongoing ICANN fees of roughly $25,000 per year as a base, for as long as you operate the TLD.
Add it up and a realistic all-in cost lands somewhere between $300,000 and well over $1,000,000, with annual running costs on top. That is before you have sold a single registration.
This is not a get-rich-quick scheme
Most successful open new gTLDs took years to build a profitable registration base, and many never did. Unless you are a brand protecting its identity, or you have a genuine business model and the capital to match, a custom second-level domain under an existing TLD is almost always the smarter choice. See custom TLDs explained for the realistic alternatives.
There is a discounted route
ICANN's Applicant Support Program (ASP) can cut the evaluation fee to about USD 76,000 for qualifying applicants from underserved regions and communities. It lowers the entry fee but not the technical, legal and operating costs, so the overall commitment remains substantial.
What are the steps to apply for a new TLD?
ICANN's New gTLD Program is a structured, multi-stage evaluation rather than a checkout. At a high level, the journey looks like this:
- Confirm you qualify and budget realistically. Decide whether your TLD is a brand, a community or an open extension, and line up funding for the fee plus everything around it.
- Apply during the open window. For the 2026 round, the application window opens 30 April 2026 and closes 12 August 2026. You complete a detailed application covering your technical, financial and operational plans.
- Pass evaluation. ICANN scores the application against string, technical and financial criteria. You must prove you can fund and operate the registry — usually by naming your RSP.
- Resolve objections and contention. If another party applied for the same or a confusingly similar string, or files a formal objection, the matter goes through ICANN's dispute procedures and, for identical strings, a contention process or auction.
- Sign the Registry Agreement. Approved applicants sign ICANN's standard base contract, which fixes obligations and ongoing fees.
- Onboard and delegate. You complete pre-delegation testing, integrate with your RSP, and IANA delegates the TLD into the root zone so it resolves worldwide.
Only after that final delegation does your extension actually exist on the internet and become able to accept registrations.
Is it worth applying — and who actually does?
The honest answer is that new TLDs make sense for a narrow set of applicants. The 2012 round received 1,930 applications and produced more than 1,200 delegated gTLDs, but the winners cluster into a few types: large brands defending their name (think dot-brand TLDs like .google or .bmw), well-funded registry businesses launching open extensions such as .shop or .xyz, and communities or cities with a clear constituency.
If you are an individual, a startup or a small business, the maths rarely works. The same identity goals — a memorable, branded web presence — are usually met far more cheaply by choosing a strong second-level name under an existing extension. Our guide on registering a domain name covers that route, and new gTLDs explained shows the huge menu of modern extensions already available to register today without applying for anything.
★ Key takeaways
- You don't register a new TLD — you apply to ICANN to operate it as a registry.
- The 2026 round fee is $227,000; realistic all-in costs are $300k–$1M+, plus ~$25k/yr.
- Applications are only accepted during a round — the 2026 window is 30 Apr to 12 Aug 2026.
- You must run (or contract an RSP to run) the registry, then sign a Registry Agreement.
- For almost everyone, a custom second-level domain is the smarter, cheaper option.
Frequently asked questions
Can I just register my own TLD like I register a .com domain?
No. Registering example.com takes minutes and costs a few dollars a year through a registrar. Creating a new TLD means applying to ICANN to become a registry operator — a months-long evaluation that starts at a USD 227,000 fee and requires you to run, or contract someone to run, the technical infrastructure behind the extension.
How much does it cost to register a new TLD?
The ICANN evaluation fee for the 2026 round is USD 227,000 per application, up from $185,000 in 2012. Once you add consultants, a Registry Service Provider, legal work, possible contention auctions and ongoing ICANN fees of around $25,000 a year, the realistic all-in cost is typically $300,000 to $1,000,000 or more.
When can I apply for a new TLD?
ICANN runs application rounds, not a continuous service. The 2026 round — the first major round since 2012 — opens on 30 April 2026 and closes on 12 August 2026. If you miss a window, you generally have to wait for the next round, which can be years away.
Is there any way to lower the cost?
ICANN's Applicant Support Program (ASP) can reduce the evaluation fee to roughly USD 76,000 for qualifying applicants from underserved regions and communities. It does not cover the technical, legal and operating costs, so even with support a new TLD remains a major undertaking.
Do I have to run the registry technology myself?
Not directly. Almost all applicants contract a Registry Service Provider (RSP) — a specialist company that operates the DNS, registry database and EPP systems on their behalf. You remain the registry operator responsible to ICANN, but the day-to-day technical operation is handled by the RSP.
How many people actually applied last time?
The 2012 round received 1,930 applications, which led to more than 1,200 new gTLDs being delegated, including .shop, .app, .xyz and hundreds of brand extensions. The 2026 round is expected to draw strong interest again, especially from brands.