Dot-gov domains to cost $125

Federal agencies and state and local governments renewing .gov domain names or wanting new ones should be prepared to pay $125 a year starting July 31.The General Services Administration today announced it will start charging the agencies that run more than 3,400 Web sites by the end of the month.GSA issued a rule May 2003 that allowed state and local governments as well as American Indian tribes to use the .gov extension, but also reserved the right to charge them for using it .Previously, the agency did not charge for managing the .gov registry.GSA has controlled the .gov registry since 1997, when 100 federal agencies used the suffix.Since the agency let other government entities use it, the registry has grown significantly.GSA’s need to defray the costs of maintaining the register is one of the main reasons for charging agencies, agency officials said.