How to manage your domain names using the government DNS Management Portal, transfer non-.govt.nz domains to the government DNS nameservers, and get support.
Domain Name Service (DNS) Management Portal
The government DNS Management Portal makes it easy to manage your domain names 24/7. You can:
apply for a domain name
manage the zone data for your domain names hosted on the government nameservers
The following domain and zone management instructions, by Liverton Security, offer a quick overview of setting up a new domain or zone in the DNS Management Portal.
A secure Application Programming Interface (API) is available via the DNS Management Portal for managing your zones.
You can use the API to make automated updates or delegate access to your zones on a per-domain basis.
To enable API access for your organisation, contact the Domain Name Service Team to talk about setting up one of your users as an API administrator.
Transferring domains to the government domain nameservers
If your government organisation is using non-.govt.nz domains (like .co.nz) or has .govt.nz domains hosted by other DNS nameservers, they can be migrated onto the government DNS nameservers.
This allows you to manage both non-.govt.nz and .govt.nz domains in the same place and have the same security benefits, like Domain Name System Security Extensions (DNSSEC).
Renewals
Domains renew automatically, so there’s no risk of them being forgotten about or released for open registration.
the domain’s Unique Domain Authentication Identifier (UDAI)
a time and date to make the change.
For .govt.nz domains, you’ll need to provide:
the zone file
a time and date to make the change.
Check contact details
This is also a good time to make sure the contact details for these types of domains are correct. For example, make sure that the domain is properly registered on behalf of your organisation, and not under the name of an employee or vendor.
International domains
While the government DNS Management Portal can provide services for all domains within the .nz space (such as .nz, .co.nz, .org.nz, and so on), international domains like .com or .org are not supported.
Support
Liverton Security manages the government DNS Management Portal. They can help you use the Portal and give you advice on making DNS changes, as well as perform bulk changes.
This support is available 24/7, however charges apply outside of business hours.
Business hours: 8.30am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.
Charges
You will not be charged for the following services:
domain nameserver hosting
access to the DNS Management Portal
help and advice regarding the Portal during business hours.
If you need urgent support or manual changes made outside business hours, Liverton Security will charge your organisation directly.
Hourly rate: $145
Fixed rate: $12 for each change.
Contact Liverton Security
You can contact Liverton Security by phone on 0800 536 7999 (NZ only).
They will ask for your security question to authenticate your identity. If they cannot authenticate your identity, you’ll be referred to the Domain Name Service Team at the Department of Internal Affairs.
