Setting up a free *.city.state.us locality domain
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在美国，可以根据所在地免费注册地区性域名，例如 `somename.city.state.us` 。这些域名自 1992 年起存在，并由政府合同维护。要注册，你必须是美国公民或永久居民、在美国注册的组织，或在美国有实际存在的实体。整个流程有若干步骤，首先要选定想要的地区域名。
许多地区性域名已被委托给具体公司负责注册。虽然有一份 2009 年的注册商联系方式列表，但其中一些公司后来可能更名或重组。如果你的地区不在该列表上，你可能可以在 `gen.your-state.us` 下注册，适用于一般独立实体。但如果某个地区根本未被委托，你大概率无法注册，因为未被委托域名的管理者 NeuStar 基于长期政府政策，只允许地方政府机构注册这类域名。
在注册前需要设置名称服务器，这一点比较特别，因为大多数域名注册商会自动提供名称服务器。 Amazon Lightsail 为非顶级域名提供免费的名称服务器。你只需创建一个 AWS 账户，进入 Lightsail 控制台，为目标域名建立一个 DNS 区域，就能获得注册表单所需的名称服务器地址。
注册使用的表单名为 Interim .US Domain Template v2.0，需要填写完整域名、个人或组织信息、预期用途说明以及名称服务器信息。名称服务器的 IP 地址可用在线 DNS 查询工具或 dig 命令获取。表单中还包含 US Nexus 要求，用以验证你的资格（如公民或居住身份等）。
填好表单后，将其通过电子邮件发给对应地区域名的注册商。处理并非自动化，可能需要数天到数周时间。一旦获批，你会收到确认，然后可以回到 Lightsail 配置 DNS 记录，把域名指向你想要的服务器，无论是网站托管、游戏服务器还是其他用途。作者使用 GitHub Pages 做免费网站托管，但任何托管服务在正确配置 DNS 后都可用。
FAQ 部分回答了关于地区性域名的常见问题：你不一定要居住在域名所代表的地区；WHOIS 查询不会泄露你的个人地址，通常只显示注册商信息。文章最后感谢了那些帮助作者完成这一流程的指南，也正是它们促使作者写出这篇更详细的说明，供有兴趣注册地区性域名的人参考。
In the United States, it's possible to register a free domain name based on your location, such as `somename.city.state.us`. These locality domains have existed since 1992 and are maintained under government contract. To register one, you need to be a US citizen or permanent resident, a US-incorporated organization, or an entity with a bona fide presence in the US. The process involves several steps, starting with choosing your desired locality domain.
Many locality domains have been delegated to specific companies that handle registration. A list from 2009 provides contact information for these registrars, though some companies may have changed names or restructured since then. If your locality isn't on the list, you might be able to register under `gen.your-state.us` for general independent entities. However, if registration hasn't been delegated at all, you're likely out of luck, as NeuStar, the manager of undelegated domains, only allows local government agencies to register them due to longstanding government policy.
Before registering, you need to set up nameservers, which is unusual since most domain registrars provide these automatically. Amazon Lightsail offers free nameservers for non-top-level domains. You create an AWS account, navigate to the Lightsail console, and set up a DNS zone for your intended domain. This gives you the nameserver addresses required for the registration form.
The registration form, called the Interim .US Domain Template v2.0, requires several pieces of information. You'll provide your full domain name, personal or organizational details, a description of your intended use, and your nameserver information. For the nameserver IP addresses, you can use online DNS lookup tools or the `dig` command. The form also includes US Nexus requirements to verify your eligibility based on citizenship or residency status.
After completing the form, you send it to the registrar for your locality domain via email. Processing can take days or weeks since it's not automated. Once approved, you'll receive confirmation and can return to Lightsail to configure your DNS records, pointing your domain to whatever server you want, whether for web hosting, gaming servers, or other purposes. The author uses GitHub Pages for free web hosting, but any hosting service will work with proper DNS configuration.
The FAQ section addresses common questions about locality domains. You don't necessarily need to live in the area your domain represents, and WHOIS requests won't leak your personal address, only showing registrar information instead. The article concludes with thanks to other guides that helped the author navigate this process, which inspired them to create a more detailed explanation for others interested in registering their own locality domains.
