.br

Not to be confused with.бг.

.br

Introduced	18 April 1989
TLDtype	Country code top-level domain(ccTLD)
Status	Active
Registry	Registro.br
Sponsor	CGI.br
Intended use	Entities connected withBrazil
Actual use	Very popular in Brazil
Registered domains	5,388,244 (2024-09-09)
Registration restrictions	Varying restrictions based on which second-level name registration is within. In all cases the registrant must have either aCPForCNPJ,documents usually granted only to Brazilian residents or recognized companies
Structure	Registrations at third level beneath various categories (but.bris still much more popular than others); Second-level registrations were allowed for institutions of higher education until 2000
DNSSEC	yes
Registry website	registro.br

.bris theInternetcountry codetop-level domain(ccTLD) forBrazil.It was administered by theBrazilian Internet Steering Committeeuntil 2005 when it started being administered byBrazilian Network Information Center.A local contact is required for any registration. Registrations of domain names with Portuguese characters are also accepted.

With the exception of universities, thesecond-level domainis fixed and selected from a list that defines the category. For example,.art.bris in theart(music, folkloreetc.) category, and.org.bris in thenon-governmental organizationcategory. Institutions oftertiary educationwere allowed to use theccSLD.edu.br,although some use.brand others (mainly public universities) use.br.There are also some other few exceptions that were allowed to use the second level domain until the end of 2000. As of April 2010, most domain registrations ignore categories and register in the.brdomain, which has over 90% of all registered domains. The.jus.br(Judiciary), and.b.br(banks) domains have mandatoryDNSSECuse.

History

Created and delegated to Brazil in 1989byJon Postel,initially the domain was operated manually byRegistro.brand administered by theFundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo(FAPESP). Originally, only researchers and institutions to which they belonged had the interest and ability to adopt the new system and register domains under.br.

At the time, networks prevalent in the Brazilian academic setting were theBITNET( "Because It's Time NETwork" ), theHEPnet( "High Energy Physics Network" ) and theUUCP( "Unix-to-Unix Copy Program" ). As such, even before Brazil officially connected to the Internet in 1991, the.br domain was used to identify the machines participating in networks already in use by academics.

In 1995 theBrazilian Internet Steering Committee(Portuguese:Comitê Gestor da Internet no Brasil,or simply CGI.br) was created with an objective to coordinate the allocation of Internet addresses (IPs) and the registration of.br domain names. There were 851 domains registered with the BrazilianDNSby the beginning of 1996, thereafter experiencing rapid growth with the mass arrival of companies, Internet providers and media onto the Internet. The registration system was automated in 1997 and was developed using open source software.

In 2005, CGI.br created its own executive arm, theBrazilian Network Information Center(Portuguese:Núcleo de Informação e Coordenação do Ponto BR,or simply NIC.br),which currently serves in both administrative and operational capacity for the registry.

In 2017, accounts associated with DNS records of Brazilian banks were hacked.Kaspersky'sresearchers pointed out to a vulnerability in NIC.br's website and suggested its infrastructure had been compromised. NIC's director at the time, Frederico Neves, denied that NIC.br was "hacked", although NIC.br admitted the vulnerability.

Domain registry

To register any domains under.br, it is necessary to enter into contact with Registro.br. Entities legally established in Brazil as a company ( "pessoa jurídica") or a physical person (" profissional liberal "and" pessoas físicas ") that has a contact within Brazil can register domains.Foreign companies that have a power-of-attorney legally established in Brazil can also do it by followingspecific rules.

The registration of domains including non-ASCIIPortuguese characters(à, á, â, ã, é, ê, í, ó, ô, õ, ú, ü and ç) is accepted since 2005.

Syntactic rules for.br domains

• Minimum of 2 and maximum of 26 characters, not including the category. For example, in the field XXXX.COM.BR, this limitation relates to the XXXX.
• Valid characters are [A-Z, 0-9], the hyphen, and the following accented characters: à, á, â, ã, é, ê, í, ó, ô, õ, ú, ü, ç.
• Domains cannot contain only numbers.
• To maintain the integrity of the registry, Registro.br sets up an equivalence mapping to compare domain names with and without accented characters. The mapping is done by converting accented characters and the cedilla for their non-accented versions and "c", respectively, and discards hyphens. A new domain will only be allowed to be registered when there is no equivalent to a pre-existing domain, or when the applicant is the same entity that owns the domain equivalent.

