Registering .us.com & .us domains
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.us domain names
The .us top-level domain (usTLD) was established in 1985 as the official country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for the United States. It is administered by NeuStar.
The expanded second-level .us domain launched on April 24, 2002, enabling companies, nonprofits, government entities and individuals to establish unique, memorable American addresses online.
The existing .us structure is a locality-based hierarchy modeled on the geography of the United States. Most usTLD branches in the locality space are overseen by delegated managers (also known as "delegees" or "locality delegees"). This existing hierarchical design provides structure, name uniqueness and a geographic reference point for registrants. NeuStar maintains and enhances this locality-based structure even as it administers the expanded second-level .us domain.
In the past, the .us (dot.us) country-code domain was reserved mostly for Government entities. The Department of Commerce recently restructured the domain and assigned a private company to manage it. The result is that now, ordinary U.S. citizens and organizations can register domain names in front of .us.
However, .us registrants have to meet certain nexus requirements, which state that they must be U.S. citizens or be incorporated within the United States.
Example of .us sites
- www.ibm.us or example@ibm.us
- www.redcross.us or someone@redcross.us
- www.wilson.us or whatever@wilson.us
.us.com domain names
A us.com domain is a great way to reflect a US identity and still have the coveted .com domain ending. There are no restrictions or rules when registering a us.com domain. They can be used by anyone as either a web address or an email address.
Example of .us.com sites
- www.mba.us.com or example@mba.us.com
- www.college.us.com or someone@college.us.com
- www.ivoclarvivadent.us.com or whatever@ivocalrvivadent.us.com
Who can register a .us domain name
Registrants in the .us TLD must be either:
- Nexus Category 1 - A natural person (i) who is a United States citizen, (ii) a permanent resident of the United States of America or any of its possessions or territories, or (iii) whose primary place of domicile is in the United States of America or any of its possessions. Statement of citizenship or legal permanent residency - if not completed then, registration will be rejected.
- Nexus Category 2 - An United States entity or organization that is (i) incorporated within one of the fifty (50) U.S. states, the District of Columbia, or any of the United States possessions or territories or organized, or (ii) otherwise constituted under the laws of a state of the United States of America, the District of Columbia or any of its possessions or (including a federal, state, or local government of the United States, or a political subdivision thereof, and unincorporated organizations based in the United States).
- Nexus Category 3 - An entity or organization that has a bona fide presence in the United States of America or any of its possessions or territories. (i) Applicant must state country of citizenship. (ii) Check from category list, basis for compliance with Nexus requirement - regularly engages in lawful activities (sales of goods or services or other business, commercial or non-commercial including not-for-profit activities) in the United States. (iii) Maintains an office or other property within the United States.
Category 3 Nexus Certification
Prospective Registrants will certify compliance with Category 3 Nexus based upon substantial lawful contacts with, or lawful activities in, the United States. This requirement is intended to ensure that only those individuals or organizations that have a substantive lawful connection to the United States are permitted to register for usTLD domain names.
Factors that should be considered in determining whether an entity or organization has a bona fide presence in the United States shall include, without limitation, whether such prospective usTLD domain name registrant:
- Regularly performs lawful activities within the United States related to the purposes for which the entity or organization is constituted (e.g., selling goods or providing services to customers, conducting regular training activities, attending conferences), provided such activities are not conducted solely or primarily to permit it to register for a usTLD domain name and are lawful under the laws and regulations of the United States and satisfy policies for the usTLD, including policies approved and/or mandated by the DoC;
- Maintains an office or other facility in the United States for a lawful business, noncommercial, educational, or governmental purpose and not solely or primarily to permit it to register for a usTLD domain name.
- Regularly performs lawful activities within the United States related to the purposes for which the entity or organization is constituted (e.g., selling goods or providing services to customers, conducting regular training activities, attending conferences), provided such activities are not conducted solely or primarily to permit it to register for a usTLD domain name and are lawful under the laws and regulations of the United States and satisfy policies for the usTLD, including policies approved and/or mandated by the DoC;
It shall be a continuing requirement that all usTLD domain name registrants maintain the US Nexus Requirement.
To implement the Nexus requirement, NeuStar will:
- Require that Registrars certify that they enforce the nexus requirements upon their registrants and that they require that their registrants to certify that they meet the nexus requirement.
- Conduct a scan of selected registration request information to provide a "veracity check" on the information.
- Conduct "spot checks" on registrant information.
Information Collected From Registrants
To register a name, registrants, through their registrars will be required to provide basic registration information to the Registry.
The minimum required information is:
- The domain name registered;
- The IP address and corresponding names of the primary and secondary name servers for the registered name;
- The registrar name and URL or, where appropriate, the identity of the delegated manager under which the name is registered;
- The original creation date and term of the registration;
- The name and postal address of the domain name registrant;
- The name, postal address, e-mail address, voice telephone number, and (where available) fax number of the name holder for the name registered;
- The name, postal address, e-mail address, voice telephone number, and (where available) fax number of the technical contact for the name registered; and
- The name, postal address, e-mail address, voice telephone number, and (where available) fax number of the administrative contact for the name registered.
In addition to the above information, registrants will be required to provide certain additional Nexus Information to their registrar. Except where it is noted below that a registration will be denied if information is missing, failure of a registration to satisfy Nexus will result in the name being placed upon a 30-day hold during which time the registrar will be notified and given the opportunity to correct the information with the registrant.
If no action is taken by the registrar within the 30-day period, the registration will be cancelled and the name will be returned to available status. The registration fee will not be refunded. If, on the other hand, the registrar is able to demonstrate compliance with the requirement and the information is corrected, the hold will be released and the name will be registered.
- Certification that Registrant satisfies nexus requirement -- if not completed, then registration will be rejected;
- Basis for compliance (Nexus Category 1, 2, or 3) -- if not completed, then registration will be rejected;
- Certification that the listed name servers are located within the United States - if not completed, then registration will be rejected;
Dispute policy for .us domain names
You can find out more information about the dispute policy as outlined by the .us Registry in this document titled, usTLD Dispute Resolution Policy.