222 comments • Comments Link
• localitymanagement.us 上的一个新的在线注册系统取代了原先基于电子邮件的流程，用于注册 locality 域名（如 city.state.us），这可能会让获取这些域名变得更容易。
• locality 域名生态系统非常脆弱，许多域名由个人或小型运营者维护，他们可能去世或停止运营；除非市政府提供公证信以转移控制权，否则存在域名丢失的风险。
• .us 域名通常不允许 WHOIS 隐私保护，会暴露注册人的个人信息，但 locality 子域在 WHOIS 中可能只显示注册商信息，因而存在例外情况。
• Optery 和 Incogni 等服务可以帮助将个人数据从公共数据库中删除；尽管 .us 缺乏 WHOIS 隐私保护，这类服务仍能在一定程度上提供隐私保障。
• 学区域名（例如 k12.oh.us）在逻辑上合理，但因结构复杂而不受欢迎，许多学区更倾向于使用 .com 或 .org，以获得更好的可用性和品牌效果。
• locality 域名在可用性方面面临挑战，非技术用户往往难以处理多部分的域名结构，通常更喜欢更短、更易记的替代方案。
• 仍有一些 locality 域名在使用中，例如 mission.sf.ca.us 重定向到 Noisebridge，表明这些域名对某些社区仍有持久价值。
• locality 域名的委托体系可能不一致，一些子域因为记录过时或随时间变化而不再正确解析。
• 美国地理上的特殊情况（例如 Virginia 的独立城市或跨县重复的城市名称）使 locality 域名的结构和命名规则变得复杂。
• 这篇文章重新激发了人们对 locality 域名的兴趣，但其实际使用仍受官僚障碍和更熟悉的顶级域（如 .com 和 .org）主导地位的制约。
讨论综合了对 .us TLD 中 locality 域名的怀旧情绪、技术见解和现实担忧。尽管这些域名提供了一种结构化且具有地理意义的命名系统，但采纳受制于官僚复杂性、可用性问题以及缺乏 WHOIS 隐私保护。许多参与者分享了管理或丢失 locality 域名的亲身经历，凸显出通常由个人或小运营者维护的系统的脆弱性。对话还涉及数字隐私、公共服务中品牌的重要性以及美国行政地理的种种怪异之处。尽管 locality 域名的流行度下降，但对于重视本地身份和互联网历史基础设施的人们来说，它们仍保持着小众吸引力。 • A new online registration system at localitymanagement.us has replaced the old email-based process for registering locality domains (like city.state.us), potentially making it easier to obtain these domains.
• The locality domain ecosystem is fragile, with some domains managed by individuals or small operators who may pass away or shut down, risking domain loss unless cities provide notarized letters to transfer control.
• .us domains generally do not allow WHOIS privacy, exposing registrants' personal information, though locality subdomains may be an exception since WHOIS only shows registrar details.
• Services like Optery and Incogni can help remove personal data from public databases, offering some privacy protection despite the lack of WHOIS privacy for .us domains.
• School district domains (e.g., k12.oh.us) were logical but unpopular due to complexity, leading many districts to switch to simpler .com or .org domains for better usability and branding.
• Locality domains face usability challenges, as non-technical users struggle with multi-part domain structures, often preferring shorter, more memorable alternatives.
• Some locality domains are still active and in use, such as mission.sf.ca.us redirecting to Noisebridge, showing enduring value for certain communities.
• The delegation system for locality domains can be inconsistent, with some subdomains no longer resolving accurately due to outdated records or changes over time.
• Edge cases in U.S. geography, like independent cities in Virginia or duplicate city names across counties, complicate the locality domain structure and naming conventions.
• The article has sparked renewed interest in locality domains, though their practical use remains limited by bureaucratic hurdles and the dominance of more familiar TLDs like .com or .org.
The discussion reveals a mix of nostalgia, technical insight, and practical concerns around locality domains in the .us TLD. While these domains offer a structured, geographically meaningful naming system, their adoption has been hampered by bureaucratic complexity, usability issues, and the lack of WHOIS privacy. Many participants shared personal experiences managing or losing locality domains, highlighting the fragility of a system often maintained by individuals or small operators. The conversation also touched on broader themes like digital privacy, the importance of branding in public services, and the quirks of U.S. administrative geography. Despite their decline in popularity, locality domains retain a niche appeal for those valuing local identity and historical internet infrastructure.