Specifically for the domain.NOM.BR, it is necessary to choose two names, i.e.: NAME1.NAME2.NOM.BR.

Usage statistics

As of September 2024,.BR is the 9th most used TLD in the world and the 6th most used ccTLD, accounting for approximately 1.5% of all domain names.It is also the most usedPortuguese languageTLD.

Usage of the.BR space, highlighting its five most registeredsecond-level domains

COM.BR (93.04%)

NET.BR (1.40%)

ORG.BR (0.99%)

ADV.BR (0.91%)

IND.BR (0.42%)

Other (3.24%)

Data as of 9 September 2024.

As of 9 September 2024, Registro.br's statistics page reported the following:

• 5,388,244total domains registered under.BR;
• 1,629,955(30.25%) domains usingDNSSEC.

Second-level domain breakdown per category (see§ Predefined domains)

Category	Total domain count	Most registered	Least registered
Generic	5,089,895(94.46%)	COM.BR (5,013,151,or93.04% of the total)	WIKI.BR (504,or0.01% of the total)
Business	61,196(1.14%)	IND.BR (22,884,or0.42% of the total)	TMP.BR (148,or0.003% of the total)
Culture	15,314(0.28%)	ART.BR (10,235,or0.19% of the total)	AM.BR (68,or0.001% of the total)
Education	5,331(0.1%)	EDU.BR (3,576,or0.07% of the total)	G12.BR (548,or0.01% of the total)
Personals	7,364(0.14%)	BLOG.BR (6,176,or0.11% of the total)	NOM.BR (1,188each, or0.02% of the total)
Entertainment	1,559(0.03%)	ESP.BR (1,099,or0.02% of the total)	QSL.BR (80,or0.001% of the total)
Public Authority	1,687(0.03%)	GOV.BR (1,273,or0.02% of the total)	DEF.BR (28,or0.001% of the total)
Locations	13,020(0.24%)	RIO.BR (2,478,or0.05% of the total)	SAOGONCA.BR (3,or0.0001% of the total)
Professions	94,942(1.76%)	ADV.BR (49,201,or0.91% of the total)	ZLG.BR (6,or0.0001% of the total)
Technology	40,489(0.75%)	APP.BR (19,655,or0.36% of the total)	SEG.BR (2,796,or0.05% of the total)
Third Sector	57,447(1.07%)	ORG.BR (53,108,or0.99% of the total)	COOP.BR (1,447,or0.03% of the total)

The "Education" category also includes1,207(0.02% of the total) custom second-level domains registered directly under.BR – for example, theNational Observatoryat ON.BR.

Second-level domains

Direct registration

In 1991, it was decided that universities and research institutes would be allowed second-level.br domains directly. For example:Federal University of Rio de Janeirogotufrj.br;University of São Paulogotusp.br;National Institute for Space Researchgotinpe.br;and so on.

In late 2000, the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee reported abuse in this system, and called for all institutions directly under.br to be moved to.edu.br – so, for example,ufrj.brwould becomeufrj.edu.br.During a meeting in early 2001, however, the Committee decided it would be of public interest to not move every second-level domain as to avoid confusion, but instead established rules regarding their registration:

• No longer accepting automatic registration of second-level domains, and evaluating every request for one individually;
• Creating edu.br, and forwarding requests from education and research institutions to it;
• Concession to education and research institutes that already had a second-level.br domain, as long as its usage is appropriate and that domain name is related to the institution's name or acronym. Domains approved are automatically duplicated under edu.br as well, and both may exist concurrently – for example, the still existingufrj.bralso has a registeredufrj.edu.br,although the latter is not used;
• Other institutions not approved above must be migrated permanently to edu.br (but would be given sufficient time for the transition).

