The U.S. government has begun the process of opening competitive bidding for the operation of the .us country-code top-level domain.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has issued a draft Request for Proposal (RFP), signaling that it plans to select a new registry operator starting next year. Interested parties have until January 8, 2026, to submit questions about the proposal.

Current Operator and Contract Status

The .us registry is currently operated by GoDaddy Registry, which inherited the contract when it acquired Neustar’s domain name business in 2020. Neustar had originally been awarded a 10-year agreement in 2019, though much of that term consisted of optional extensions.

Most recently, GoDaddy Registry signed an agreement in June 2025 extending its operation of .us through August 2027. Despite that extension, the new RFP opens the door for other qualified registry operators to compete for the contract.

Two-Phase Selection Process

NTIA plans to conduct the selection in two phases:

• Phase 1 proposals are due in February 2026

• NTIA will then notify bidders whether they are:

  • invited to proceed,

  • not invited, or

  • allowed to proceed but considered unlikely to win

• Phase 2 submissions will be due in March 2026

• NTIA expects to announce the winning bidder in April 2026

Why the Contract Matters

The .us namespace currently includes approximately 2.5 million domain names. While the U.S. government does not pay the registry operator directly, the operator generates revenue by collecting wholesale fees from registrars for each registration.

Applicants must disclose:

• proposed wholesale pricing

• any plans to offer registrar rebates

Pricing will factor into the evaluation, but it will not be the sole deciding criterion.

Contract Terms

• Base term: 3 years

• Optional extensions: Up to four additional one-year terms

• Maximum duration: 7 years

• Includes a transition period if a new operator is selected

Strict Eligibility Requirements

To qualify, bidders must:

• Be a U.S.-based company

• Have at least five years’ experience operating a top-level domain

• Have managed a TLD with at least 2 million domains under management

These requirements effectively prevent foreign registry operators from forming new U.S. subsidiaries solely to qualify.

Registrar Separation Requirement

The registry operator will be prohibited from acting as a registrar for .us domains. While GoDaddy currently offers .us registrations through its registrar business, that operation is legally separate from GoDaddy Registry.

How NTIA interprets and enforces this restriction could become a critical issue if GoDaddy chooses to compete to retain the contract.