What is .dev?
.dev is a new generic top-level domain operated by Google Registry for developers and technology projects. Like .app, the entire TLD is HSTS-preloaded in browsers, so every .dev website must be served over HTTPS. Before it was delegated, many developers used .dev for local test hosts; that stopped working once browsers began forcing HTTPS for it. Reserved names such as .test are the safe choice for local development.
Who can register it
Open to anyone through ICANN-accredited registrars. There is no eligibility check, but the site must be served over HTTPS.
WHOIS, RDAP and privacy
An RDAP service for .dev (pubapi.registry.google) is published in the IANA RDAP bootstrap file. OrbitProbe reads registration data from it first, as structured JSON: registrar, creation and expiry dates, EPP status codes and nameservers. For gTLDs, personal contact data has been largely redacted from public output since the rules ICANN introduced in 2018 in response to the GDPR. In most lookups you will see redacted fields or the details of a privacy service instead of a registrant name. OrbitProbe only ever shows the organisation name and country.