Quick answer
Who controls a .de domain, and what does it cost?
.de domain at PanamaRegistrar, as of October 2026: $36.99 a year, the same price to renew. .de is managed by DENIC eG in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, under German law; DENIC's terms give Frankfurt courts exclusive jurisdiction over holders based outside Germany.
.de registry facts
| Registry manager (IANA) | DENIC eG |
|---|---|
| Registry location | Frankfurt am Main — Germany |
| Back-end operator | DENIC eG, Frankfurt am Main (Germany) |
| Legal framework | DENIC terms under German law (national ccTLD policy) |
| Dispute policy | No UDRP: DENIC DISPUTE entry + German courts |
| Who can register | Anyone; a holder outside Germany must name an authorised recipient in Germany if DENIC asks |
| WHOIS / RDAP | WHOIS whois.denic.de · no RDAP service listed |
| DNSSEC | Yes (DS record in the root zone) |
| Registration term | 1 year at a time (renewed every year) |
| Price at PanamaRegistrar | $36.99/year; renewal $36.99/year; transfer $36.99 |
| IANA record last updated | 4 August 2026 |
Who runs the .de registry, and from which country?
DENIC eG, a cooperative at Theodor-Stern-Kai 1, Frankfurt am Main, is both manager and technical operator of .de in the IANA database. WHOIS answers on whois.denic.de; IANA lists no RDAP service. The record was updated on 4 August 2026. DENIC's domain terms state that the domain contract is governed by German law (§ 8 (2)). For legal persons, and for individuals living outside Germany, the courts of Frankfurt am Main have exclusive jurisdiction (§ 8 (3)). No ICANN registry agreement applies to .de.
Can a court in Germany take down or seize a .de domain?
German courts decide at the .de registry, and DENIC's own terms say on what grounds it may end a domain contract. Under § 7 (2) of those terms, grounds include a final judgment establishing that the registration infringes someone's rights, and a registration that manifestly infringes the rights of others or is otherwise illegal. Inaccurate holder data, or a holder whose identity cannot be established, is another ground. A claimant can also ask DENIC for a DISPUTE entry: the holder keeps using the domain but cannot transfer it. The entry lasts one year and can be renewed while court proceedings continue.
What does PanamaRegistrar do with a complaint about a .de domain?
Nothing happens to a .de domain on a complaint alone. Copyright, defamation, political or competitor complaints need a decision from a Panamanian court; a foreign judgment must first be recognised in Panama by exequatur. Phishing, malware, botnets and fraud that takes money from victims are suspended within 24 hours of a well-documented report, child sexual abuse material immediately, and the URLs are reported to NCMEC. You are told before any action on your domain, unless the law or the court order forbids it; with Domain protection, every complaint is also read by a person before any action on the domain. This rule covers what PanamaRegistrar does, not the registry or our registrar partner. Steps and time limits: takedown procedure and how we handle complaints.
Who uses .de domains, and why?
Sites aimed at the German market use .de, according to the dataset. German companies, shops, media and public bodies use it as their first extension. Registration is open worldwide, with one condition for holders outside Germany. Terms run one year at a time.
Which registry rules are specific to .de?
A holder not domiciled in Germany must, within two weeks of a DENIC request, name an authorised recipient in Germany for official and court documents (§ 3 (4) of DENIC's terms). A post office box is not enough. Failing to do so after a warning can end the contract under § 7 (2) i. DENIC's wholesale cost is low: about 1.16 US dollars a year through its membership fee, per our dataset.
What does the WHOIS show for a .de domain?
DENIC removed personal data from its public WHOIS, according to the dataset, so .de records do not show a holder's name or address. Because .de is sold with Domain protection only at PanamaRegistrar, the holder DENIC knows is our company, not you. Lookups go to whois.denic.de.
Why is .de sold with Domain protection only?
.de is one of the 12 extensions sold with Domain protection only. Its registry needs a holder name and a postal address, and we collect one verified email, so the domain is registered in the name of DomaineGoat LLC. The price, $36.99, is $7.99 for the extension plus $29 for Domain protection. You stay the beneficial owner: full control, a free EPP code, and the domain put back in your own name on request, free. A UDRP complaint names the registrant of record, our company; we tell you, and you can answer it.
Which dispute policy applies to .de?
.de has no UDRP. Disputes go to German courts, and DENIC does not decide them: it acts on a final court judgment. A claimant can block transfers meanwhile with a DISPUTE entry, valid for one year and renewable while the case runs. .de is not on WIPO's list of country codes. Our steps for trademark cases: UDRP and URS.
How much does a .de domain cost, and how is it renewed?
At PanamaRegistrar, as of October 2026, .de costs $36.99/year; renewal is $36.99/year, and a transfer $36.99. Whether a transfer adds a year depends on the registry of the extension, and the checkout shows it before you pay. Term: 1 year at a time (renewed every year). Payment is in crypto (BTC, USDT, USDC, ETH, SOL, LTC) from a prepaid balance, minimum top-up $25. Every extension: price list.
Search a .de domain
Popular extensions
- .de $36.99
.de questions
Can a German court take a .de domain registered at PanamaRegistrar?
Yes, at registry level. DENIC's terms are governed by German law, with Frankfurt courts competent for holders outside Germany. A final judgment that a registration infringes rights is a ground for DENIC to end the contract. PanamaRegistrar cannot block that. We tell you when we learn of it, unless the order forbids it.
What is a DENIC DISPUTE entry?
A block that a claimant can request while it pursues a .de domain in court. The holder keeps using the domain but cannot transfer it. The entry lasts one year and can be renewed with proof that the dispute is still running. DENIC itself waits for the court's final decision.
Why do I need an authorised recipient in Germany for .de?
DENIC's terms require holders outside Germany to name one within two weeks of a DENIC request, for official and court documents. With Domain protection, the holder of record is our company, so that request would be addressed to us.
Can PanamaRegistrar stop the .de registry from acting on a court order?
No. The .de registry, DENIC eG, keeps its own copy of the registration and applies the law of its own country. PanamaRegistrar decides only what its own service does: we act on Panamanian court orders, not on unverified complaints. Our registrar partner also keeps its own legal duties. We tell you when we learn of a registry-level action, unless the law or the order forbids it. See the registry jurisdiction index.
How do I pay for a .de domain?
In crypto only: BTC, USDT, USDC, ETH, SOL, LTC. Top up your balance (minimum $25), then register the .de domain from it at $36.99/year. Send the exact amount on the exact network; the top-up is credited after the network confirmations. No ID and no KYC: one verified email per domain, never published.
Sources (6)
- IANA Root Zone Database: .de delegation record — IANA (checked 2026-10-19)
- DENIC Domain Terms and Conditions (§ 3 (4), § 7 (2), § 8) — DENIC eG (checked 2026-10-19)
- DISPUTE entry: block a domain transfer while a claim is pursued — DENIC eG (checked 2026-10-19)
- Amazon Route 53 developer guide: .de registration rules — Amazon Web Services (checked 2026-10-08)
- .de (encyclopedia entry) — Wikipedia (checked 2026-10-08)
- How all 33 European ccTLDs are handling GDPR — Domain Incite (2018)