How to Get Your Own ASN: A Complete Guide to Requirements, Costs, and Application Options

Introduction

Once you understand what an Autonomous System Number (ASN) is, the next question usually comes naturally:

How do I actually get one?

Unlike purchasing a domain name or renting a virtual server, obtaining an ASN is not simply a matter of clicking a "Buy Now" button. Whether you can obtain one — and which application path makes the most sense — depends on how your network is built, where you're located, and what you intend to do after receiving the ASN.

For some organizations, an ASN is an essential building block for operating independent network infrastructure. For others, it adds unnecessary complexity without providing meaningful benefits.

This guide explains how organizations typically obtain a public ASN, the common application options available today, and what you should prepare before beginning the process. Rather than focusing on paperwork, we'll focus on helping you determine whether you actually need an ASN in the first place.

Not sure what an ASN is? Start with our beginner's guide to Autonomous System Numbers first.

Who Actually Needs an ASN?

One of the biggest misconceptions is that every company operating online should have its own ASN. In reality, most businesses don't.

If your applications run entirely on a single cloud provider, your website is hosted by a managed platform, or your infrastructure depends on one Internet connection, obtaining a public ASN usually provides little practical benefit. In those situations, your hosting provider or cloud platform already operates one or more Autonomous Systems on your behalf.

Typical examples of organizations that don't need their own ASN:

SaaS applications hosted entirely on one cloud platform
Company websites running behind a CDN
Internal business applications
Small hosting environments connected to a single provider

On the other hand, some organizations genuinely benefit from operating their own Autonomous System:

Multi-homed networks connected to multiple upstream providers
Organizations announcing their own IP address space
Networks implementing independent BGP routing policies
Anycast deployments distributed across multiple locations
Internet Service Providers
Large enterprise or research networks

The key distinction isn't company size. It's network independence. If your organization needs to make its own routing decisions rather than relying entirely on an upstream provider, an ASN becomes an important part of that architecture.

What You'll Need Before Applying

Many first-time applicants assume the process begins with filling out a form. In practice, the application itself is often the easiest part. The more important question is whether your network satisfies the requirements established by the Regional Internet Registry (RIR) responsible for your region.

Although specific policies vary between RIRs, organizations typically prepare several things before applying.

A Legitimate Routing Requirement

A public ASN exists to identify networks participating in inter-domain routing. That means you'll generally need a genuine operational reason for managing routing independently. Examples include operating multiple upstream connections, announcing your own IP prefixes, or implementing your own BGP policies. Simply wanting an ASN is usually not sufficient justification under RIR policies.

IP Address Resources

Many organizations apply for an ASN because they intend to announce their own IPv4 or IPv6 prefixes. Depending on your deployment model, those address resources may already belong to your organization or may be assigned later through your chosen registration path. Exactly what is required depends on the policies of the relevant RIR and your network design.

Operational Responsibility

Obtaining an ASN also means accepting responsibility for operating part of the global routing system. That doesn't mean running a worldwide backbone. It does mean understanding how your routing announcements affect other networks. Organizations operating public ASNs are generally expected to follow accepted routing practices, maintain accurate registration information, and manage their routing policies responsibly.

Public ASN vs Private ASN

Before beginning the application process, it's important to distinguish between public and private ASNs. Although they look similar, they serve different purposes.

Public ASN

A public ASN is globally unique. It allows your network to exchange routing information with other Autonomous Systems across the public Internet. Organizations operating Internet-facing BGP deployments typically require a public ASN. These ASNs are allocated through Regional Internet Registries or their approved registration channels.

Private ASN

Private ASNs are designed for internal use. They're commonly deployed inside enterprise environments, laboratory networks, or temporary BGP configurations where global uniqueness isn't required. If your routes will never be advertised directly to the public Internet, a private ASN may be entirely sufficient.

Private ASNs are also commonly used in enterprise and internal BGP deployments where global uniqueness is unnecessary. Choosing the correct type of ASN before applying can save both time and administrative overhead.

Ways to Obtain an ASN

For most organizations today, there are two practical ways to obtain a public ASN. Although the exact terminology varies between regions, the overall models are remarkably similar.

Method	Best Suited For	Typical Characteristics
Sponsoring LIR	Most organizations	Lower administrative overhead, sponsorship model
Direct RIR Membership	Large networks or organizations managing multiple Internet resources	Greater administrative responsibility, direct relationship with the RIR

Here's how the two paths compare across key dimensions:

Feature	Sponsoring LIR	Direct RIR Membership
Administrative Overhead	Lower — LIR handles registry interactions	Higher — you manage everything directly
Best For	Most companies, startups, first-time ASN operators	Large ISPs, enterprises with dedicated network teams
Registry Relationship	Indirect — through the sponsoring organization	Direct — your organization is the RIR member
ASN Technical Capability	Identical — same BGP functionality	Identical — same BGP functionality
Long-term Flexibility	Can transition to direct membership later if needed	Already at the highest level of control

Neither approach is universally better. The right choice depends on your operational requirements, the resources you manage, and how much direct administrative involvement you want.

