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    "title" : "Requirements for the registration and use of .gov domains in the federal government |Digital.gov",
    "description": "Requirements for the registration and use of .gov domains in the federal government",
    "home_page_url" : "/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/","feed_url" : "/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/resources/requirements-for-the-registration-and-use-of-gov-domains-in-the-federal-government/index.json","item" : [
    {"title" :"Requirements for the registration and use of .gov domains in the federal government","deck" : "Understand the policy framework: DOTGOV Online Trust in Government Act and OMB Memo M-23-10","summary" : "Learn how to implement the DOTGOV Online Trust in Government Act and understand how to register federal internet domain names.","date" : "2024-05-14T00:00:00Z","date_modified" : "2025-01-27T19:42:55-05:00","authors" : {"cathryn-camenzind" : "Cathryn Camenzind"},"topics" : {
        
            "domain-management" : "Domain management",
            "governance" : "Governance",
            "public-policy" : "Public policy"
            },"branch" : "bc-archive-content-3",
      "filename" :"requirements-for-the-registration-and-use-of-gov-domains-in-the-federal-government.md",
      
      "filepath" :"resources/requirements-for-the-registration-and-use-of-gov-domains-in-the-federal-government.md",
      "filepathURL" :"https://github.com/GSA/digitalgov.gov/blob/bc-archive-content-3/content/resources/requirements-for-the-registration-and-use-of-gov-domains-in-the-federal-government.md",
      "editpathURL" :"https://github.com/GSA/digitalgov.gov/edit/bc-archive-content-3/content/resources/requirements-for-the-registration-and-use-of-gov-domains-in-the-federal-government.md","slug" : "requirements-for-the-registration-and-use-of-gov-domains-in-the-federal-government","url" : "/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/resources/requirements-for-the-registration-and-use-of-gov-domains-in-the-federal-government/","weight" : "1","content" :"\u003ch2 id=\"what-is-the-dotgov-online-trust-in-government-act\"\u003eWhat is the DOTGOV Online Trust in Government Act?\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003ca href=\"https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/133\"\u003eDOTGOV Online Trust in Government Act\u003c/a\u003e, was signed into law in December 2020 as part of the 2021 Consolidated Appropriations Act.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn February 2023, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued \u003ca href=\"https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/M-23-10-DOTGOV-Act-Guidance.pdf\"\u003eM-23-10, The Registration and Use of .gov Domains in the Federal Government (PDF, 96 KB, 3 pages)\u003c/a\u003e. This memo provides guidance on the acceptable use and registration of internet domain names.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn part, this memo provides policy guidance to help executive branch agencies understand the uses of a .gov domain and how to register or renew a .gov domain. The law and policy guidance collectively establish a framework for maintaining registered domains.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"why-is-it-important\"\u003eWhy is it important?\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe U.S. federal government uses government domains to indicate official information, communications, and services. A \u003ccode\u003e.gov\u003c/code\u003e or \u003ccode\u003e.mil\u003c/code\u003e domain increases the security, trust, and accountability of a government website, while ensuring the public can easily identify official government information.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePublic \u003ca href=\"https://digital.gov/topics/trust/\"\u003etrust\u003c/a\u003e in the government websites is contingent on clear and consistent use of .gov and .mil domains. A good government domain name should be memorable for the public, concise, and clearly describe the organization or service.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFederal practitioners should also adopt consistent best practices in \u003ca href=\"https://digital.gov/topics/digital-service-delivery/\"\u003edigital service delivery\u003c/a\u003e to maintain credibility in their agencies’ websites and digital services.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"whats-in-the-law\"\u003eWhat’s in the law?\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe DOTGOV Online Trust in Government Act requires executive branch agencies to adopt a government domain name for federal websites, services, and communications. A .gov domain name is made available to:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFederal entities\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eState entities\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLocal entities\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTribal entities (federally- and state-recognized tribes)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTerritory entities\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAny other publicly-controlled entity\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt also requires the \u003ca href=\"https://www.cisa.gov/\"\u003eCybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency\u003c/a\u003e (CISA) to establish and publish the following requirements for the registration and operation of .gov internet domains:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMinimize the risk of .gov domains whose names could mislead or confuse users\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEstablish that .gov internet domains may not be used for commercial or political campaign