As of August 2023, Registro.br reports 1207 domains registered directly under.br.

Predefined domains

As of September 2024, there are 141 different second-level domains of.br under which custom domains can be registered, and they are divided into eleven categories: "Generic", "Business", "Culture", "Education", "Personals", "Entertainment", "Public Authority", "Locations", "Professions", "Technology" and "Third Sector".They are the following:

"Generic" second-level.br domains
Domain	Intended use
COM.br	Commercial activities
NET.br	Commercial activities
WIKI.br	Wiki-like pages
ETC.br	Companies that do not fit into other categories

"Culture" second-level.br domains
Domain	Intended use
ART.br	Arts: music, painting,folklore
REC.br	Recreational activities, games
TV.br	Broadcastingcompanies or "transmission of sounds and images via the Internet"
AM.br	Radiocompanies
FM.br	Radiocompanies
RADIO.br	"Companies wishing to transmit audio through the network"

"Business" second-level.br domains
Domain	Intended use
ECO.br	Eco- or environment focused activities
LOG.br	Transport and logistics
EMP.br	Small andmicro-enterprises
LEILAO.br	Auctioneers
AGR.br	Agriculture- orfarm-related companies
FAR.br	Pharmaciesand drugstores
IMB.br	Real estate agencies
IND.br	Industries
INF.br	Media and information (radios, newspapers, libraries,...)
SRV.br	Work for hire
TMP.br	Temporary events, such asfairsandexpos
TUR.br	Tourism-related companies
PSI.br	Internet service providers
B.br	Banks

"Education" second-level.br domains
Domain	Intended use
EDU.br	Higher education institutions
G12.br	Primaryorsecondary schools(K–12equivalent)

"Personals" second-level.br domains
Domain	Intended use
BLOG.br	Web logs
NOM.br	Natural persons

"Entertainment" second-level.br domains
Domain	Intended use
FLOG.br	Photo logs
QSL.br	Amateur radio operators
VLOG.br	Video logs
ESP.br	Sportin general

"Public Authority" second-level.br domains
Domain	Intended use
GOV.br	Federal governmentinstitutions
MIL.br	Brazilian Armed Forces
DEF.br	Public defenders
JUS.br	Judiciaryinstitutions
LEG.br	Legislativeinstitutions
MP.br	Public Ministryinstitutions
TC.br	Tribunal de Contas da União

"Locations" second-level.br domains
Domain	Intended use
9GUACU.br	Nova Iguaçu,Rio de Janeiro
ABC.br	ABC Region,São Paulo
AJU.br	Aracaju,Sergipe
ANANI.br	Ananindeua,Pará
APARECIDA.br	Aparecida,São Paulo
BARUERI.br	Barueri,São Paulo
BELEM.br	Belém,Pará
BHZ.br	Belo Horizonte,Minas Gerais
BOAVISTA.br	Boa Vista,Roraima
BSB.br	Brasília,Federal District
CAMPINAGRANDE.br	Campina Grande,Paraíba
CAMPINAS.br	Campinas,São Paulo
CAXIAS.br	Duque de Caxias,Rio de Janeiro
CONTAGEM.br	Contagem,Minas Gerais
CUIABA.br	Cuiabá,Mato Grosso
CURITIBA.br	Curitiba,Paraná
FEIRA.br	Feira de Santana,Bahia
FLORIPA.br	Florianópolis,Santa Catarina
FORTAL.br	Fortaleza,Ceará
FOZ.br	Foz do Iguaçu,Paraná
GOIANIA.br	Goiânia,Goiás
GRU.br	Guarulhos,São Paulo
JAB.br	Jaboatão dos Guararapes,Pernambuco
JAMPA.br	João Pessoa,Paraíba
JDF.br	Juiz de Fora,Minas Gerais
JOINVILLE.br	Joinville,Santa Catarina
LONDRINA.br	Londrina,Paraná
MACAPA.br	Macapá,Amapá
MACEIO.br	Maceió,Alagoas
MANAUS.br	Manaus,Amazonas
MARINGA.br	Maringá,Paraná
MORENA.br	Campo Grande,Mato Grosso do Sul
NATAL.br	Natal,Rio Grande do Norte
NITEROI.br	Niterói,Rio de Janeiro
OSASCO.br	Osasco,São Paulo
PALMAS.br	Palmas,Tocantins
POA.br	Porto Alegre,Rio Grande do Sul
PVH.br	Porto Velho,Rondônia
RECIFE.br	Recife,Pernambuco
RIBEIRAO.br	Ribeirão Preto,São Paulo
RIO.br	Rio de Janeiro,Rio de Janeiro
RIOBRANCO.br	Rio Branco,Acre
RIOPRETO.br	São José do Rio Preto,São Paulo
SALVADOR.br	Salvador,Bahia
SAMPA.br	São Paulo,São Paulo
SANTAMARIA.br	Santa Maria,Rio Grande do Sul
SANTOANDRE.br	Santo André,São Paulo
SAOBERNARDO.br	São Bernardo do Campo,São Paulo
SAOGONCA.br	São Gonçalo,Rio de Janeiro
SJC.br	São José dos Campos,São Paulo
SLZ.br	São Luís,Maranhão
SOROCABA.br	Sorocaba,São Paulo
THE.br	Teresina,Piauí
UDI.br	Uberlândia,Minas Gerais
VIX.br	Vitória,Espírito Santo

