What is .US?
.US is "America's Internet Address.” It is the official country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for the United States within the global domain name system (DNS).
What makes .US unique and why do I need it?
.US is the only means of establishing an American address on the Internet. Now, all U.S. residents, government entities, public service organizations, and businesses can establish an American identity on the Internet with a short memorable domain name. (e.g., johnsmith.us, publicservice.us, mycompany.us).
Market research has shown that .US names are very popular with consumers for applications like email, digital identity, and personal web sites. Government and public interest organizations use .US addresses to enable citizen-centric e-Gov applications and to serve the needs of the American people. Finally, businesses use .US domain names to promote themselves as American companies to inspire consumer confidence and to encourage consumers to "buy American.”
Who can register a .US domain name?
Any U.S. citizen or resident, as well as any business or organization, including federal, state, and local government with a bona fide presence in the United States can register a .US domain name.
One of the following eligibility requirements must be met:
A natural person (i) who is a citizen or permanent resident of the United States of America or any of its possessions or territories or (ii) whose primary place of domicile is in the United States of America or any of its possessions, or
Any entity or organization that is incorporated within one of the fifty (50) U.S. states, the District of Columbia, or any of the United States possessions or territories or (ii) organized or otherwise constituted under the laws of a state of the United States of America, the District of Columbia, or any of its possessions or territories, or
An entity or organization (including federal, state, or local government of the United States, or a political subdivision thereof) that has a bona fide presence in the United States. See Section B.3.1 of the NeuStar proposal to the Department of Commerce for details concerning what constitutes a "bona fide presence."
What is the price of a .US domain name?
Market-based retail prices for .US domain names are established by .US-Accredited Registrars and their resale channel partners. The pricing structure is an annual subscription fee; multi-year subscriptions are available.
Now that I have my .US domain name, how and when can I send and receive email using my new .US address?
Most retail providers of web addresses also provide email services. Your personalized .US email account can typically be (1) set up during the registration process when you register your domain name, or (2) added to your account afterward at the retailer's website.
Where can I register a second level .US domain name?
Second level domain name registrations are available through .US-accredited Registrars and their resale channel partners.
How do I transfer my .US domain name?
Domain name transfers fall in one of two categories:
Registrant Transfer or Name Change—Each Registrar has unique requirements for making changes to the registrant field of a domain name. Registrants must contact the sponsoring Registrar for information regarding Registrant Name Changes and/or Transfers. The sponsoring Registrar appears in line 3 of each domain name's WHOIS record (www.whois.us).
Registrar-to-Registrar Transfer—.US Registry rules require that a domain name be registered for a minimum of 60 days, and be in PAID status with the current sponsoring Registrar before it can be transferred to another Registrar. If your domain name meets these requirements, contact your current sponsoring Registrar and request for the <AUTHINFO> code, which the gaining Registrar needs in order to initiate the transfer process for your domain. Sponsoring Registrars can obtain this code by sending a <DOMAIN_INFO> EPP command to their Registry.
What is an <AUTHINFO> code?
An <AUTHINFO> code is a six- to 16-character "password" assigned by a sponsoring Registrar. It identifies your domain name in the Registry. No domain name transfer request can be successfully executed without this password.
Registrars are contractually required to provide this code upon registrant request. Registrants are advised to protect their <AUTHINFO> codes to avoid unauthorized transfers of domain names.
What are some of the expected changes to .US?
Since 2002, .US registrations are available at the second level (e.g., johnsmith.us, publicservice.us, mycompany.us). Formerly, names were only available in the "locality space” at the third level and lower (e.g., arlington.va.us, co.arlington.va.us, and Ems.co.arlington.va.us).
NeuStar brings operational and technical efficiencies to .US through our highly secure, highly reliable next-generation registry architecture. This industry-leading service platform will also enable innovative, value-added services within .US.
How will current Delegated Managers be affected?
Delegated Managers continue to play their role in the "locality space.” Currently, no new delegation requests are being accepted. NeuStar has requested contact information from each of the existing Delegated Managers. Delegated Managers are required to meet existing and new operational procedures designed to improve the overall operational efficiency and improve service to domain name holders within the locality domain space.
11. What happened to .US domain names that existed prior to the 2002 launch of 2nd level?
Existing .US registrants (domain name holders) within the "locality space” retain rights to their existing Internet addresses. In fact, existing domain name holders benefit from many of the operational improvements and improved security and service levels NeuStar has introduced within .US.