Sponsoring LIR vs Direct RIR Membership

Once you've determined that your organization genuinely needs a public ASN, the next decision is how to obtain one. Both approaches ultimately result in a public ASN that can participate in global Internet routing. The difference lies in how your Internet resources are managed, not in the technical capabilities of the ASN itself.

Option 1: Applying Through a Sponsoring LIR

A Sponsoring LIR already maintains a direct relationship with the Regional Internet Registry. Instead of becoming an RIR member yourself, your organization works with the sponsoring LIR, which handles the administrative interactions required to register your Internet resources.

For many organizations, this approach offers a simpler operational model. Typical responsibilities handled by a Sponsoring LIR may include:

Submitting registration requests
Maintaining resource records
Assisting with administrative updates
Acting as the point of contact for registry-related matters

This approach is commonly chosen by startups, SaaS companies, hosting providers, enterprises operating their first independent network, and organizations that need an ASN but do not want to manage direct RIR membership.

Using a Sponsoring LIR does not reduce the technical capabilities of your ASN. Once assigned, your ASN functions the same way in BGP regardless of the registration path used.

Option 2: Becoming a Direct RIR Member

Some organizations choose to establish a direct relationship with their Regional Internet Registry. Under this model, the organization manages its own Internet number resources directly with the registry rather than through a sponsoring organization.

This approach is often appropriate for large Internet Service Providers, organizations managing significant address resources, enterprises with dedicated network engineering teams, and organizations requiring direct administrative control over multiple Internet resources.

Direct membership generally involves additional administrative responsibilities, and the exact requirements vary between Regional Internet Registries. For organizations managing extensive Internet infrastructure, those additional responsibilities may be worthwhile. For smaller organizations, however, they may provide little operational benefit.

Which Option Is Right for You?

There isn't a universal answer. Instead, consider questions like these:

Do you manage your own routing policies?
Will you maintain multiple Internet resources over time?
Do you have dedicated networking staff?
Do you prefer managing registry interactions yourself?
Or would you rather focus on operating your network while someone else handles registry administration?

Many organizations discover that the technical differences between the two options are much smaller than they initially expected. The larger difference is usually administrative rather than technical.

Related reading: We break down both paths in detail in RIPE NCC vs LIR Sponsorship: What Nobody Tells You.

What Happens After You Receive an ASN?

Receiving an ASN is not the end of the process. It's the beginning.

An ASN by itself doesn't automatically advertise routes or make your network reachable from the Internet. Several additional steps are typically required before your network begins participating in global routing.

A simplified deployment often looks like this:

Receive ASN
      │
      ▼
Configure BGP
      │
      ▼
Create Routing Objects
      │
      ▼
Publish RPKI ROAs
      │
      ▼
Announce IP Prefixes
      │
      ▼
Internet Reachability

The exact sequence varies depending on your network architecture, but most public BGP deployments follow a similar workflow.

Configure Your Routers

Your routers need to be configured with your ASN before they can establish BGP sessions with neighboring networks. This typically involves defining BGP neighbors, routing policies, and route advertisements. Exactly how this is done depends on the routing software or hardware platform you're using.

Register Routing Information

Many operators publish routing information through Internet Routing Registries (IRRs). IRR objects help other networks validate routing policies and automate routing filters. Depending on your region and deployment model, maintaining accurate routing registry information is part of good operational practice.

Publish Route Origin Authorizations (ROAs)

Today, many networks validate route announcements using the Resource Public Key Infrastructure (RPKI). Publishing Route Origin Authorizations (ROAs) allows other networks to verify that your ASN is authorized to originate your IP prefixes. Although Internet routing does not technically require RPKI everywhere, deployment has become increasingly common, and many operators consider it a best practice for improving routing security.

Announce Your Prefixes

Only after your routing policies are configured and your prefixes are announced through BGP will other Autonomous Systems begin learning routes to your network. At this point, your ASN becomes visible in global BGP routing tables.

How Much Does an ASN Cost?

One of the most common questions after deciding to obtain an ASN is surprisingly simple: How much does it actually cost?

The answer depends entirely on how you obtain the ASN, not on the ASN itself.

Costs may include:

Registry membership fees (where applicable)
Sponsoring organization service fees
Administrative management
Internet number resource management
Optional services such as routing security assistance

The cost of operating an ASN is often less about the ASN itself and more about the administrative model you choose. Because pricing models differ between Regional Internet Registries and sponsoring organizations, there is no single global price. Instead of focusing only on the initial application fee, it's usually more useful to consider the total cost of operating your Internet resources over time. For many organizations, administrative simplicity is just as valuable as the registration cost itself.

