ccTLDCountry-code top-level domain

About .so domains

Registry / sponsor: Ministry of Post and Telecommunications

About .so domains

.SO is a country-code top-level domain (ccTLD) in the DNS root zone. It is designated for Somalia. The IANA root zone lists the registry manager as Ministry of Post and Telecommunications. Registration policies (who may register, local presence, pricing) are set by the registry and its accredited registrars — not by IANA.

.so is the internet country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for Somalia. After a long absence, the .so domain was officially relaunched on November 1, 2010, by .SO Registry, which is regulated by the nation's Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications. It was launched through various accredited registrars around the world.

Who can register .so domains?

Eligibility is defined by the registry operator and its registrars. Most gTLDs are open to anyone worldwide. Many ccTLDs are also open globally; some require local presence, citizenship, or trademark rights. Always confirm current policy with the registry or your registrar.

Registration restrictions

Character rules below follow common ICANN LDH conventions. Individual registries and registrars may impose extra eligibility, length, or residency rules.

Length
263 characters (label before .so)
Can use
Letters (a–z), numbers (0–9), and hyphens (not first/last or consecutive in restricted cases)
Cannot use
Special characters (e.g. & # @) in standard LDH labels
IDNs
Varies by registry — check IDN support with the registry or your registrar

Features

Operational features (privacy, parking, protection) are registrar-level, not defined by the IANA root zone record.

registration Length
Typically 1–10 years (registry policy varies)
renewal Length
Typically 1–10 years (registry policy varies)
auto Renew
Depends on registrar settings
backorders
Registrar-dependent
transfers In
Supported for most ICANN gTLDs via Auth/EPP code; ccTLDs vary
transfers Out
Supported when the registry allows EPP transfers
transfer Lock
Supported on most gTLDs (clientTransferProhibited)
domain Privacy
Registrar WHOIS/RDAP privacy — not set by IANA
domain Protection
Registrar add-on
contact Updates
Supported via registrar

Registry information

Sponsor / manager
Ministry of Post and Telecommunications
Registration services
http://www.nic.so/
WHOIS server
whois.nic.so

Name servers

  • d.nic.so196.216.168.54 · 2001:43f8:120:0:0:0:0:54
  • e.nic.so204.61.216.101 · 2001:500:14:6101:ad:0:0:1

Source: IANA Root Zone Database. View IANA delegation record. Registrar-specific rules (e.g. GoDaddy transfer policies) can differ from registry policy and are not scraped here. Cataloged 2026-07-21.