Frequently Asked Questions

Courthology is a nonprofit initiative that makes digital identity accessible. We help individuals and organizations obtain and keep a domain name through sponsored registrations, plain-language education, and help with setup.

Aspiring entrepreneurs, small business owners, students, artists and creators, community organizations, nonprofits, and individuals building their first online presence can all apply. The program is designed especially for people for whom cost or technical complexity is a real barrier. The Sponsorship and Eligibility Policy sets out the details.

For approved applicants, the program pays the registration cost of a domain on a supported extension for the sponsorship term stated in the approval. Sponsorship is not automatic, it depends on review and available funding, and it is not a promise of free registration for life. Renewals are reviewed before each expiry date.

No. Some extensions are eligible for standard sponsorship, some only by special approval, and some can be searched but are not sponsored. Premium-priced names are not eligible. The Find a Domain page always shows the current list.

Your application joins the review queue and you can follow it in your dashboard. A reviewer may ask for more information. If the application is approved, we request the registration from our registrar, and the domain is shown as Active only once the registrar confirms it.

Review times depend on the number of applications and the funding available at the time. We would rather tell you that honestly than promise a turnaround we cannot keep. Your dashboard shows every status change as it happens, and we email you each time.

Sponsored independent domains are registered for your use as the person or organization who applied, under the arrangement described in the Domain Registration Policy. You can ask to transfer your domain to another registrar, subject to registry rules.

Renewal support is reviewed before each renewal date and depends on funding. We will tell you well in advance if your renewal is covered, and if it is not, we will help you take it over or transfer the domain so that nothing lapses by surprise.

Yes. Registries apply some restrictions, for example many prevent transfers within 60 days of registration or of certain contact changes. Within those rules, we will help you move the domain to a registrar of your choice.

Yes. A domain is independent of where your website is hosted. You point the domain at your host using DNS settings, and you can change hosts later without changing your address. Our guide How to Connect a Domain to a Website explains how.

Start with our resources, which cover the common steps. If you are stuck, send us a message from the contact page or your dashboard and a person will help.

We will tell you why in plain language. A decline is not a judgement of your idea; it often reflects funding or the extension you chose. You are welcome to apply again for a different name or when your circumstances change, and you can contact us if you think we misunderstood something.