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Guidelines - Requesting a Direct IPv6 Assignment from ARIN

This is an overview of how to request and manage an assignment of IPv6 address space from ARIN. Organizations that receive assignments are often referred to as "end-users."

Allocation and Assignment

ARIN makes a distinction between address assignment and address allocation. End-users are "assigned" address space as described herein, while organizations, like Internet Service Providers (ISPs), are "allocated" address space for the purpose of reassigning or reallocating that space to their customers.

ARIN assigns blocks of IPv6 addresses to organizations that request address space for internal use in running their own networks, and not for subdelegation of those addresses outside their organization's networks. Typically, end-users receive IPv6 addresses from an Internet Service Provider (ISP), not directly from ARIN. Assigned addresses obtained directly from ARIN are the least likely to be globally routable.

Obtaining an Initial Assignment of IPv6 Address Space from ARIN

Whereas IPv4 address representation uses a binary system of four octets of numbers representing a total of 32 bits, IPv6 uses eight 16-bit hexadecimal values used to represent a total of 128 bits. To read more about this address representation scheme, review RFC 3513 .

In assigning IPv6 address space, ARIN considers the goal of aggregation to be the most important.

Step 1 - Requirements

Review ARIN's IPv6 policies to ensure your request meets the requirements. Requesting resources from ARIN indicates you have read and agree to abide by these policies.

To request an IPv6 assignment, your organization must first have established Point of Contact (POC) handles and an Organization Identifier (Org ID) with ARIN. Additional information about creating and managing POCs and Org IDs is available in ARIN's Guidelines for Managing Organization and Contact Identifiers.

Once the POCs and Org ID are registered in the ARIN database, complete and submit the IPv6 End-user Network Request template.All initial IPv6 assignment requests must be sent from the Admin or Tech POC associated with the organization's Org ID.

Step 2 - Completing the Template

When completing the IPv6 End-user template, your organization must first establish justification for the request.

Justification for an IPv6 assignment is based on meeting two criteria:

  • not be an IPv6 LIR; and
  • qualify for an IPv4 assignment or allocation from ARIN under the IPv4 policy currently in effect, or demonstrate efficient utilization of all direct IPv4 assignments and allocations, each of which must be covered by any current ARIN RSA

The minimum assignment size is /48. Requests for a larger prefix must be justified by providing a planned IPv6 subnetting topology demonstrating the use of the requested space. An HD-Ratio of .94 must be met for all assignments larger than a /48.

Instructions for completing and submitting the template are provided at the bottom of the document. To ensure prompt and accurate processing, follow these instructions exactly. Any errors found may result in the template being returned for correction.

Step 3 - Submittal of Template and Auto Response

Upon successfully submitting the template, ARIN verifies its receipt of the request and issues a ticket number via e-mail to the individual who submitted the request. Based on the volume of requests, this may take up to 60 minutes.

Step 4 - Review Process

ARIN reviews and responds to a resource request within three (3) business days.

The response may include a request for additional information. For each question and response cycle, ARIN responds within three (3) business days. If ARIN does not receive a response within ninety (90) days, the ticket is considered closed and the request must be resubmitted. A response from ARIN requesting additional documentation or information does not imply a request will be denied; it simply means that additional information is needed to evaluate the request.

For questions about requests, communicate via e-mail to hostmaster@arin.net or call ARIN's Registration Services Help Desk at +1.703.227.0660. When contacting the Help Desk, have appropriate ticket numbers and other request documentation readily available, and have access to the ARIN website. In follow-up communication, supply the name of the ARIN Help Desk Resource Analyst that provided previous assistance. Click here for additional guidance on calling the Help Desk.

Step 5 - Request Approval

ARIN notifies your organization, via e-mail to the individual who submitted the request, whether the request was approved or not. The approval is good for ninety (90) days. If your organization does not follow up on the approval within that time, you must resubmit the request.

If a request is rejected and you feel that it has the proper justification for receiving the requested resource, you may contact ARIN to further explain its position.

