LACNIC permits IPv4 transfers within its region and with compatible RIRs. Recipients in the region must justify an initial or additional allocation or assignment. Previously transferred space and space received directly from LACNIC have different restriction periods; record the event that started each one.

Policy snapshot checked 2026-11-08.

Service region and IPv4 supply

LACNIC serves Latin America and parts of the Caribbean. Its ordinary IPv4 pool is exhausted. Recovered-address requests follow the waiting-list and exhaustion framework, rather than an unrestricted allocation process. National registry arrangements in Brazil and Mexico can affect the operational account path.

Allocation and assignment

Identify whether the recipient is an ISP or an end user, and whether it works directly with LACNIC or through an NIR. That determines the applicable request evidence and service relationship. Keep legal, administrative, technical and abuse-contact information consistent with the entity using or distributing the resources.

Transfer eligibility

/24 under the ordinary IPv4 transfer policy.

The registry verifies the holder and absence of a dispute. For an ordinary transfer within the region, both parties submit signed legal documentation supporting it. In an inter-RIR case, the two registries agree the supporting documentation and coordinate their checks.

The primary reference is the LACNIC Policy Manual v2.21, sections 2.3.2.17–18. Policy proposals and presentation slides are not substitutes for implemented manual text.

Recipient documents and needs assessment

Initial or additional allocation/assignment justification under current LACNIC policy; an overseas recipient follows its receiving RIR's rules. For an initial ISP /24–/22, section 2.3.3.1.1 requires 25% current or immediate use and a plan for 50% within one year. End-user criteria also use 25% immediate and 50% one-year utilization, with topology, routing and subnet plans. Additional-space requests under 2.3.4 require 80% utilization of previous RIR/NIR holdings and deployment projections for three, six and twelve months; IPv6 request requirements also apply.

Prepare the network’s current assignments and holdings, the intended deployment and the correct ISP or end-user application evidence. Do not reuse a percentage from ARIN without checking the applicable LACNIC section. Use needs documentation to reconcile the inventory and plan.

For a corporate event, section 2.3.2.17 requires evidence of the transaction and justification for retaining resources. It does not provide ARIN’s blanket M&A needs-assessment exception.

Holding periods and source restrictions

One year before retransferring previously transferred space; three years after a direct LACNIC allocation or assignment. A source cannot receive direct LACNIC IPv4 allocations or assignments for one year after transferring.

The one-year retransfer condition covers all or part of the transferred space. A partial split is not a way to erase its history. Check both the last transfer date in the log and any relevant direct-allocation date.

Waiting list

Recovered-address requests depend on eligibility and available supply; joining the queue does not guarantee a block or delivery date.

The exhaustion procedures distinguish new-member and recovered-supply handling. Confirm the organization’s eligibility and applicable NIR procedure before scheduling a deployment around a pending request.

Processing and completion

Account verification, needs assessment, source checks and the signed documentation must all be resolved. Inter-RIR cases also depend on the counterpart’s acceptance and coordinated registry updates. Use transfer timelines as planning estimates rather than a published LACNIC delivery target.

After completion, check the holder, contacts and resource status. Legacy resources transferred into the region do not retain legacy status under section 2.3.2.18.10; include that change in the service and routing-security plan.

Fees

Member category and resource type; distinguish ordinary transfers, M&A and the optional transfer-list service. ISP and end-user schedules differ; aggregate resources and the applicable LACNIC or NIR account determine the recurring charge. Separate administrative charges can apply by transfer route and block size; confirm the effective schedule and any category adjustment on the registry invoice.

Confirm the charges in the official membership fee schedule. A fee for an optional listing service is not the transfer-processing fee or the annual account charge.

Operational pitfalls

• A source’s one-year exclusion from direct allocations is different from the block’s one-year retransfer restriction.
• The three-year restriction is tied to direct allocations or assignments, not every IPv4 receipt.
• Matching a contract’s prefix list is insufficient if the account holder or signatory does not match the legal evidence.

For an IPv4 block offered for transfer, provide both its transfer history and original delegation route before requesting a completion date.

Frequently asked questions

Does LACNIC allow inter-RIR IPv4 transfers?

Yes, with compatible registries and approval on both sides. The receiving organization is assessed under its destination registry’s requirements, while the source must satisfy its own registry’s restrictions.

What is the difference between LACNIC’s one-year and three-year restrictions?

Previously transferred space has a one-year retransfer restriction. IPv4 received directly as an allocation or assignment from LACNIC has a three-year transfer restriction. Identify the actual event and applicable policy before deciding eligibility.

Does an IPv4 M&A request at LACNIC avoid all utilization questions?

No. Section 2.3.2.17 includes justification for retaining the resources following the corporate event. Do not import ARIN’s section 8.2 needs-assessment exception into a LACNIC request.