DOMAINS & DNS
Register a New .gov.uk Domain¶
Use this procedure when a council needs a brand-new .gov.uk domain that doesn't already exist.
This is a different job from bringing an existing .gov.uk domain under NetWise's management — for that, see Transfer a .gov.uk Domain to NetWise.
1. Apply to the Cabinet Office for approval¶
New .gov.uk domain names need permission from the Cabinet Office naming committee before they can be registered.
Apply on the council's behalf using the Get approval for a .gov.uk domain name service.
If approved, you'll be given an authorisation code that permits registration of the domain.
2. Register the domain through Nominet¶
Using NetWise's Nominet registrar access, register the domain using the authorisation code from the Cabinet Office.
3. Set up the domain's contact and registrant¶
Create a contact for the domain. For a council domain, use a role-based contact — for example, Clerk — rather than an individual person's name, so the record doesn't need updating when staff change.
Assign this contact as the domain's registrant.
Set NetWise's technical/billing contact to info@netwiseuk.com.
4. Continue with DNS setup¶
Once the domain is registered, follow Move a Domain to Cloudflare to add it to Cloudflare and build its DNS zone. Nameservers can then be managed through Nominet.