purposes\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEnsure that domains are registered and maintained only by authorized individuals\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLimit the sharing or use of any information obtained through the administration of the .gov internet domain\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003carticle class=\"dg-ring\" aria-labelledby=\"ffb6a42c2bf1bea7e60fc02f7cf9cfe9\"\u003e\n  \u003ch2 id=\"ffb6a42c2bf1bea7e60fc02f7cf9cfe9\" class=\"dg-ring__title\"\u003ePublic Law No: 116-260\u003c/h2\u003e\n  \u003ca href=\"https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/133\"\u003eExplore DOTGOV Online Trust in Government Act, Public Law No: 116-26\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/article\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 id=\"what-does-it-mean-to-register-and-use-government-domains\"\u003eWhat does it mean to register and use government domains?\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOMB’s policy guidance in M-23-10 requires all executive branch agencies to understand the acceptable use and registration of federal internet domain names.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"the-use-of-gov-by-agencies\"\u003eThe use of .gov by agencies\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe public assumes that any federal information, services, and communications under the .gov domain are official and authoritative. To maintain this public trust, executive branch agencies are required to use a .gov or .mil domain for official communications, information, publications, delivery of services, design of online content, and development of digital products and tools.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs of April 2021, .gov domains are free of charge to all eligible organizations, including federal agencies. Agencies are required to use government domains (.gov or .mil) for all federal services and communications, continue to \u003ca href=\"https://search.gov/about/policy/govt-urls.html\"\u003ereport the use of non-.gov domains\u003c/a\u003e, and comply with \u003ca href=\"https://get.gov/domains/\"\u003eall .gov requirements\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs a best practice, consider setting up a process to continuously monitor and evaluate your pre-existing domains to ensure they are meeting operational needs and delivering trustworthy, recognizable public services.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"how-to-register-or-renew-a-gov-domain\"\u003eHow to register or renew a .gov domain\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo register or renew a .gov domain, follow the \u003ca href=\"https://get.gov/domains/\"\u003edomain name requirements\u003c/a\u003e outlined on \u003ca href=\"https://get.gov/\"\u003eGet.gov\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou should also review the \u003ca href=\"https://get.gov/domains/executive-branch-guidance/#naming-requirements-for-executive-branch-federal-agencies\"\u003enaming requirements for executive branch federal agencies\u003c/a\u003e that were issued along with M-23-10, The Registration and Use of .gov Domains in the Federal Government. All requests must be approved by your Chief Information Officer or head of agency, and include a description of how the domain will be used, its intended audience, why the domain is needed, and how the domain will conform to OMB policies and requirements.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOMB reviews executive branch agency domain requests and may contact the submitting agency with any questions during the process; they may deny a domain request or domain renewal.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFederal agencies can establish .gov domain names for any legitimate purpose and can register domains as needed to most effectively meet their mission. However, .gov domain names are a shared resource across all U.S.-based government organizations, and agencies have a responsibility to carefully consider how potential domains might impact the public and how they interact with government information and services.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003carticle class=\"dg-ring\" aria-labelledby=\"b78f4621b914495ceddb97b009056920\"\u003e\n  \u003ch2 id=\"b78f4621b914495ceddb97b009056920\" class=\"dg-ring__title\"\u003eOMB Memo M-23-10\u003c/h2\u003e\n  \u003ca href=\"https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/M-23-10-DOTGOV-Act-Guidance.pdf\"\u003eExplore OMB Memo M-23-10, The Registration and Use of .gov Domains in the Federal Government (PDF, 98 KB, 3 pages)\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/article\u003e\n\n\n\n\n\u003carticle\n  class=\"dg-note \"\n\u003e\n  \u003ch4 class=\"dg-note__heading\"\u003e\n    \u003csvg\n      class=\"dg-note__icon usa-icon dg-icon dg-icon--large\"\n      aria-hidden=\"true\"\n      focusable=\"false\"\n    \u003e\n      \u003cuse xlink:href=\"/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/uswds/img/sprite.svg#notifications\"\u003e\u003c/use\u003e\n    \u003c/svg\u003e\n    \n      Note\n    \n  \u003c/h4\u003e\n  \u003cp\u003eDigital.gov provides information and resources for federal agencies related to web and digital policies. However, we cannot interpret the statutes or specific requirements.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eContact OMB’s Office of the Federal CIO at \u003ca href=\"mailto:ofcio@omb.eop.gov\"\u003eofcio@omb.eop.gov\u003c/a\u003e with any questions about interpretations of the law and guidance, which collectively establish a framework and the requirements for a digital-first public experience.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003c/article\u003e\n\n"}
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