Does owning .co.uk give you the matching .uk domain?

1. Why you may remember a reserved .uk

When direct .uk names were introduced, a historical reservation scheme gave certain existing domain holders a period in which to register a corresponding name. It was not a permanent rule that every .co.uk owner would always control the matching .uk. Old articles and emails can make the scheme sound current when it is not.

Nominet’s official FAQ records the end of the rights period as 25 June 2019 and the subsequent release of unclaimed reserved names. That is the relevant historical explanation for a reservation message. It does not mean a name that was released then is still available today, so make a fresh check before planning a purchase.

Sources: Nominet: historical reserved .UK rights FAQ ↗

2. Search the complete matching address now

Type the exact stem with .uk and inspect that result separately from your .co.uk. Check spelling, hyphens and any numbers. If a name is already registered, use Nominet’s lookup to understand its public registration status. A missing website does not show that the address is unregistered or available for ordinary checkout.

For example, a business may own a longer .co.uk while the matching .uk has never been added to its account. The first task is to search that exact .uk, not to request a password reset for an account that might not contain it. Keep records for both names if the business eventually registers both.

Sources: Nominet: domain lookup ↗

3. If it is available, buy it as a separate registration

Review the name, registrant details and selected term before payment. Use an account and contact email controlled by the intended authorised person or organisation. After payment, check completed registration and the expiry of this second name. Do not assume its expiry matches the older .co.uk just because the labels are similar.

A standard registration covers the exact address being purchased. It does not automatically copy a website, mailbox, redirect or existing DNS settings. Decide what the new address will do, collect the necessary provider instructions and configure that service deliberately. The original website can remain on its existing address while you make that decision.

4. If somebody else has it, keep expectations realistic

The matching .co.uk does not by itself entitle you to take the .uk registration from another registrant. You may decide to keep using the address you already own, choose another name or investigate an authorised private purchase. Do not pay an unsolicited sender merely because they claim your reservation is about to expire.

Naming rights and abusive registrations are separate questions. Nominet has a dispute-resolution policy, and the Intellectual Property Office provides a UK trade mark search. A similar domain alone does not establish the outcome of a dispute. Where the decision depends on legal rights, obtain advice about the actual facts instead of relying on the old reservation scheme.

Sources: Nominet: UK domain disputes ↗ · UK Intellectual Property Office: trade mark search ↗

5. Choose one primary address before connecting both

If you keep both endings, tell your website host which will be the main address and how visitors using the second will reach it. A supported web redirect requires an HTTP service and appropriate HTTPS coverage. Adding DNS records alone is not the same as installing that redirect.

Email also needs its own arrangement. If both domains should receive messages, confirm that your email plan supports the extra domain and the intended addresses. Test incoming mail and reply identities separately. Neither a matching label nor a website redirect creates email aliases automatically.

6. Budget for keeping the second name

Register .co.uk for £9.99 for one year, with annual renewal currently £9.99. Or choose a new three-year .co.uk registration for £25.99. Check the selected name and term before payment. Future renewal prices can change.

At the prices checked for this guide, NameUK lists .uk and .co.uk at £9.99 each for one-year registration and annual renewal. Keeping one of each therefore means a current annual domain-pair budget of £19.98. Each eligible new registration also has an initial three-year option at £25.99; those are separate purchases, not a free matching-name offer.

This is NameUK’s own guidance for buyers considering an extra UK address. Published renewal prices and dashboard domain controls are relevant strengths, but buying a second name is optional. Keep it when you have a clear use or brand-management reason, and consult the current price page before purchase. Future renewal prices can change.

7. Keep a two-name record you can actually use

For each ending, record the exact domain, account, registrant, expiry date, DNS host and purpose. Put both renewal dates in the responsible person’s calendar. If the newer name is only used for forwarding, it still needs a paid registration and a working redirect service to continue doing that job.

The practical answer to an old reservation notice is therefore straightforward: check the live status, decide whether you need the second address, and use the normal purchase route only when it is available. Keep the historical message for context, not as evidence that a current registration already belongs to you.