Who can become a .US-Accredited Registrar?
Any organization that meets the .US Accreditation criteria can be a Registrar for .US domain names. The accreditation documents are posted on the Registrars section of this web site.
What is a reserved name?
A reserved name is a name that is not available for general public registration, but rather is subject to additional rules, restrictions or processes.
Where can I see a list of reserved .US names?
In addition to the specific names contained in this reserved name file, the following categories of names are also reserved:
Why are some .US names reserved?
Names are reserved to protect important local and national naming resources to reserve spaces within .US for future enhancement of the domain and to protect technical Internet interoperability. Policy changes relative to the reserved list are subject to Department of Commerce review and approval prior to implementation.
Why does my domain name have the term "unknown contacts" in the WHOIS?
NeuStar began administering the .US top-level domain space in November 2001. Much of the data that existed prior to then was either incomplete or, in some cases, nonexistent. Therefore, when we completed the .US WHOIS to include
locality-based domains, it reflected (and continues to reflect) the incomplete data, and needs to be updated by the registrant.
How do I update/change my .US Locality Domain Name information that is reflected in the WHOIS database?
With all of the .US locality based domains now displayed in a public WHOIS, we request that you provide us with the information listed below for any contact and name server changes. This process protects your domain name data from being accessed by an unauthorized party.
If your domain is a 3rd level, and you have not already done so, you must submit a signed copy of the Delegated Manager Agreement instead of the .US Domain Registration Agreement.
Send your completed paperwork via regular mail to:
. US Locality - Registry
Customer Service
46000 Center Oak Plaza
Sterling, VA 20166
Upon receipt of your original properly endorsed documents, we will complete the requested updates and issue you a password to make future changes without having to send us the above paperwork again, unless it is for a different domain name. If you lose your password, you must submit the paperwork again for any desired changes to your domain name.
How do I modify a .US Reserved Domain Names?
Contacting Customer Support at the e-mail address that follows, which can be used in order to make modifications of .US Reserved Domain Names. Customer Support will provide a Contact and Server Change Form and the necessary process to document the changes required. .
How do I change a Permanently Reserved .US Domain Name to resolve on the Internet?
A Domain Name that has been established as a Permanent Domain Name Reservation will need to be activated through the purchase of a Lifetime Registration.
How long does it take to process my contact or nameserver change request?
If all information is filled out correctly and we have received the authorized documents, these are generally processed in 3 to 5 business days.
Which locality domains are included in the .US WHOIS?
Second-, third-, fourth-, fifth- and sometimes sixth-level domain names are included.
I have a third/fourth/fifth/sixth-level locality .US domain name, but I can't find it in the .US WHOIS. How can I correct this?
First, check in WHOIS which currently manages the parent of your domain name. You can also send us an email, along with your domain name, and we will advise on whom to contact.
Can I place the .US logo on my personal/political/noncommercial website?
Yes, provided the conditions stated in the .US Brand Identity Guidelines are sufficiently met. Contact to request a zipfile containing a variety of .US logos in different sizes; the zipfile also contains a document detailing terms and conditions for the use of the .US logo.
What is PendingDelete Status
When deleted, all domains that have been registered for more than 5 days are initially placed on PendingDelete status before being purged from the Registry database and made available for registration. The exception to this rule is domains that are deleted within the first 5 days of the initial registration. These domains will be purged immediately, and not be placed in PendingDelete status. Domains remain on PendingDelete status for a period of 35 days before being purged, unless they are "redeemed" by the registrar. This period is known as the Redemption Grace Period (RGP). See below for more information on RGP and domain redemptions.
What is the Redemption Grace Period (RGP)
The Redemption Grace Period is the 35 days following the deletion of a domain. The purpose of RGP is to allow registrars and/or registrants to correct for inadvertent deletions. During the first 30 days of the Redemption Grace Period, registrars may request the Registry to redeem a deleted domain, and thus restore it to its original disposition prior to deletion. Redemptions may NOT be performed during the final 5 days of the RGP. The whois record indicates if a domain is eligible for redemption. Domains that are eligible are marked "PendingDelete (RESTORABLE)". A domain that is "PendingDelete (SCHEDULED FOR RELEASE)" cannot be redeemed. All redemption requests must be submitted through your registrar.
How can I obtain a list of domains scheduled for release
Reports containing domains scheduled for release can be found here.