Related reading: See our detailed cost comparison: €89 vs €2,850: The Real Cost of Running Your Own ASN.

Can an ASN Be Transferred?

Unlike domain names, an ASN is not something that is casually bought and sold between organizations. Policies governing Internet number resources are established by the relevant Regional Internet Registry and vary by region.

However, organizations sometimes encounter situations such as corporate mergers, acquisitions, organizational restructuring, or changes in legal ownership. In these cases, Internet number resources — including ASNs — may need to be updated or transferred according to the applicable registry policies.

If ownership of your organization changes, it's important to ensure that registry records remain accurate. Always consult your Regional Internet Registry or sponsoring organization before making changes to registered Internet resources.

Checklist Before Applying

Before submitting an application, it's worth confirming that your organization is actually ready. A simple checklist looks like this:

✅ You understand why your network needs its own ASN.
✅ You expect to operate independent BGP routing.
✅ You know whether you'll announce IPv4 prefixes, IPv6 prefixes, or both.
✅ You understand who will manage routing policies.
✅ You have selected an appropriate application path.

If most of these statements are true, you're probably ready to begin the application process. If not, spending more time planning your network architecture may save considerable effort later.

Common Mistakes

Many first-time applicants assume obtaining an ASN automatically gives them complete control over Internet routing. In reality, most operational challenges occur after the ASN has been assigned. Some common misconceptions include:

"I have an ASN, so my network is already on the Internet."

Not necessarily. Without BGP sessions and route announcements, an ASN is simply an identifier.

"An ASN automatically improves latency."

No. Routing performance depends on topology, peering, transit providers, routing policy, congestion, and physical distance — not the ASN itself.

"I only need an ASN."

In many cases, organizations also require IP address resources, routing policies, and properly configured BGP sessions. An ASN alone does not create Internet connectivity.

"Once my ASN is assigned, I'm finished."

Receiving an ASN is often the beginning of operating an independent network — not the end. Maintaining routing information, updating registry records, and monitoring routing security all become part of normal network operations.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to obtain an ASN?

Processing times vary depending on the Regional Internet Registry, the application path, and whether additional information is required. There is no universal timeframe.

Can I apply as an individual?

Eligibility requirements vary between Regional Internet Registries and may change over time. Always consult the policies applicable to your region.

Can I obtain an ASN without IPv4 addresses?

In many cases, yes. Modern Internet routing supports both IPv4 and IPv6. Whether additional address resources are required depends on your deployment model and the applicable registry policies.

Can one ASN announce both IPv4 and IPv6?

Yes. A single ASN may originate IPv4 prefixes, IPv6 prefixes, or both.

Can my organization have more than one ASN?

Yes. Some organizations operate multiple Autonomous Systems for operational, geographic, or administrative reasons. However, many organizations successfully operate with a single ASN.

Do I need to be a network engineer to get an ASN?

No. While operating BGP does require networking knowledge, the application process itself — especially through a Sponsoring LIR — is designed to be administrative rather than deeply technical.

Can I change from a Sponsoring LIR to direct RIR membership later?

In many cases, yes. The specific process depends on the policies of the relevant Regional Internet Registry and your existing resource registrations. Organizations that start with a Sponsoring LIR can often transition to direct membership later if their operational needs evolve. If this is part of your long-term plan, it's worth discussing with your sponsoring organization early.

Conclusion

An Autonomous System Number is more than an administrative identifier. It represents the point at which an organization begins participating directly in Internet routing rather than relying entirely on someone else's network.

For many businesses, that step is unnecessary. Modern cloud platforms already provide highly available networking without requiring customers to operate their own Autonomous Systems.

But for organizations building independent infrastructure — whether to manage their own IP space, implement custom routing policies, or connect to multiple upstream providers — obtaining an ASN is often the foundation of that independence.

The important decision isn't simply how to obtain an ASN. It's choosing the application model that best fits your operational requirements, administrative preferences, and long-term network strategy. By understanding those trade-offs before applying, you'll be far better prepared to operate your network once the ASN has been assigned.

Key Takeaways

Most organizations don't need their own ASN — the decision should be driven by routing requirements, not prestige.
Two main paths exist: Sponsoring LIR (lower overhead) and direct RIR membership (more control).
Your ASN functions identically in BGP regardless of which registration path you choose.
Receiving an ASN is the beginning — BGP configuration, RPKI, and prefix announcements follow.
Costs vary by path and region; consider total operating cost, not just the initial fee.

Continue Reading

What Is an ASN? A Complete Beginner's Guide — learn the fundamentals of Autonomous Systems and Internet routing.
€89 vs €2,850: The Real Cost of Running Your Own ASN — a detailed cost breakdown of ASN ownership in Europe.
RIPE NCC vs LIR Sponsorship: What Nobody Tells You — which registration path actually makes sense for your organization.