.gop

Overview

• .gop is a brand generic top-level domain (gTLD) created through ICANN's New gTLD Program.
• The string references GOP, an acronym for 'Grand Old Party', a common name for the Republican Party in the United States.
• The applicant and registry operator is Republican State Leadership Committee, Inc.; the registry entry on ICANNWiki lists Minds + Machines as the registry/back-end provider.

History

• The .gop application was submitted as part of ICANN's New gTLD Program and successfully passed the evaluation processes.
• A Registry Agreement from ICANN was signed on 16 January 2014 by Republican State Leadership Committee, Inc.
• .gop was delegated to the DNS root zone on 4 April 2014, completing its delegation and making the string active in the DNS.

Usage and Audience

• Intended for entities and individuals who identify with or wish to associate themselves with the GOP for business, political, or personal reasons.
• Target audience includes political organizations, candidates, advocacy groups, businesses, charities, and supporters who want an explicit association with the Republican Party brand.
• The application emphasizes broad availability rather than limiting registrations to formal members of specific organizations, to encourage wide lawful use.

Registration Rules

• The registry chose not to impose highly restrictive eligibility rules (for example, membership in a specific organization) so as to allow broad lawful use by registrants who wish to associate with the GOP.
• Registrants must comply with ICANN policies, applicable laws, and the .GOP Registration Agreement.
• The registry maintains a Privacy & Whois Policy and will comply with applicable Whois and privacy rules; the back-end provider is required to use industry-standard procedures to protect registrant data.
• Noncompliance with applicable laws or registration terms may result in suspension or loss of the .gop domain name and potential legal action.

SEO and Brand Impact

• The .gop TLD is explicitly positioned as a branded namespace to signal affiliation with the Republican Party; application materials emphasize alignment with the GOP brand and mission.
• The registry's stated policies focus on protecting trademarks and third-party rights, preventing abuse, promoting transparent and non-discriminatory registration practices, and fostering registrar competition and DNS security—all measures intended to support trust and brand integrity for .gop domains.

% IANA WHOIS server
% for more information on IANA, visit http://www.iana.org
% This query returned 1 object

domain:       GOP

organisation: Republican State Leadership Committee, Inc.
address:      1201 F Street NW, Suite 675
address:      Washington DC 20004
address:      United States of America (the)

contact:      administrative
name:         CFO
organisation: Republican State Leadership Committee, Inc.
address:      1201 F Street NW, Suite 675
address:      Washington DC 20004
address:      United States of America (the)
phone:        +1 (202) 448-5162
e-mail:       jwilliams@rslc.gop

contact:      technical
name:         TLD Registry Services Technical
organisation: Nominet
address:      Minerva House
address:      Edmund Halley Road
address:      Oxford Science Park
address:      Oxford OX4 4DQ
address:      United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the)
phone:        +44.1865332211
e-mail:       registrytechnical@nominet.uk

nserver:      DNS1.NIC.GOP 213.248.219.39 2a01:618:403:0:0:0:0:39
nserver:      DNS2.NIC.GOP 103.49.83.39 2401:fd80:403:0:0:0:0:39
nserver:      DNS3.NIC.GOP 213.248.223.39 2a01:618:407:0:0:0:0:39
nserver:      DNS4.NIC.GOP 2401:fd80:407:0:0:0:0:39 43.230.51.39
nserver:      DNSA.NIC.GOP 156.154.100.3 2001:502:ad09:0:0:0:0:3
nserver:      DNSB.NIC.GOP 156.154.101.3 2001:502:2eda:0:0:0:0:3
nserver:      DNSC.NIC.GOP 156.154.102.3 2610:a1:1009:0:0:0:0:3
nserver:      DNSD.NIC.GOP 156.154.103.3 2610:a1:1010:0:0:0:0:3
ds-rdata:     31562 8 2 13454be0988354ae5cf482cc912c8d377e0d72abadd4a7c55e6dfc923e26868f

whois:        whois.nic.gop

status:       ACTIVE
remarks:      Registration information: http://join.gop

created:      2014-03-06
changed:      2024-01-22
source:       IANA