Email to .gov domain registrants on Sept. 6, 2023

Hello from .gov. We're emailing to notify you about changes coming to the .gov registrar that will affect your account.

What's happening?

We built a new way to request and manage .gov domains – a new .gov registrar. We'll retire our current platform in late fall 2023. The new registrar will be the foundation for the services we'll offer in the coming years.

To access the new registrar, you'll need a Login.gov account that is linked to the same email address you're using in our current registrar. In preparation, we ask that you set up that account now.

Login.gov provides a simple and secure process for signing into many government services with one account. It also lets you choose from several multi-factor authentication options, including phishing-resistant choices like security keys or the U.S. government’s PIV (personal identity verification) cards or CACs (common access cards).

What do I need to do?

1. First, check which email address you use in the current registrar. Log in at https://domains.dotgov.gov and click "Account" in the side navigation. If you need to update this address, please contact us.

2. Next, create a Login.gov account. Verify your identity to confirm you're you and not someone pretending to be you. Once you have your Login.gov account, you're all set. We'll email you when you can access the new registrar. (If you need assistance setting up your account, review https://login.gov/help/.)

If you don't take these actions before early November, you will lose the ability to make changes to your domain's nameservers. However, your DNS will remain unchanged and will still resolve online.

What other changes impact my organization?

• Our contact details are changing. We'll begin using [email protected] for email correspondence and will end phone support in November. You can still contact us by phone until then.

• We will pause new domain requests while we transition to the new system. We anticipate this will last from October 2023 until January 2024.

• Future domain name requests will not require a physical signature. Our new request process is fully digital, so your ranking official won't need to sign a letter any longer.

• Expiration dates will be automatically extended on all domains by one year. There's no action needed on your part.

• You will be responsible for certificate authorization. Organizations that wish to use Organization Validated or Extended Validation certificates will need a public security contact in Whois for your domain, which can be set at our registrar.

Changing for better

We’re building a better way to get and manage a .gov domain. We’ve also shared other changes happening to the .gov infrastructure in a blog on get.gov.

We’ll work to make these changes as easy as we can for the .gov community, and we welcome your feedback.

- The .gov team