Verifying against the live site and live WHOIS/DNS…
Common questions
Is usa.gov legit or a scam?
usa.gov was registered Aug 18, 1999 (27 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 usa.gov?
Nobody has completed AboutUs's owner verification for usa.gov. That's true of most sites here — it isn't itself a warning sign.
When was usa.gov registered?
usa.gov's registration dates to Aug 18, 1999 (27 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 1999 · site is live · HTTPS valid
Making government services easier to find | USAGov
USA.gov is the official U.S. government portal that helps the public locate and understand federal benefits, services, agencies, and information. It covers voting, passports, Social Security, taxes, housing assistance, disability services, and dozens of other government programs. The site is maintained by the General Services Administration.
Authority 87/100— ahead of 87% of the August 2026 scored sampleClear
Why this authority score
87 is a percentile: higher than 87% of sites we score.
How it's calculated
Prominence (Tranco rank #2,962)+10
Verified continuity: 27.2 years (RDAP registration)+11
Security & email hygiene+4
Calibration adjustment (published map)+19
Model score: 44/99 — what these reason lines add up to.
Published Authority (percentile): 87/100 — this site's rank against the August 2026 scored sample. Public Authority is capped at 99.
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.
What usa.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
Skip to Main Content Skip to Government Search Skip to Bottom Nav Skip to Top Nav Bar-Right Aligned Skip to By Organization Skip to Contact Your Government Skip to Top Nav bar Skip to Reference Center Skip to FREE Subscribe Now
Now
USA.gov is the official U.S. government portal that helps the public locate and understand federal benefits, services, agencies, and information. It covers voting, passports, Social Security, taxes, housing assistance, disability services, and dozens of other government programs. The site is maintained by the General Services Administration.
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.
1999
Domain registered (Aug 18, 1999).
2006
First tracked by AboutUs (Jun 21, 2006); profile edited 14 times through 2013.
2013
Self-description at the time:
“USA.gov is the A-Z government Index of America's 50 states”
✓ domain continuity 27 years registered✓ live verified Oct 26, 2026
No caution flags in the available scoring observations; this is not a complete safety assessment
Lifeline · usa.gov over time
Checked in the last 30 daysOlder, dated recordFrom registration records
Registered 27 years ago · on AboutUs since 2006 · 1 registrar change since Nov 17, 2023 · no ownership change on record since 2023 · last checked Oct 25, 2026.
Registration
RegisteredAug 18, 1999usa.gov was registered on Aug 18, 1999.Source: RDAP, fetched Oct 25, 2026
AboutUs record
AboutUs wiki pageAboutUs wiki pageJun 21, 2006 – Nov 7, 2013An AboutUs wiki page described usa.gov from Jun 21, 2006 to Nov 7, 2013 (14 edits).Source: AboutUs wiki archive, 2006–2023
Registrar
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security AgencyNov 17, 2023 – Nov 20, 2024Registrar Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency in the WHOIS and RDAP records held for usa.gov, from Nov 17, 2023 to Nov 20, 2024.Source: WHOIS / RDAP archive (who.is)get.gov
Ownership
Ownership recordsNov 17, 2023 – Jun 12, 2026Registration records for usa.gov are held from Nov 17, 2023 to Jun 12, 2026 (165 records). None shows a change of registrant. Privacy-service and redaction changes are not counted.Source: WHOIS / RDAP archive (who.is); counted by registrant name and organization only
No ownership changes recorded, 2023–2026
Zone file
Nameservers: gsa.govNameservers: gsa.govNov 17, 2023 – Jun 12, 2026Registration records listed gsa.gov nameservers (dns.gsa.gov, dns2.gsa.gov, dns3.gsa.gov…) for usa.gov from Nov 17, 2023 to Jun 12, 2026.Source: From registration records (WHOIS / RDAP archive, who.is)
Certificate
No certificate records held, Dec 2021 – Dec 2025GoDaddy.comGoDaddy.comOct 26, 2009 – Oct 26, 2020GoDaddy.com issued 4 certificates for usa.gov from Oct 26, 2009, the latest valid until Oct 26, 2020.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (crt.sh)
200020102020Jan ’26Oct ’26← last 12 months, drawn wider
Every dated fact on this lifeline (17)
Aug 18, 1999Registration: usa.gov was registered on Aug 18, 1999.Source: RDAP, fetched Oct 25, 2026
Jun 21, 2006 – Nov 7, 2013AboutUs record: An AboutUs wiki page described usa.gov from Jun 21, 2006 to Nov 7, 2013 (14 edits).Source: AboutUs wiki archive, 2006–2023
Jul 1, 2006AboutUs record: “Skip to Main Content Skip to Government Search Skip to Bottom Nav Skip to Top Nav Bar-Right Aligned Skip to By Organization Skip to Contact Your Government Skip to Top Nav bar Skip to Reference Center Skip to FREE Subsc…”Source: AboutUs wiki archive, 2006
Oct 26, 2009 – Oct 26, 2020Certificate: GoDaddy.com issued 4 certificates for usa.gov from Oct 26, 2009, the latest valid until Oct 26, 2020.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (crt.sh)
Aug 1, 2013 – Aug 1, 2014Certificate: COMODO CA Limited issued 2 certificates for usa.gov from Aug 1, 2013, the latest valid until Aug 1, 2014.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (crt.sh)
Jan 29, 2014 – Jun 13, 2016Certificate: GeoTrust issued 24 certificates for usa.gov from Jan 29, 2014, the latest valid until Jun 13, 2016.
