Verifying against the live site and live WHOIS/DNS…
Common questions
Is justice.gov legit or a scam?
justice.gov was registered May 14, 1998 (28 years old), per public registration records. AboutUs doesn't label sites "legit" or "a scam": this page lists the dated registration, DNS, HTTPS, mail-authentication and safety checks we could verify, each with its source, so you can decide for yourself.
Who owns justice.gov?
Nobody has completed AboutUs's owner verification for justice.gov. That's true of most sites here — it isn't itself a warning sign.
When was justice.gov registered?
justice.gov's registration dates to May 14, 1998 (28 years old), per public registration records. get.gov is the registrar on record today.
Correct a description, link or other detail. Submissions are reviewed before publication.
Registered 1998 · site is live · HTTPS valid
Department of Justice | Homepage | United States Department of Justice
The U.S. Department of Justice enforces federal law, prosecutes criminal cases, and defends the interests of the United States. It serves the American public through 6 litigating divisions, 5 law enforcement bureaus, and 94 U.S. Attorneys' Offices that handle criminal prosecution, civil litigation, and law enforcement operations nationwide.
Authority 95/100— ahead of 95% of the August 2026 scored sampleClear
Why this authority score
95 is a percentile: higher than 95% of sites we score.
How it's calculated
Prominence (Tranco rank #2,238)+10
Verified continuity: 28.5 years (RDAP registration)+11
Identity corroboration (capped)+4
Security & email hygiene+5
Calibration adjustment (published map)+19
Model score: 49/99 — what these reason lines add up to.
Published Authority (percentile): 95/100 — this site's rank against the August 2026 scored sample. Public Authority is capped at 99.
What justice.gov said about itself, 2006
Quoted from the site's AboutUs wiki page in each year it changed (1 version). These are the page's own words at the time, not AboutUs's assessment. New words · dropped words
2006
To enforce the law and defend the interests of the United States according to the law; to ensure public safety against threats foreign and domestic; to provide federal leadership in preventing and controlling crime; to seek just punishment for those guilty of unlawful behavior; and to ensure fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans.
Now
The U.S. Department of Justice enforces federal law, prosecutes criminal cases, and defends the interests of the United States. It serves the American public through 6 litigating divisions, 5 law enforcement bureaus, and 94 U.S. Attorneys' Offices that handle criminal prosecution, civil litigation, and law enforcement operations nationwide.
AboutUs summary of the current website, Sep 30, 2026.
Site history
Dated record — historical facts always carry their date; self-description below is the 2013 record.
1998
Domain registered (May 14, 1998).
2006
First tracked by AboutUs (Jun 20, 2006); profile edited 2 times through 2013.
2013
Self-description at the time:
“Justice.gov oversees all of the court proceedings within the U.S.”
✓ domain continuity 28 years registered✓ live verified Nov 2, 2026
Safety evidence
No unexpired threat-feed result; name-similarity check available (recorded about 1 days ago); 3/3 transport and email checks available (oldest recorded about 1 days ago). This is evidence coverage, not a probability that a website is safe.
No caution flags in the available scoring observations; this is not a complete safety assessment
Lifeline · justice.gov over time
Checked in the last 30 daysOlder, dated recordFrom registration records
Registered 28 years ago · on AboutUs since 2006 · 1 registrar change since Nov 22, 2023 · no registrant change on record since 2023 · last checked Nov 1, 2026.
Registration
RegisteredMay 14, 1998justice.gov was registered on May 14, 1998.Source: RDAP, fetched Oct 25, 2026
AboutUs record
AboutUs wiki pageAboutUs wiki pageJun 20, 2006 – Nov 5, 2013An AboutUs wiki page described justice.gov from Jun 20, 2006 to Nov 5, 2013 (2 edits).Source: AboutUs wiki archive, 2006–2023
Registrar
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security AgencyNov 22, 2023 – Nov 21, 2024Registrar Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency in the WHOIS and RDAP records held for justice.gov, from Nov 22, 2023 to Nov 21, 2024.Source: WHOIS / RDAP archive (who.is)get.gov
Registrant
Registrant recordsNov 22, 2023 – Jun 16, 2026Registration records for justice.gov are held from Nov 22, 2023 to Jun 16, 2026 (70 records). None shows a change of registrant. Privacy-service and redaction changes, renames of the same organization and new contacts at it are not counted.Source: WHOIS / RDAP archive (who.is); counted by registrant name and organization only
No registrant changes recorded, 2023–2026
Zone file
Nameservers: usdoj.govNov 22, 2023 – Mar 28, 2024Registration records listed usdoj.gov nameservers (ns-jdcw-01.usdoj.gov, ns-jdcw-02.usdoj.gov) for justice.gov from Nov 22, 2023 to Mar 28, 2024.Source: From registration records (WHOIS / RDAP archive, who.is)Nameservers: Cloudflare
Certificate
GeoTrust Inc.Feb 2, 2016 – Jun 22, 2018GeoTrust Inc. issued 3 certificates for justice.gov from Feb 2, 2016, the latest valid until Jun 22, 2018.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (crt.sh)EntrustEntrustFeb 9, 2016 – Apr 12, 2025
200020102020Jan ’26Oct ’26← last 12 months, drawn wider
Every dated fact on this lifeline (23)
May 14, 1998Registration: justice.gov was registered on May 14, 1998.Source: RDAP, fetched Oct 25, 2026
Jun 20, 2006 – Nov 5, 2013AboutUs record: An AboutUs wiki page described justice.gov from Jun 20, 2006 to Nov 5, 2013 (2 edits).Source: AboutUs wiki archive, 2006–2023
Jul 1, 2006AboutUs record: “To enforce the law and defend the interests of the United States according to the law; to ensure public safety against threats foreign and domestic; to provide federal leadership in preventing and controlling crime; to …”Source: AboutUs wiki archive, 2006
Feb 2, 2016 – Jun 22, 2018Certificate: GeoTrust Inc. issued 3 certificates for justice.gov from Feb 2, 2016, the latest valid until Jun 22, 2018.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (crt.sh)
Feb 9, 2016 – Apr 12, 2025Certificate: Entrust issued 12 certificates for justice.gov from Feb 9, 2016, the latest valid until Apr 12, 2025.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (crt.sh)
May 2, 2018 – Nov 2, 2026Certificate: DigiCert Inc issued 81 certificates for justice.gov from May 2, 2018, the latest valid until May 14, 2027.