Step 6- Fee Payment and Registration Services Agreement

ARIN charges a one-time registration fee for each IPv6 assignment, based on the size of the assignment. Exact fees, and other billing information, are supplied in ARIN's Fee Schedule. After receiving approval confirmation and a ticket number from ARIN, submit a completed IPv6 Assignment Billing Account Form. Additional fee and payment information is available in the Billing section.

ARIN does not accept purchase orders as the equivalent of payment and payment information is not accepted by phone. The approval of a request can be dependent on the billing status of the Org ID in question. Outstanding fees due to ARIN must be paid before additional resources are allocated.

Submission of Signed Registration Services Agreement (RSA)

All applicants requesting resources from ARIN are required to sign the Registration Services Agreement (RSA). The RSA must be signed and returned before ARIN allocates resources. The RSA cannot be altered or modified. If the organization already has a signed RSA on file with ARIN, a new one is not needed unless the request for resources will be issued under a new Org ID. Organizations may fax a signed, but otherwise unaltered, RSA to +1.703.227.0671. ARIN requests that the organization also forward two (2) signed originals via postal mail to:

ARIN
Attention: Financial Services Department
3635 Concorde Parkway, Suite 200
Chantilly, VA 20151

Submission of Payment

When completing ARIN's online billing forms, organizations may choose between two payment options:

Immediate online payment by credit card (American Express, Discover, MasterCard, and Visa)

If payment is by credit card, an automatic receipt is e-mailed to the organization, along with instructions on how to download the Registration Services Agreement (RSA).

Receive an invoice for payment by check or wire transfer

For organizations choosing to receive an invoice, ARIN sends an invoice within three (3) business days and instruction on how to download the Registration Services Agreement (RSA). For instructions to send payment by wire transfer, call +1.703.227.9886 or e-mail billing@arin.net.  For wire instructions by e-mail, include the ARIN ticket or invoice number, the organization name, and Org ID. For payments by check, send payment to:

American Registry for Internet Numbers
P. O. Box 79010
Baltimore, Maryland  21279-0010

Step 7 - Assignment

ARIN assigns the IPv6 address block within two (2) business days of ARIN's receipt of the registration fee and a signed RSA. The assignment of IPv6 addresses does not qualify organizations for ARIN membership. Only organizations that receive and pay for a direct allocation of IP address space from ARIN are automatically accorded membership.

As membership is open to all interested parties, any organization or individual may become a member of ARIN by completing a Membership Application Form and paying an annual membership fee.

Managing an IPv6 Assignment Record

Organization and Contact Identifiers

To ensure efficient and accurate processing, promptly update Org ID and POC records after any change. Additional information about Org IDs and POCs is available in ARIN's Guidelines for Organizations and Contact Identifiers.

Maintenance Fee and Exemptions

ARIN assesses a single consolidated annual maintenance fee to each Org ID for certain resources registered with it. This single fee covers all ASNs, IPv4 and IPv6 assignments, and transfers registered with ARIN per Org ID. This fee is due on the anniversary date of the organization's first resource registration associated with the Org ID.

Organizations that have received a direct allocation from ARIN are not charged the annual maintenance fee. Additional information about ARIN's fees is available on the Fee Schedule and the Guidelines for Billing Procedures pages.

Modifying or Returning an IPv6 Assignment

There are two types of changes that can be made to an IPv6 assignment record.

Modification

The IPv6 Modification (v6-Net-Mod) template can be used to change the POC handle associated with an IPv6 assignment, modify a network name, or add or change DNS inverse mapping name servers. Modifications are submitted by the Administrative or Technical POC for the appropriate Org ID, or the Technical POC for the resource.

To change POCs associated with an IPv6 assignment, the POCs must already exist. If the POCs are not currently registered in the ARIN database, submit a POC template prior to submitting the IPv6 Net-Mod template.

Return

The IPv6 Modification (v6-Net-Mod) template can also be used to return unused IPv6 assignments to ARIN. Returns of an IPv6 assignment can only be submitted by the Administrative POC.

Transfers of IPv6 Assignments

Transfers of IPv6 assignments are handled similarly to the transfer of any ARIN resource. Specific guidelines for this process are provided in ARIN's Guidelines for Transferring Internet Number Resources document.