In addition to a private domain and a public domain, there are two other domains to which unique laws apply. The first, which is an area that is exempt from the prohibitions of carrying on Shabbat, is called an exempt domain. The other, a karmelit, is defined by the Sages as a domain whose halakhic status is in between the private and public domains.

Below are brief descriptions and definitions of these four domains:

Private domain: This term refers to a zone with a minimum area of ​​about 32 cm (four handbreadths) by 32 cm, and which is separated from its surroundings by a partition of about 80 cm (ten handbreadths) or more. This partition could be a wall, a fence, or a deep ditch, or created by the topography of the domain itself, if is at least 80 cm higher than the ground around it. This zone, as well as the airspace above it, is halakhically defined as a private domain.

Public domain: A zone at least 8 m (sixteen cubits) wide, which is used by many people. Some authorities maintain that only an open area through which at least six hundred thousand people pass every day is considered a public domain by Torah law. The laws of the public domain apply to the airspace above this area only up to a height of about 80 cm, but not to the airspace above that height.

Exempt domain: This term refers to a zone that is separated from its surroundings by a partition, but which has an area that is smaller than 32 cm by 32 cm. The airspace higher than 80 cm above a public domain or a karmelit (see below) is also included in this category. One is allowed to transfer objects between an exempt domain and a public or private domain on Shabbat.

These are the three domains of Shabbat according to Torah law, but the Sages added a fourth one, known as a karmelit.

Karmelit: This term refers to a zone with an area greater than 32 cm by 32 cm, which is not surrounded by a partition, but which is not heavily used by the public. (A partition would isolate the area and render it a private domain, whereas regular use by the public could make it a public domain.) Classic examples of a karmelit include an open field or the ocean, although in contemporary times the streets of many towns and cities do not fit the definition of a public domain and are considered to be a karmelit. By rabbinic law, the status of a karmelit is similar to that of a public domain.