When should you choose a .CITY domain?
A .CITY domain reinforces your local roots and makes it easier to connect with your community. It strengthens your regional credibility, improves name recall, and helps residents or visitors quickly identify your services.
This clear geographic identity builds trust and encourages engagement at the local level.
Municipal services
Ideal for cities and public organizations sharing information, news, services, and administrative resources.
Tourism and events
Perfect for promoting attractions, festivals, businesses, and local activities for visitors.
Local businesses
Great for shops, directories, or platforms featuring services and resources within a specific urban community.
The information below outlines the main technical characteristics of the .CITY domain, based on registry rules and international DNS standards.
Technical characteristics of the .CITY domain
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| TLD name | .CITY |
| TLD type | Generic top-level domain (gTLD) |
| Registry | Identity Digital |
| Registration period | 1 to 10 years |
| Grace period | 35 days |
| Redemption period | 30 days |
| Allowed name servers | 1 to 13 |
| IDN support | Yes (Internationalized Domain Names) |
| Domain transfer | Authorization code required; 5-day transfer period |
| Root server updates | Real-time |
Register your .CITY now
Rules and conditions for registering a .CITY domain
The .CITY domain is operated by the registry Identity Digital (formerly Donuts). As such, its registration is subject to certain international compliance rules, including enhanced validations related to government sanctions and the management of reserved domain names.
Extended validation based on the OFAC list (U.S. sanctions)
The registry applies enhanced validation based on the OFAC (Office of Foreign Assets Control) sanctions list issued by the United States government.
How does this validation work? During registration (or contact creation), the system checks:
- the country
- the state / province (when this field is provided)
If the country + state/province combination matches a region listed under OFAC sanctions, the operation is automatically rejected.
The registry is not permitted to provide services to individuals or entities located in territories subject to U.S. government sanctions.
Reserved domains and the Allocation Token system
Some .CITY domain names may be temporarily reserved by the registry (e.g., pioneer programs, direct sales, strategic partnerships).
In these cases:
- the domain remains in a reserved status
- the final registrant cannot register it immediately through a standard registrar
Solution: Allocation Token
The registry has implemented a feature called an Allocation Token:
- Donuts / Identity Digital generates a unique allocation token
- this token is provided to the future registrant
- during registration, the token allows the user to:
- bypass the reserved status
- complete the domain registration with the registrar of their choice
Without this token, registering a reserved domain is not possible—even if the domain name appears to exist technically.
General eligibility
Subject to the rules outlined above:
- the .CITY domain is open to everyone
- there are no requirements regarding:
- residency
- official academic status
- institutional accreditation
It can be registered by:
- individuals
- businesses
- training centres
- organizations
- educational platforms
- anywhere in the world, excluding sanctioned regions.
Registry refusal or deletion rights
The registry reserves the right to:
- refuse a registration
- block the creation of a contact
- or delete an existing domain
if the information provided:
- violates OFAC rules
- circumvents geographic restrictions
- or breaches registry policies
These actions may be taken without a grace period, in accordance with international legal obligations.
Start your online project with a hosting provider that listens and protects.