Said about itself in 2006
Jul 1, 2006
“To enforce the law and defend the interests of the United States according to the law; to ensure public safety against threats foreign and domestic; to provide federal leadership in preventing and controlling crime; to …”
Source: AboutUs wiki archive, 2006
Current AboutUs recordJul 2, 2026 – Nov 1, 2026 (latest)Authority and Safety last refreshed Nov 1, 2026.Source: AboutUs checks
get.gov
Dec 21, 2024 – Oct 2, 2026 (latest)
Registrar get.gov (IANA 8888888) in the registration data recorded, first on Dec 21, 2024 and most recently on Oct 2, 2026.
Source: RDAP, fetched Oct 25, 2026
Nameservers: Cloudflare
Apr 21, 2024 – Jun 16, 2026
Registration records listed Cloudflare nameservers (jonah.ns.cloudflare.com, novalee.ns.cloudflare.com) for justice.gov from Apr 21, 2024 to Jun 16, 2026.
Source: From registration records (WHOIS / RDAP archive, who.is)
DNS moved to CloudflareApr 21, 2024justice.gov's nameservers moved from usdoj.gov to Cloudflare between Mar 28, 2024 and Apr 21, 2024. Last seen at usdoj.gov: Mar 28, 2024 (registration record). First seen at Cloudflare: Apr 21, 2024 (registration record).Source: Derived from the nameserver records on this lifeline (registration record → registration record)
Seen in the .gov zone fileJul 28, 2026 – Jul 29, 2026 (latest)First seen in the .gov zone file records AboutUs holds on Jul 28, 2026; latest sighting Jul 29, 2026.Source: ICANN CZDS zone file
Entrust issued 12 certificates for justice.gov from Feb 9, 2016, the latest valid until Apr 12, 2025.
Source: Certificate Transparency logs (crt.sh)
DigiCert IncDigiCert IncMay 2, 2018 – Nov 2, 2026DigiCert Inc issued 81 certificates for justice.gov from May 2, 2018, the latest valid until May 14, 2027.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (crt.sh + AboutUs's own certificate-log reader)
Google Trust Services LLCApr 11, 2024 – Sep 7, 2024Google Trust Services LLC issued 2 certificates for justice.gov from Apr 11, 2024, the latest valid until Sep 7, 2024.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (crt.sh)
Let's EncryptApr 12, 2024 – Feb 5, 2026Let's Encrypt issued 20 certificates for justice.gov from Apr 12, 2024, the latest valid until Feb 5, 2026.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (crt.sh)
Google Trust ServicesGoogle Trust ServicesJun 9, 2024 – Nov 2, 2026 (latest)Google Trust Services issued 41 certificates for justice.gov from Jun 9, 2024, the latest valid until Jan 25, 2027. Seen in use on Oct 4, 2026.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (crt.sh + AboutUs's own certificate-log reader); TLS check, Oct 4, 2026
CLOUDFLARESep 2, 2025 – Dec 1, 2025CLOUDFLARE issued 2 certificates for justice.gov from Sep 2, 2025, the latest valid until Dec 1, 2025.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (crt.sh)
SSL CorporationSSL CorporationNov 12, 2025 – Nov 2, 2026SSL Corporation issued 45 certificates for justice.gov from Nov 12, 2025, the latest valid until Dec 25, 2026.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (crt.sh + AboutUs's own certificate-log reader)
Entrust LimitedEntrust LimitedDec 11, 2025 – Nov 2, 2026Entrust Limited issued 2 certificates for justice.gov from Dec 11, 2025, the latest valid until Mar 5, 2027.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (AboutUs's own certificate-log reader)
CLOUDFLAREApr 2, 2026 – Jul 1, 2026CLOUDFLARE issued 7 certificates for justice.gov from Apr 2, 2026, the latest valid until Jul 1, 2026.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (crt.sh + AboutUs's own certificate-log reader)
Let's EncryptApr 14, 2026 – Nov 2, 2026Let's Encrypt issued 9 certificates for justice.gov from Apr 14, 2026, the latest valid until Dec 31, 2026.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (AboutUs's own certificate-log reader)
DigiCertOct 27, 2026 – Nov 2, 2026DigiCert issued 2 certificates for justice.gov from Oct 27, 2026, the latest valid until Apr 15, 2027.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (AboutUs's own certificate-log reader)
