Best TLDs for Best TLDs for Government Websites
Domain extensions that signal official government authority
Recommended TLDs
1
.gov
The only TLD that definitively signals US federal and state government authority.
Strictly restricted to verified US government entities
Maximum public trust — phishing on .gov is extremely rare
Required by US federal web standards (OMB M-17-06)
Only available to US federal, state, local, and tribal governments
Administered by CISA — requires formal eligibility review
2
.us
US ccTLD for government entities and official state-related organizations.
Open to US entities including government-affiliated organizations
Recognizable US identity signal
Lower barrier than .gov
Less authoritative than .gov
Also open to commercial entities
3
.uk
UK government entities use .gov.uk — the .uk ccTLD family covers all official sites.
Supports gov.uk and .uk for different government entity types
Strong British government brand under the .gov.uk standard
Operated by Nominet with government oversight
Non-UK governments cannot use this
gov.uk is a delegated third level, not a direct .uk
4
.eu
European Union institutions and member state agencies use .eu for pan-EU projects.
Signals EU-wide scope and authority
Used by official EU institutions
Good for cross-border EU government projects
Post-Brexit UK entities lost .eu eligibility
Not for non-EU national governments
5
.org
Fallback for quasi-governmental and intergovernmental organizations.
Used by intergovernmental bodies (WHO, ICAO, UN agencies)
Trusted non-commercial signal
Global recognition
No verification — anyone can register .org
Less authoritative than country-specific gov TLDs