ARIN ordinary IPv4 transfers use NRPM 8.3 within the region and 8.4 between compatible RIRs. Recipient requirements are in 8.5. Mergers, acquisitions and reorganizations use 8.2 and have different evidence requirements. Identify the route before applying thresholds or fees.

Policy snapshot checked 2026-11-08.

Service region and IPv4 supply

ARIN serves the United States, Canada and parts of the Caribbean and North Atlantic. Its general IPv4 free pool is exhausted. Transfers and the restricted waiting-list route have separate eligibility rules; neither an Org ID nor a paid service plan guarantees an allocation.

Allocation and assignment

Create or recover the correct organization record and associate authorized Points of Contact. An individual ARIN Online login is not the organization record. The receiving legal entity must meet the applicable regional and operational requirements and have the required Registration Services Agreement (RSA).

Transfer eligibility

The source must be recognized as the current holder and the resources must be free of a holder-status dispute. Recent receipts, reserved-pool origin and waitlist history can prevent an ordinary transfer. Both organizations file for an intra-region specified-recipient transfer.

/24 for ordinary specified-recipient IPv4 transfers; M&A follows a separate minimum-size rule.

Use ARIN’s transfer procedures for the route, required acknowledgements and submission process. Their inter-RIR table lists the compatible counterpart registries.

Recipient documents and needs assessment

Prepare the legal-entity record, authorized contacts, network-use evidence, existing resource inventory and planned deployments. Confirm agreement coverage and any pre-approval before relying on it for a particular request.

An organization with no IPv4 allocation from ARIN qualifies for an initial /24. Larger or additional requests normally require 50% use within 24 months and 50% utilization of existing ARIN IPv4 holdings; section 8.5.7 offers an alternative route.

The alternative in NRPM 8.5.7 uses 80% current utilization and additional limits; it is not the default rule for every applicant. Use needs evidence and calculations to reconcile the selected route.

Holding periods and source restrictions

The source generally must not have received IPv4 resources from ARIN in the preceding 12 months. M&A and specified exceptions differ; waitlist space has a separate 60-month restriction.

The ordinary 12-month source condition concerns the organization’s receipt history, not merely the age of the offered prefix. Section 8.3 and 8.4 exceptions differ. Read NRPM sections 4.1.8 and 8 for the applicable exception, reserved-space rules and post-transfer waiting-list exclusions.

Waiting list

Requests are limited by NRPM 4.1.8; distributed space has a 60-month ordinary-transfer restriction. Transfers can affect queue eligibility.

Do not combine an ordinary-transfer request with an assumption that the organization’s queue position remains unchanged. Record whether the organization is a source or recipient and check the relevant exclusion period.

Processing and completion

Source review and recipient assessment are separate. For an intra-region transfer, retain both request references and track fees, agreement signatures and additional questions independently.

ARIN’s published completion step follows receipt of required fees and a signed RSA where applicable. A processing milestone does not include account creation, needs assessment or network cutover. Confirm the holder in the completed registry record and use post-transfer checks before announcing from the receiving network.

Fees

USD 50 to create an organization record. Initial annual RSP fees are separate. USD 275 annually for the 3X-Small category (/24 or smaller IPv4, subject to IPv6 and ASN holdings); larger aggregate holdings can raise the category. USD 500 source request fee for an 8.3 or 8.4 transfer; the ARIN recipient also pays a size-based processing fee (USD 187.50 for a /24) and applicable RSP fees. An 8.2 request has a USD 500 fee.

These are 2026 schedule figures. The ARIN fee schedule explains aggregate holdings and separate source/recipient charges.

Operational pitfalls

• A public Point of Contact is not proof that a person may sign for a dissolved predecessor company.
• An initial-block rule does not waive operational eligibility, account verification or the RSA.
• RSP cost depends on all relevant holdings, not only the IPv4 block in this request.

For a supported IPv4 procurement request, establish the recipient’s qualifying route before selecting a block size. Preserve the approved need and source-history evidence in the transaction record.

Frequently asked questions

Can a new organization receive an initial ARIN /24 without a larger-block utilization plan?

NRPM 8.5.4 provides an initial minimum-size block for an organization without an IPv4 allocation from ARIN. The organization must still satisfy operational-use, agreement and other eligibility requirements.

Is ARIN’s 12-month rule a lock only on the offered prefix?

No. The ordinary source restriction concerns the source organization’s recent receipt of resources from ARIN. A much older prefix can still be affected by a recent receipt elsewhere in the source account; exceptions depend on the route.

Are M&A transfers assessed under the same needs test?

No. A qualifying section 8.2 transfer does not undergo a needs-based assessment during that transfer. Its corporate-transaction evidence, agreement and other conditions still apply.