How to register a gov.it domain name

• a gov.it domain name can only be made up of letters from ‘a’ to ‘z’, numbers from 0 to 9 and the symbol ‘-‘ (dash). It can neither start and end with the ‘-‘ symbol (dash), nor start with the ‘xn—' character sequence
• a domain directly registered under the gov.it SLD can be made up of a minimum of 3 characters up to a maximum of 63 for each part of the domain name, and its total length cannot exceed 255 characters
• gov.it name can contain letters with accents as well as non-Latin scripts (in technical jargon, this type of names is defined as Internationalized Domain Names – IDN)
• it is not possible to book a gov.it domain name

It is not possible to register all gov.it domain names freely.

In addition to the reserved domain names in the .it, as referred to in Article 3.4.2 ‘Domain names corresponding to Italy’ and to Appendix D of the ‘Regulation for the assignment and management of domain names in the ccTLD .it’ , the following domain names are considered reserved and may only be given to Italian institutional bodies:

• amministrazione.gov.it
• amministrazioni.gov.it
• cooperazione.gov.it
• dipartimento.gov.it
• dipartimenti.gov.it
• dominio.gov.it
• ente.gov.it
• enti.gov.it
• gestore.gov.it
• ministero.gov.it
• ministeri.gov.it
• pec.gov.it
• postaelettronicacertificata.gov.it
• pubblicaamministrazione.gov.it
• pubblicamministrazione.gov.it
• pubblicheamministrazioni.gov.it
• amministrazionepubblica.gov.it
• amministrazionipubbliche.gov.it
• registrazione.gov.it
• registro.gov.it
• servizi.gov.it
• sistemapubblicoconnettivita.gov.it
• sistemapubblicoconnettività.gov.it
• sistemapubblicodiconnettivita.gov.it
• sistemapubblicodiconnettività.gov.it
• spc.gov.it

The assignment of a gov.it domain can lead to disputes between one or more subjects claiming their right to it. The Registro .it will not take part in the dispute resolution procedure, but it makes a specific tool available to users: i.e., the opposition procedure.

If an opposition procedure starts, the domain is not assigned until the dispute is settled. Moreover, this procedure makes it possible for the party that initiated it to exercise the pre-emption right on any new assignment.

To start an opposition procedure, it is necessary to send a written request to the Registro containing the sender’s personal details, the domain name being disputed, the reasons and the rights that were supposedly infringed.

Indicative models are made available to users in order to make it easier for users to fill in the request:

• Filing of oppositions (subjects other than natural persons)  

Oppositions shall be renewed, by means of a registered letter, every 180 days, unless proceedings, arbitrations or reassignment procedures are underway:

•  Renewal of oppositions (subjects other than natural persons)  

The request for renewal may not be carried out more than twice.

Starting an opposition will not automatically result in obtaining the domain which is already registered by another subject. Instead, it provides for the intervention of judges in order to settle the dispute.

The Registro .it policy on the disclosure of data complies with the technical standards set by international bodies for the Internet industry, the Italian and European data protection regulation as well as practices adopted by other Registries.

Download the document: ‘Registro .it policy on Whois format’ (pdf).