.us

Country:	USA
Manager:	Registry Services, LLC
Date Implemented:	1985
Type:	ccTLD
More information:

.us is the ccTLD for the United States of America (USA). It is managed by Registry Services, LLC. Registry Services, LLC manages the .us domain name on behalf of the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC).

History

.us was first established in 1985. Second level domains under .us did not become available for registration until April 2002.

Jon Postel was one of the original administrators for .us. who at that time also served as head of the Internet Assigned Numbers and Authority (IANA). Postel delegated the management of localities within the .us TLD hierarchy to individuals, organizations, and State governments. The operational guidelines drafted by the original administrators of the .us TLD states that the delegated managers are "trustees for the delegated domain and have a duty to serve the community. The designated [delegated] manager is the trustee of the domain for the domain itself and the global Internet community. Concerns about 'rights' and 'ownership' of domains are inappropriate. It is appropriate to be concerned about 'responsibilities" and 'service' to the community." The delegated managers worked voluntarily without pay as they perform registry or registration operations.

In 2001, the US Department of Commerce, through the National Telecommunication and Information Administration (NTIA), awarded Neustar to serve as the administrator of the .us TLD with the objective to further develop and expand the operation of the United States' domain name. Neustar's contract was renewed on October 25, 2007. and then again in 2014 and 2019.

In 2020, Neustar was acquired by GoDaddy.

Rules and Restrictions

A domain name under .us can be registered by any individual, business (big or small), blog, or organization that is a citizen of, or licensed in, the USA including federal, state and local governments. In addition, a .us domain name may be registered by foreign entities that have a bona fide interest or presence in the United States.

By registering a name in the .us TLD, the applicant must warrant that the registration will not be used for any illegal purposes, including without limitation, to:

• distributing malware or engaging in malicious hacking, bot-netting, phishing, pharming, fast flux hosting, fraudulent or deceptive practices;
• use, promote, encourage the promotion of, or distribute child abuse images or engage in the exploitation of minors in any way;
• sell or distribute pharmaceuticals;
• infringe the intellectual property rights of any other person or entity including, without limitation, counterfeiting piracy or trademark or copyright infringement;
• digitally impersonating any person or entity, or submit of information on behalf of any other person or entity, without their express prior written consent;
• violate the privacy or publicity rights of any other person or entity;
• promote or engage in any spam or other unsolicited bulk email;
• distribute software viruses or any other computer code, files or programs designed to interrupt, destroy, or limit the functionality of any computer software, hardware, or telecommunications equipment or computer or network hacking or cracking;
• interfere with the operation of the .us TLD or services offered by the .us TLD; or
• otherwise engage in activity that is contrary to U.S. law or .us TLD Policies.

Locality-based Domains

Registrations based on locality reflect the oldest part of the .us TLD domain namespace. These registrations represent the political geography of the United States based on two-letter state abbreviations and divided further into localities, including cities, counties, parishes, townships, or local names (e.g. Alexandria.va.us). In addition to geographical locality names, the .us TLD locality space also includes certain affinity names, for example, STATE, FED, K12, LIB, and NSN (Native Sovereign Nation). Locality and affinity names collectively compose the "Locality namespace."

The administration of the .us TLD Locality namespace is managed by entities and/or individuals called Delegated Managers. Delegated Managers follow comprehensive technical and service requirements. Individually, and as a group, Delegated Managers play a valuable role in the management of the .us TLD Locality namespace. Delegated Managers work directly with the .us TLD Administrator to maintain their .us TLD Locality delegation(s). In order to ensure common and widespread best practices among Delegated Managers for the benefit of the Locality space users, the .us TLD Delegated Manager Agreement sets forth the relative rights and responsibilities of Registry Services, as the .us TLD Administrator, and each Delegated Manager. For existing Delegated Managers, an executed .us TLD Delegated Manager agreement is required to continue delegation management services. The .us TLD Administrator currently serves as Registry, Registrar, and Delegated Manager for all undelegated third-level locality domains (i.e. all third-level locality domains that do not have an assigned Delegated Manager) and their child domains (fourth/fifth/sixth level domains).

Dispute Resolution Policy

Complaints under the policy may be submitted to any approved dispute-resolution service provider, which are currently the American Arbitration Association (AAA) and the National Arbitration Forum (NAF).

Country code top-level domain

Top-Level Domain