In this article, a method to design a tri‐band double‐dipole quasi‐Yagi antenna (DDQYA) using dual co‐directional split‐ring resonators (SRRs) is proposed. In order to create two new resonances in the low frequency for tri‐band operation, a pair of dual co‐directional SRRs is loaded above the second dipole of the DDQYA. The sizes and in‐between distance of the inner and outer SRRs mainly determine the new resonant frequencies. In the original frequency band of the DDQYA, the dual co‐directional SRRs works as a director and the bandwidth and gain characteristics are enhanced. Additional pair of single SRR is loaded above the reflector ground in order to increase the electrical length of the reflector, and then the reversed main beam direction caused by a longer electrical length of the dipole element is recovered. The proposed concept is validated by a comparison of full‐wave simulation results with measured characteristics obtained from a fabricated prototype antenna. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 59:1354–1357, 2017