.gov (US), .gov.uk (UK), .gc.ca (Canada) - restricted TLDs requiring government authorization. Public trust in .gov domains: 89% vs .com (34%) for government information.
.gov.uk Eligibility
UK central government, devolved administrations, local authorities can register. Requirements: Government entity verification, approval process (3-6 weeks), ongoing compliance monitoring. Not available to: Contractors, NGOs, quasi-government.
Public Sector Naming Standards
Format: agency-name.gov.uk, department-name.gov.uk. Avoid: Acronyms in domain (hard for public), creative spellings (damages trust). Clear, descriptive naming = accessibility compliance.
Security Requirements
Government domains require: HTTPS (mandatory), HSTS preloading, regular security audits, DNSSEC, DMARC email authentication. Higher standards than commercial sites due to phishing risk.
Trademark Lens is private sector tool - government entities follow official .gov.uk registration process through Cabinet Office Digital Service.