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Is .gov legit?
Legit
Is it legit?
Yes — .gov is a legitimate sponsored top-level domain, operated by Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and live in the official IANA DNS root zone. Registration is limited to eligible organizations that meet the registry's verification rules, so a .gov address is a stronger-than-average trust signal.Source: IANA root zone database, checked October 18, 2026.
Are .gov sites safe?
.gov carries an above-average safety signal because registration is vetted. As with any domain the trustworthiness ultimately comes from the individual site, not the extension — but the eligibility barrier filters out casual abuse.
Who runs .gov?
.gov is operated by Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, according to the IANA root database.
Can anyone register a .gov domain?
Only if you qualify — .gov is restricted to organizations that meet the registry's eligibility rules. Eligible applicants register through accredited registrars; a registrar search shows current availability.
Bottom line
.gov is a genuine, ICANN-recognized extension — the question of whether a specific .gov site is trustworthy comes down to the site, not the domain ending. See the full .gov page for type, operator, and where to register one.