"Professionals" second-level.br domains
Domain	Intended use
ADM.br	Administrators
ADV.br	Lawyers
ARQ.br	Architecture
ATO.br	Actors
BIB.br	Librariansandlibrary scientists
BIO.br	Biologists
BMD.br	Biomedical scientists
CIM.br	Realtors
CNG.br	Scenographers
CNT.br	Accountants
COZ.br	Gastronomists
DES.br	Designersandillustrators
DET.br	Detectivesandprivate investigator
ECN.br	Economists
ENF.br	Nurses
ENG.br	Engineers
ETI.br	ITprofessionals
FND.br	Speech–language pathologist
FOT.br	Photographers
FST.br	Physical therapistss
GEO.br	Geologists
GGF.br	Geographyprofessionals
JOR.br	Journalists
LEL.br	Auctioneers
MAT.br	Mathematiciansandstatisticians
MED.br	Medical doctors
MUS.br	Musicians
NOT.br	Notaries
NTR.br	Nutritionists
ODO.br	Dentists
PPG.br	Publicistsandmarketeers
PRO.br	Teachersandprofessors
PSC.br	Psychologists
REP.br	Commercial representatives
SLG.br	Sociologists
TAXI.br	Taxi drivers
TEO.br	Theologists
TRD.br	Translators
VET.br	Veterinarians
ZLG.br	Zoologists

"Technology" second-level.br domains
Domain	Intended use
APP.br	Apps
DEV.br	Developers and development platforms
SEG.br	Security
TEC.br	Technology

"Third Sector"second-level.br domains
Domain	Intended use
COOP.br	Cooperatives
ONG.br	Non-governmental organizations
ORG.br	Not-for-profitnon-governmental organizations

Special second-level domains

From 2000 until 2009, during election cycles, electoral candidates could register domains underCAN.br, with the format[name][number].can.br– where the name is the registered candidate name, and the number is the identification number for that candidate in the election (related to theparty's identification number).The second-level domain was in a category of its own, called "natural persons, special".

As an example, during the 2004 elections for mayor ofAracaju:

• Marcelo Dédahad the websitededa13.can.br(his surname andWorker's Party's identification number, 13);
• Susana Azevedo had the websitesusana23.can.br(her first name andCidadania's identification number, 23);
• Jorge Alberto had the websitejorgealberto15.can.br(his name andMDB's identification number, 15).

Domains were free for registered candidates. Additionally, domains were automatically cancelled at the end of thefirst roundif the candidate lost, and remaining ones were cancelled after the end of the second round.

No new.can.br domains have been registered since 2009.

