Legacy Resource FAQs

What happened to the Legacy Registration Services Agreement (LRSA)?

In August 2022, the ARIN Board of Trustees voted to end the annual legacy maintenance fee cap, which had been offered since the introduction of the LRSA in 2007. The legacy maintenance fee cap was officially retired on 31 December 2023. Throughout 2024, ARIN has continued to process requests for an LRSA that were submitted before the end of 2023; however, all ticketed requests submitted in 2023 must be completed by 31 December 2024 in order to fall under the fee cap. All organizations bringing legacy resources under agreement with a request received on or after 1 January 2024 will sign the ARIN Registration Services Agreement (RSA), and those resources will be invoiced under the current Registration Service Plan fees.

How can I begin the process of signing an ARIN Agreement for my legacy resources?

To submit a request, use the “Ask ARIN” feature in your ARIN Online account. Once logged in, select “Ask ARIN” in the left-hand navigation. If you do not have an ARIN Online account, you can easily create one.

What is a legacy number resource?

A legacy number resource is an IPv4 address or Autonomous System Number (ASN) that was originally issued to the current registrant by an Internet Registry (InterNIC or its predecessors) prior to the inception of ARIN on 22 December 1997 that has not been brought under an ARIN Agreement. Resources held under an LRSA retain the “legacy” designation. Organizations holding these resources can utilize all ARIN tools and services.

What services does ARIN provide to organizations with only legacy resources and no service agreement? What additional services are available if an organization enters into a service agreement with ARIN?

Organizations with legacy resources and no service agreement are still able to both maintain their unique registration information in ARIN’s Whois/RDAP, as well as update and manage this information. However, there are certain circumstances in which a legacy resource holder may be required to sign an ARIN Agreement. For full details, please see the Legacy Resources Information page.

My company has legacy IPv4 number resources and wants to apply for IPv6 number resources. Will I have to sign an RSA to receive an address block from ARIN?

Yes, but only to receive the IPv6 number resources. Once an organization is approved for any resources directly from ARIN, it must sign a RSA before those resources can be issued. In this case, the RSA would only cover your IPv6 number resources and not your legacy number resources, unless you specifically ask to have them included.

If a registrant with a recent version of the RSA wishes to bring uncontracted legacy resources under agreement, normal fees will be calculated on the aggregate holdings of the organization.

My organization has legacy number resources but has no plans to sign an ARIN Agreement. Will ARIN continue to maintain our records, and can we still make database changes to our records if we need to? Will we ever be charged a fee?

Per direction of the ARIN Board of Trustees, ARIN currently provides basic registry services (including maintaining the records and allowing resource holders to update records) to legacy resource holders without contract or fee. However, there is no guarantee that this framework will not change in the future as a result of community-developed policy and/or service fee changes.

For more specific information about services available to legacy resource holders, visit the Legacy Resource Information page.

If my organization signs an ARIN Agreement, are we able to exit the agreement and revert to legacy status if we disagree with changes to ARIN policies at a future date?

ARIN’s policies apply to all resources in the registry, regardless of signed agreement status. An organization that held resources prior to ARIN’s formation can exit an ARIN Agreement and resume its status prior to signing the ARIN Agreement only if ARIN breaches the contract, as described in section 13 of the Registration Services Agreement. Any other exit from a signed ARIN Agreement would result in ARIN ceasing to provide any services to the organization. In all such circumstances, ARIN’s policies govern ARIN’s administration of the registry.

ARIN was formed to provide all organizations within its region with a voice in how resources are managed, with a focus on the equitable treatment of our members. A voluntary exit clause with the continued accesss to basic ARIN services solely for legacy resource holders would be highly inequitable, and providing all members with such a voluntary exit clause where an organization could still access basic ARIN services would be incompatible with ARIN’s purpose of serving as the Regional Internet Registry in the region.

Will updating my organization record and signing an ARIN Agreement require me to return any legacy number resources that are not currently being utilized or are underutilized?

No. Signing an agreement with ARIN does not obligate the organization to return unutilized and/or underutilized legacy number resources to ARIN. The RSA explicitly states that ARIN will not reclaim unutilized number resources from those who sign the RSA. Organizations may voluntarily choose to return unutilized legacy number resources to ARIN at any time.

Can ARIN take away the legacy number resources my organization currently holds if I don’t sign an ARIN Agreement?

ARIN has no plans or intention to “take away” rights to legacy resources from those who have not signed an agreement. However, having Internet number resources under an ARIN Agreement contractually locks in a set of rights that each organization should carefully consider.

I represent a sovereign nation’s governmental agency within the ARIN region and have questions about covering legacy resources under the RSA. What do I do first?

Given that governmental agencies of sovereign nations may have unique legal limits that impact signing an RSA, we suggest that you first contact ARIN’s Registration Services Department to discuss your circumstance. In some cases, you might then be referred to ARIN’s legal counsel. You may contact the Registration Services Help Desk at +1.703.227.0660 or by submitting an Ask ARIN ticket via your ARIN Online account.

My organization has legacy resources but does not currently have a service agreement. If my organization were to enter into a service agreement, how would the fees we pay be used?

As outlined in the ARIN Fee Schedule page, the fees charged by ARIN are intended to provide for equitable recovery of ARIN’s organizational costs. As a nonprofit, ARIN’s revenues primarily go toward operations and development of the registry so that it can fulfill its essential role in the global Internet infrastructure in a stable and reliable manner. ARIN’s annual budget, including budgets for previous years, is available on the Strategic Planning & Budgeting page. The budget includes categories for personnel, operations, general office/administration, and Internet support. In addition, independently audited financial reports are made publicly available as part of our Annual Reports.