Get your .gov domain

Registering and managing your government domain name.

.gov

About .gov

The .gov registry program is the service where U.S. government entities — from federal agencies to local municipalities — can obtain and manage .gov domains. The program is operated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.

Why .gov is important

A .gov domain verifies the website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

How it works

  1. Complete and submit your authorization letter (email to registrar@dotgov.gov).
  2. DotGov will review, verify and (if approved) create .gov registrar accounts for each point of contact.
  3. Point of contacts login to set up your DotGov accounts. One POC must complete the online domain request form.
  4. DotGov will review/approve your request.

Note: Your domain will not be active in the .gov zone until the name servers are answering authoritatively.

Frequently asked questions

Who is eligible to receive a .gov domain?

Only U.S.-based government and public sector organizations are eligible to obtain a .gov domain. This includes any federal, state, local, or territorial government entity, or other publicly controlled entity. It also includes any tribal government recognized by the federal government or a state government. Eligibility is determined by the DotGov Program, which will be informed by the United States Census Bureau’s criteria for classifying governments.

How much is a .gov domain?

.gov domains are free to all U.S. based government entities.

Where do I submit my .gov authorization letter?

Email your authorization letter to registrar@dotgov.gov, or fax a copy to 540-301-0160.

Who hosts the .gov domain name?

The Domain Name System (DNS) is an internet service that translates your domain name (i.e. yourname.gov) into an IP address. This makes it possible for people to access your website by typing in the domain name instead of the website’s IP address.

This is often done through your domain registrar, like GoDaddy or NameCheap. Since DotGov is managing the top level domain, local governments need to host their own DNS. We recommend CloudFlare for this because they are best in class and have a generous free tier that many of our customers find more than sufficient.

How do I check if the .gov domain I want is available?

Search for available .gov domains at the .gov domain name registration service website.

What are prohibitive activities of a .gov domain?

Commercial purposes

A .gov domain must not be used for commercial purposes, such as advertising benefitting private individuals or entities.

Political campaigns

A .gov domain must not be used for political campaign purposes.

Illegal content

A .gov domain must not be used to distribute or promote material whose distribution violates applicable law.

Malicious cyber activity

.gov is a trusted and safe space. .gov domains must not distribute malware, host open redirects, or otherwise engage in malicious cyber activity.

How do I set up and manage my .gov domain(s)?

Visit the domain management page on the DotGov website.

How often do I need to renew my .gov domain name?

Annually. As a domain contact, you’ll receive several reminder emails. If your domain names are not kept current, they will be removed from active status.

What are the DotGov support times?

Support is available 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. eastern time on federal working days, and 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for emergencies.

Who manages the DotGov program?

The DotGov Program is managed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.

What is the official website of the DotGov program?

The official website of the DotGov program is https://dotgov.gov.

How do I contact the DotGov program?

Email registrar@dotgov.gov or call 1-877-734-4688.

Help

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