Why do I have to get a waiver to use a .COM, .NET, .ORG, .TV, .BIZ, etc. for our Web Site?

Answer:

Many websites exist that resemble government websites or that appear to provide "official" government information. They can mislead the public into believing and acting on erroneous information.

Visitors looking for official government information must be confident that is what they are getting. The federal government must ensure that public websites are clearly branded. The .mil, .gov, and fed.us domains are restricted to government agencies. Using domains that are exclusive to the government is one way to communicate to citizens that federal public websites are legitimate. Using these exclusive domains also ensures that the FirstGov search engine will find all official federal websites and that the FirstGov directory of federal public websites will list them.

OMB Policies for Federal Public Websites, require agencies  (under Section 6A) to "use only .gov, .mil, or Fed.us domains unless the agency head explicitly determines another domain is necessary for the proper performance of an agency function." By using domains that are exclusive to the government, you assure the public that these are official government websites and that a government agency is accountable for the website's content.

In compliance with OMB requirements, a revised Domain Name Policy was issued July 13, 2005, and is available at: http://www.hhs.gov/policies/webpolicies/200501.html

Last Updated: 5/1/2008