What Is a LIR?
A Local Internet Registry (LIR) is an organization that has been allocated IP address space by a Regional Internet Registry (RIR) for the purpose of assigning that space to end users or its own network. Becoming a RIPE NCC LIR gives you the ability to receive IP addresses directly and manage your own resources.
Who Should Become a LIR?
- Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
- Hosting and cloud providers
- Telecommunications companies
- Large enterprises needing their own IP space
- Organizations planning to buy or manage IPv4 addresses
Step-by-Step Application Process
Step 1: Prepare Your Company Documents
You will need:
- Company registration certificate or equivalent legal document
- A valid company address
- Contact person details (name, email, phone)
- A billing contact for RIPE NCC invoices
Step 2: Submit the Application
- Go to my.ripe.net
- Click on "Become a Member"
- Fill in your organization details
- Select the membership type (Standard or Associate)
- Review and accept the RIPE NCC Standard Service Agreement
- Submit the application
Step 3: Pay the Sign-Up Fee
RIPE NCC charges a one-time sign-up fee plus annual membership fees. As of 2026:
- Sign-up fee: Approximately EUR 1,000
- Annual fee: Approximately EUR 1,400 (varies based on resource holdings)
Step 4: Verification and Approval
RIPE NCC will verify your application and company details. This typically takes 1-2 weeks. You may be asked to provide additional documentation.
Step 5: Account Setup
Once approved, you will receive:
- An ORG handle in the RIPE Database (e.g., ORG-ABC1-RIPE)
- Access to the RIPE NCC member portal
- A maintainer object for managing your resources
- Eligibility for the IPv4 waiting list
After Becoming a LIR
Once your LIR account is active, you can:
- Request to be placed on the IPv4 waiting list for a /24 allocation
- Request an AS Number (ASN) if needed
- Receive IPv4 transfers from other organizations
- Buy IPv4 addresses on the secondary market
- Set up RPKI for your resources
- Configure abuse-c contact in the RIPE Database
Alternative: Sponsored Resources
If you do not want to become a LIR yourself, you can use a sponsoring LIR to hold resources on your behalf. This avoids the annual membership fee but means you depend on the sponsoring LIR for resource management.
Whether you become a LIR or use a sponsor, you can purchase IPv4 addresses through our platform. We support transfers to both direct LIR members and sponsored organizations.