Source: Certificate Transparency logs (crt.sh + AboutUs's own certificate-log reader)
Nov 22, 2023 – Nov 21, 2024Registrar: Registrar Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency in the WHOIS and RDAP records held for justice.gov, from Nov 22, 2023 to Nov 21, 2024.Source: WHOIS / RDAP archive (who.is)
Nov 22, 2023 – Jun 16, 2026Registrant: Registration records for justice.gov are held from Nov 22, 2023 to Jun 16, 2026 (70 records). None shows a change of registrant. Privacy-service and redaction changes, renames of the same organization and new contacts at it are not counted.Source: WHOIS / RDAP archive (who.is); counted by registrant name and organization only
Nov 22, 2023 – Mar 28, 2024Zone file: Registration records listed usdoj.gov nameservers (ns-jdcw-01.usdoj.gov, ns-jdcw-02.usdoj.gov) for justice.gov from Nov 22, 2023 to Mar 28, 2024.Source: From registration records (WHOIS / RDAP archive, who.is)
Apr 11, 2024 – Sep 7, 2024Certificate: Google Trust Services LLC issued 2 certificates for justice.gov from Apr 11, 2024, the latest valid until Sep 7, 2024.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (crt.sh)
Apr 12, 2024 – Feb 5, 2026Certificate: Let's Encrypt issued 20 certificates for justice.gov from Apr 12, 2024, the latest valid until Feb 5, 2026.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (crt.sh)
Apr 21, 2024 – Jun 16, 2026Zone file: Registration records listed Cloudflare nameservers (jonah.ns.cloudflare.com, novalee.ns.cloudflare.com) for justice.gov from Apr 21, 2024 to Jun 16, 2026.Source: From registration records (WHOIS / RDAP archive, who.is)
Apr 21, 2024Zone file: justice.gov's nameservers moved from usdoj.gov to Cloudflare between Mar 28, 2024 and Apr 21, 2024. Last seen at usdoj.gov: Mar 28, 2024 (registration record). First seen at Cloudflare: Apr 21, 2024 (registration record).Source: Derived from the nameserver records on this lifeline (registration record → registration record)
Jun 9, 2024 – Nov 2, 2026Certificate: Google Trust Services issued 41 certificates for justice.gov from Jun 9, 2024, the latest valid until Jan 25, 2027. Seen in use on Oct 4, 2026.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (crt.sh + AboutUs's own certificate-log reader); TLS check, Oct 4, 2026
Dec 21, 2024 – Oct 2, 2026Registrar: Registrar get.gov (IANA 8888888) in the registration data recorded, first on Dec 21, 2024 and most recently on Oct 2, 2026.Source: RDAP, fetched Oct 25, 2026
Sep 2, 2025 – Dec 1, 2025Certificate: CLOUDFLARE issued 2 certificates for justice.gov from Sep 2, 2025, the latest valid until Dec 1, 2025.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (crt.sh)
Nov 12, 2025 – Nov 2, 2026Certificate: SSL Corporation issued 45 certificates for justice.gov from Nov 12, 2025, the latest valid until Dec 25, 2026.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (crt.sh + AboutUs's own certificate-log reader)
Dec 11, 2025 – Nov 2, 2026Certificate: Entrust Limited issued 2 certificates for justice.gov from Dec 11, 2025, the latest valid until Mar 5, 2027.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (AboutUs's own certificate-log reader)
Apr 2, 2026 – Jul 1, 2026Certificate: CLOUDFLARE issued 7 certificates for justice.gov from Apr 2, 2026, the latest valid until Jul 1, 2026.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (crt.sh + AboutUs's own certificate-log reader)
Apr 14, 2026 – Nov 2, 2026Certificate: Let's Encrypt issued 9 certificates for justice.gov from Apr 14, 2026, the latest valid until Dec 31, 2026.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (AboutUs's own certificate-log reader)
Jul 2, 2026 – Nov 1, 2026AboutUs record: Authority and Safety last refreshed Nov 1, 2026.Source: AboutUs checks
Jul 28, 2026 – Jul 29, 2026Zone file: First seen in the .gov zone file records AboutUs holds on Jul 28, 2026; latest sighting Jul 29, 2026.Source: ICANN CZDS zone file
Oct 27, 2026 – Nov 2, 2026Certificate: DigiCert issued 2 certificates for justice.gov from Oct 27, 2026, the latest valid until Apr 15, 2027.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (AboutUs's own certificate-log reader)