Agencies

There are multiple agencies registered directly under.br, as second-level domains, that are not higher education or research institutions. The following list might not be exhaustive:

Agencies on second-level.br domains

Domain	Domain meaning	Description
CGI.br	Acronym for "Comitê Gestor da Internet" (lit. 'Internet Administration Committee')	The Committee establishes strategic directives related to the use and development of the internet in Brazil, directives for the registration of domain names, IP allocation and administration regarding the.br TLD
NIC.br	Acronym forNetwork Information Center	Created to implement decisions and projects of the Committee (CGI.br)
IX.br PTT.br (old)	IX: Acronym forInternet eXchange PTT: Acronym for "Ponto de Troca de Tráfego" (lit. 'Traffic Exchange Point')	Handles the internet exchange point system of Brazil
REGISTRO.br	Portuguese for "registration"	.br registry
CETIC.br	Acronym for "CEntro de Tecnologias de Informação e Comunicação" (lit. 'Center of Information and Communications Technology')	Officially called "Centro Regional de Estudos para o Desenvolvimento da Sociedade da Informação", it monitors the adoption ofinformation and communications technologyin Brazil
CEPTRO.br	Acronym for "Centro de Estudos e Pesquisas em Tecnologia de Redes e Operações" (lit. 'Center for Studies and Research in Network Technology and Operations')	Responsible for initiatives and projects that support or perfect the internet infrastructure in Brazil
CERT.br	Acronym forComputer Emergency Response Team	Has the mission to increase the security levels and incident handling capabilities regarding networks connected to Brazil's internet
CEWEB.br	Acronym for "Centro de Estudos sobre Tecnologias Web" (lit. 'Center for Studies on Web Technologies')	Has the mission to enable the participation of the Brazilian community in the global development of the web
W3C.br	W3C	Brazilian branch of the World Wide Web Consortium
NTP.br	Acronym forNetwork Time Protocol	Provides the legal,standard timefor Brazil
IPV6.br	IPv6	Promote and disseminate IPv6 usage in Brazil
ANTISPAM.br	Anti-spam	Has the mission to inform users and network administrators about spam, its implications and forms of protection and combat
INTERNETSEGURA.br	Portuguese for "Safe Internet"	Has the mission to incentivize the safe use of the internet
ZAPPIENS.br	Named afterPortugal's now defunctZappiens.pt,managed by theFCCN	Has the mission to be a free service for the aggregation and distribution of audiovisual scientific, educational, artistic and cultural content inPortuguese

Most of these agencies are subsidiaries ofCGI.brand, as such, they follow a similarcorporate identity.The "logos" are combinations of the names of the agencies with the logo for.br, all of which are simply typed out with Brandon Schoech (Tepid Monkey)'sfreewarefont "Qhytsdakx":

• 
  Logo for.br, a slightly modified "br" in green
• 
  Logo forCGI.br
• 
  Logo forNIC.br
• 
  Logo forIX.br
• 
  Logo forRegistro.br
• 
  Logo for IPv6.br

Networks

There are multiple networks registered directly under.br, usually of academic nature. Again, this list may not be exhaustive:

Networks on second-level.br domains

Domain	Domain meaning	Description
RNP.br RNP2.br	Acronym for "Rede Nacional de ensino e Pesquisa" (lit. 'National Network of Education and Research')	An academic backbone of Brazilian internet
RCT-SC.br	Acronym for "Rede Catarinense de Ciência e Tecnologia" (lit. 'Santa Catarina Network for Science and Technology')	Academic network for the state ofSanta Catarina
REDERIO.br	"Rede Rio" (lit. 'Rio Network')	Academic network for the state ofRio de Janeiro
REDNESP.br ANSP.br (old)	Acronym for "Research and EDucation NEtwork at São Paulo"	Academic network for the state ofSão Paulo
TCHE.br	"Rede Tchê" (lit. 'Tchê Network'), named after the interjection common in the South of Brazil,tchê	Academic network for theSouth Regionof Brazil

See also

• Internet in Brazil
• .rio

External links

• IANA.br whois information
• Registro.br: Brazil's official registry administrator
• Second-level domain statisticsfor.br
• TepidMonkey's archived website(source of the font used in the logos, "Qhytsdakx" )