Said about itself in 2006
Jul 1, 2006
“Skip to Main Content Skip to Government Search Skip to Bottom Nav Skip to Top Nav Bar-Right Aligned Skip to By Organization Skip to Contact Your Government Skip to Top Nav bar Skip to Reference Center Skip to FREE Subsc…”
Source: AboutUs wiki archive, 2006
Current AboutUs recordJun 19, 2026 – Oct 25, 2026 (latest)Authority and Safety last refreshed Oct 25, 2026.Source: AboutUs checks
get.gov
Nov 21, 2024 – Oct 18, 2026 (latest)
Registrar get.gov (IANA 8888888) in the registration data recorded, first on Nov 21, 2024 and most recently on Oct 18, 2026.
Source: RDAP, fetched Oct 25, 2026
Seen in the .gov zone file
Jul 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
COMODO CA Limited
Aug 1, 2013 – Aug 1, 2014
COMODO CA Limited issued 2 certificates for usa.gov from Aug 1, 2013, the latest valid until Aug 1, 2014.
Source: Certificate Transparency logs (crt.sh)
GeoTrustJan 29, 2014 – Jun 13, 2016GeoTrust issued 24 certificates for usa.gov from Jan 29, 2014, the latest valid until Jun 13, 2016.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (crt.sh)
GeoTrust Inc.Feb 15, 2015 – Jan 9, 2019GeoTrust Inc. issued 58 certificates for usa.gov from Feb 15, 2015, the latest valid until Jan 9, 2019.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (crt.sh)
Let's EncryptLet's EncryptSep 15, 2016 – Nov 6, 2021Let's Encrypt issued 195 certificates for usa.gov from Sep 15, 2016, the latest valid until Nov 6, 2021.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (crt.sh)
Sectigo LimitedDec 25, 2019 – Dec 24, 2021Sectigo Limited issued 1 certificate for usa.gov from Dec 25, 2019, the latest valid until Dec 24, 2021.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (crt.sh)
AmazonAmazonDec 5, 2025 – Oct 26, 2026Amazon issued 14 certificates for usa.gov from Dec 5, 2025, the latest valid until Apr 17, 2027.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (AboutUs's own certificate-log reader)
Let's EncryptMar 21, 2026 – Oct 26, 2026 (latest)Let's Encrypt issued 149 certificates for usa.gov from Mar 21, 2026, the latest valid until Jan 23, 2027. Seen in use on Oct 17, 2026.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (AboutUs's own certificate-log reader); TLS check, Oct 17, 2026
Source: Certificate Transparency logs (crt.sh)
Feb 15, 2015 – Jan 9, 2019Certificate: GeoTrust Inc. issued 58 certificates for usa.gov from Feb 15, 2015, the latest valid until Jan 9, 2019.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (crt.sh)
Sep 15, 2016 – Nov 6, 2021Certificate: Let's Encrypt issued 195 certificates for usa.gov from Sep 15, 2016, the latest valid until Nov 6, 2021.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (crt.sh)
Dec 25, 2019 – Dec 24, 2021Certificate: Sectigo Limited issued 1 certificate for usa.gov from Dec 25, 2019, the latest valid until Dec 24, 2021.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (crt.sh)
Nov 17, 2023 – Nov 20, 2024Registrar: Registrar Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency in the WHOIS and RDAP records held for usa.gov, from Nov 17, 2023 to Nov 20, 2024.Source: WHOIS / RDAP archive (who.is)
Nov 17, 2023 – Jun 12, 2026Ownership: Registration records for usa.gov are held from Nov 17, 2023 to Jun 12, 2026 (165 records). None shows a change of registrant. Privacy-service and redaction changes are not counted.Source: WHOIS / RDAP archive (who.is); counted by registrant name and organization only
Nov 17, 2023 – Jun 12, 2026Zone file: Registration records listed gsa.gov nameservers (dns.gsa.gov, dns2.gsa.gov, dns3.gsa.gov…) for usa.gov from Nov 17, 2023 to Jun 12, 2026.Source: From registration records (WHOIS / RDAP archive, who.is)
Nov 21, 2024 – Oct 18, 2026Registrar: Registrar get.gov (IANA 8888888) in the registration data recorded, first on Nov 21, 2024 and most recently on Oct 18, 2026.Source: RDAP, fetched Oct 25, 2026
Dec 5, 2025 – Oct 26, 2026Certificate: Amazon issued 14 certificates for usa.gov from Dec 5, 2025, the latest valid until Apr 17, 2027.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (AboutUs's own certificate-log reader)
Mar 21, 2026 – Oct 26, 2026Certificate: Let's Encrypt issued 149 certificates for usa.gov from Mar 21, 2026, the latest valid until Jan 23, 2027. Seen in use on Oct 17, 2026.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (AboutUs's own certificate-log reader); TLS check, Oct 17, 2026
Jun 19, 2026 – Oct 25, 2026AboutUs record: Authority and Safety last refreshed Oct 25, 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