What is the .insurance generic Top Level Domain Extension?

With the different types of insurance available, such as auto, home, rental, business, life, it can be difficult to market the type of insurance you offer to customers. With the millions of different domains and websites on the Internet, it is difficult to cut through all the clutter online. The new .insurance gTLD being launched between late 2013 and early 2014 looks to solve the needs of insurance providers.

The .insurance gTLD will be perfect for individuals like insurance brokers or agents, and for insurance firms. The .insurance gTLD aims to provide everyone in the insurance industry a safe venue on the Internet where information and services can be exchanged in a safe and secure environment.

Individuals registering .insurance domain names benefit from being able to create a memorable domain name that assists you stand out from other websites. The .insurance domain that you register can and will act as a marketing tool that lets visitors and potential clients know who you are and your relation with the insurance industry.

For insurance companies and large firms, you can use .insurance domains to further solidify your brand initiatives online. If your company already uses the word insurance as part of brand, the .insurance domain name might be a better fit that your current .com or .biz domain. Other ways to use the .insurance gTLD extension name is to protect your brand from being infringed on by others.

.insurance gTLD Requirements

The new gTLD applications for the applicants, fTLD Registry Services LLC, Dotfresh Inc., Progressive Casualty Insurance Company, and Auburn Park, LLC, are still being reviewed but you can expect to see some extensions become available in 2013 when they are released by ICANN.

Highly Regulated Domain

.insurance is a "Highly Regulated Domain" which is subject to additional requirements mandated by ICANN.

1. Legal Compliance: Registrants must comply with all applicable laws, including laws relating to privacy, data collection, consumer protection (including in relation to misleading and deceptive conduct) and applicable consumer laws in respect of fair lending, debt collection, organic farming (if applicable), disclosure of data and financial regulations;


2. Health and Financial Information: Registrants must acknowledge and agree that those who collect and maintain sensitive health and financial data must implement reasonable and appropriate security measures commensurate with the offering of those services, as defined by applicable law;


3. Abuse Contact Information: Registrants must provide administrative contact information, which must be kept up-to-date, for the notification of complaints or reports of registration abuse, as well as the contact details of the relevant regulatory, or industry self-regulatory, bodies in your main place of business;


4. Possession of Necessary Credentials: Registrants must represent that he/she possesses any necessary authorizations, charters, licenses and/or other related credentials for participation in the sector associated with such Highly Regulated TLD; and


5. Report Material Changes to Credentials: Registrants must report any material changes to the validity of the Registrant’s authorizations, charters licenses and/or other related credentials for participation in the sector associated with the Highly Regulated TLD to ensure the Registrant continues to conform to the appropriate regulations and licensing requirements and generally conduct activities in the interests of the consumer served.