Federal agencies and organizations in the US must take note: .com is no longer acceptable, while .gov and .mil are now the only approved domains for official communications, services, and information.



This new guidance from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) reinforces the importance of delivering trustworthy, secure, and recognizable interactions to visitors of government websites.

All eligible registrants, including agencies, can now obtain .gov domains at no cost as of April 2021. Furthermore, federal agencies must register, reuse, and retire domains as needed to ensure clear communication and delivery of public services. The memo from the OMB stresses that a good government domain name should be memorable, concise, and unambiguous.

This development may result in changes to current agency web addresses, as all official communications, information, and services must now use government domains. For instance, postal service website USPS.com may have to transition to USPS.gov.

As a final note, those looking to register .gov domains should visit Get.gov instead of commercial services like GoDaddy.com.

In the ongoing political dispute over the future of the Internet, the sides are divided over the issue of control. Opponents of change argue that giving up control of the Internet infrastructure would be akin to handing it over to countries such as China and Russia. They believe that an unchecked ICANN (an international organization) could lead to censorship and disruption. However, many others, including the founders of the web, believe that blocking the transfer of control carries far greater risks in the long run.

This week, before ICANN was set to receive full control, district attorneys representing four US states filed a lawsuit arguing that the root file (a directory of domain names and associated servers) is the property of the US government and that congressional approval is required for its transfer. They assert that domains such as .gov and .mil are at risk if ICANN is not fully supervised by the US.

If the US retains control functions, other countries like Russia and China may insist that DNS become subordinate to the International Telecommunications Union, which is part of the UN. In 2012, the decision was put to vote, but the US, UK, Canada, and Australia disagreed, fearing that joint ownership of the key system could lead to increased censorship. The US understood that their temporary control of the naming system on the Internet had become a diplomatic problem that needed to be resolved.

The US government does not restrict the use of .com domains for official communications. In fact, .com is one of the most widely used top-level domains (TLDs) for both government and non-government organizations in the United States. The .com TLD stands for "commercial" and was originally intended for commercial entities, but over time it has become widely adopted by a variety of organizations and individuals.

Government agencies and officials at all levels, including federal, state, and local, often use .com domains for their websites and official communications. This is because .com domains are easily recognizable and trusted by internet users, and they provide a familiar and accessible online presence. Additionally, the use of .com domains allows government entities to work alongside businesses and citizens on various platforms.

While there are certain restrictions and regulations in place for specific activities on the internet, such as national security concerns or laws regarding sensitive information, these restrictions do not specifically apply to the use of .com domains for official government communications.


For example, in some cases, government agencies may choose to use specific government-specific top-level domains (TLDs) such as .gov or .mil for their official websites and communications. These TLDs are reserved for governmental and military entities respectively, and their use indicates an official government presence.

Additionally, certain government departments or agencies may have their own policies or guidelines regarding the use of domains and websites. These policies could include specific requirements for domain names or security measures that need to be implemented.


Government entities at all levels, such as federal, state, and local agencies, have the flexibility to choose their preferred domain extension, including .com, for their websites and official communications. While some government agencies may choose to use domain extensions like .gov or .mil to indicate their official status, it is not a requirement, and they are not restricted from using .com domains.

However, it's important to note that individual government departments, agencies, or organizations may have their own internal policies or guidelines regarding domain usage. These policies can vary depending on specific security and administrative requirements.

While .gov and .mil are commonly used by government entities to indicate their official status, .com domains are widely used for various purposes, including official government communications. Many government agencies and officials use .com domains for websites, email communication, and other online platforms.

That being said, there may be situations where specific restrictions or regulations apply to certain activities conducted using .com domains, such as national security concerns or legal requirements. These restrictions are not specific to .com domains but can apply to any domain extension.

In summary, while the US government generally does not restrict the use of .com domains for official communications, individual government agencies may have their own policies or guidelines in place.