Government Digital Service
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The .gov.uk domain was specifically created for use by central, devolved and local UK public sector organisations. Parish councils are eligible to use the .gov.uk domain name for websites and emails.
Your first step is to get council approval to use a .gov.uk domain name. If youve already done this, you can start at step 2, Check the services you need.
1. Get council approval to buy a .gov.uk domain
Get council approval to apply for a .gov.uk domain name during one of your official meetings so that it is recorded in your minutes.
Explain the benefits of a .gov.uk domain name to your council
The benefits for parish councils include having:
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the trusted and professional .gov.uk brand that people will recognise
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increased transparency and security compared to personal email accounts
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the ability to manage email accounts by removing staff when they leave
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easy access to staff email accounts to fulfil FOI obligations
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continuous central government monitoring for potential security vulnerabilities
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better legal protection because its based in a UK jurisdiction
All permanent staff and councillors must use individual .gov.uk email accounts rather than free personal email accounts to improve professionalism, maintain transparency and to increase security within the parish council sector.
Read more on the benefits of using a .gov.uk domain.
2. Check the services you need
You will need to buy a domain, web hosting, email accounts and possibly get a new website.The costs will vary depending on the services you are buying, the size of your council and which supplier you choose. For example, the more councillors you have the more email accounts you will need to buy.
When you understand the services you need, you can plan your budget. This will help your council make a smooth and cost-effective move to a .gov.uk domain.
Use the checklist below to decide what services your parish council needs.
Service | Do you need this? | What this will provide |
.gov.uk domain | Yes | You must have a domain to have any digital services such as a website and emails. |
Email addresses | Yes | The parish clerk must have a role-based .gov.uk email. To meet your FOI and transparency obligations, you must give email addresses to each councillor and to any permanent staff. Free email accounts do not look professional and some providers will scan emails to personalise and target advertising. |
.gov.uk website | Yes | You need this as you are legally required to publish information on a website. Currently the smallest councils, known as Parish Meetings, are not legally required to have a website. |
Renewing existing domain name | Yes | Because it is an asset, you will need to continue renewing your old domain name annually. This will prevent anyone else from registering it and impersonating your organisation. Read more guidance on how to stop using your non-government domain name. |
Website hosting | Yes | You will need this to make your website available on the internet. |
Website accessibility | Yes | All public sector websites must publish an accessibility statement to meet their legal requirements. This can include details of what you know needs fixing. Read more guidance on how to make your website accessible and publish an accessibility statement. You can do a basic accessibility check to see if there are improvements needed to your current website. If you buy a new .gov.uk website, you should expect it to be fully accessible. You do not have to buy or build a fully accessible website if you can prove your council cannot afford it. This is known as a disproportionate burden. |
Moving email data | Optional | You may need this if you are moving from another domain and want to still have access to your email history. |
Transfer of your old website | Discuss with your registrar | You may want this if you have a current website you want to move from a different domain. |
Design of a new website | Discuss with your registrar | You may need this if you want to create a new site that is suitable for the .gov.uk. domain. For example, if you currently have a page on another organisations site. |
3. Understand your role as a registrant
As the clerk of the parish council you are the registrant. This role means you have control over the domain name and all related services, such as emails and the website. The supplier who registers and manages your gov.uk domain is called a registrar.
As the registrant you are accountable for:
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contacting a registrar to apply for and manage your domain name
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making sure you follow the rules for using a .gov.uk domain name
When your parish council has agreed to move to a gov.uk domain, you can start to look for a registrar to work with and send the application for you.
Email support@domains.gov.uk if you have any questions about being a registrant.
4. Choose a registrar to buy your services
Suppliers who have agreed to the criteria to provide .gov.uk domains are called Approved Registrars. There are nearly 200 .gov.uk Approved Registrars available.A number of these suppliers have experience working with parish councils and have agreed to provide extra support to help you move to or set up a .gov.uk domain. We refer to them as Parish Council Helper Service Registrars on this page.
What to expect from Parish Council Helper Service Registrars
When you choose a Parish Council Helper Service Registrar from the list on this page you can expect:
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helpful support in non-technical language
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active ongoing support including telephone, online ticket or video call support
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the safe movement of any existing services to your new domain
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help with .gov.uk email and device set up
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minimal disruption during the set up of your new domain and services
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a technical point of contact to promptly resolve problems
Your .gov.uk Approved Registrar will manage the technical aspects of the domain for you. You will have a long-term working relationship with the registrar you use, so its important you feel you are comfortable communicating with them.
The list of Parish Council Helper Service Registrars
Central government cannot recommend a particular Parish Council Helper Service Registrar. However, you can ask for recommendations and discuss pricing with other parish councils or on forums such as the Community Clerks Network Facebook page.