About .us Domain Names
The .us country code top-level domain name (ccTLD) is an extension that represents the United States. For companies that conduct business in the U.S. and individuals who want to reach the large number of Internet users there, .us domain names are a good investment. Registering a .us domain name gives you regional recognition and an easy-to-manage Web presence.
Who can register .us domain names?
The U.S. Nexus Requirement ensures that only individuals or organizations that have a substantive connection to the United States can register .us domain names. To qualify for a .us domain name, you must be:
- A natural person (i) who is a citizen or permanent resident of the United States of America or any of its possessions or territories, or (ii) whose primary place of domicile is in the United States of America or any of its possessions.
or - An 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 (ii) organized or otherwise constituted under the laws of a state of the United States of America, the District of Columbia, or any of its possessions or territories.
or - An entity or organization (including a federal, state, or local government of the United States, or a political subdivision thereof) that has a bona fide presence in the United States.
Domain names can be up to 63 characters, with a minimum of three characters, and can contain letters (a to z), numbers (0 to 9), and hyphens (except at the beginning or end of the domain name). You cannot register domain names with special characters such as & and #.
Which registry controls .us domain names?
Neustar is the registry for .us domain names.
For how long can I register .us domain names?
The minimum registration length for .us domain names is 1 year and they may be registered for a maximum of 10 years.
When do .us domain names renew?
Your .us domain name renews before its expiration date. The renewal date depends on whether the domain name is auto-renewed or renewed manually. Auto-renewal is attempted on the first day of the month prior to the domain name's expiration date. If the renewal attempt fails, we re-attempt renewal on the 10th of the month and again on the 20th of the month.
If we cannot auto-renew the domain name and you do not manually renew it by the 20th of the month prior to the expiration date, it must be redeemed. There might be a fee for the redemption. See Recovering Expired Domain Names for instructions on the redemption.
For example: Your .us domain name expires on October 10. If your domain name does not renew automatically, you can renew it manually by September 20. For automatic renewals, we attempt to renew the domain name on September 1, September 10, and September 20.
Can I transfer .us domain names to my account with you?
Yes. See Transferring Domain Names to Us for details on the transfer process.
How do I transfer .us domain names from you to another registrar?
See Transferring Domain Names to Another Registrar for details on the transfer process for these domain names.
Can I add privacy and protection to .us domain names?
Neither privacy nor domain name protection is available for .us domain names.
Can I backorder .us domain names?
Yes. We support the backorder of .us domain names. For more information, see Setting up Domain Backorders.
Can I move .us domain names to another account with you?
Yes. See Moving a Domain Name Out of Your Account to start the account move process.
Can I update the contact information for .us domain names?
Yes. See Updating Your Domain Name Contact Information for details on making these changes.
Are there nameserver requirements for my .us domain names?
No. Any valid nameservers can be used with .us domain names.
Do you support DNSSEC for .us domain names?
Yes. See Managing DNSSEC for Your Domain Name for information on enabling DNSSEC for your .us domain name and About Self-Managed DNSSEC for information on the digital signature fields required for it.
