What is .rio?
ICANN's records put the delegation of .rio on May 22, 2014. Like most of the newer endings, it was applied for in the 2012 New gTLD Program round and its registry agreement was signed on February 27, 2014.
Under the hood, the root zone points to 6 name servers for .rio, every one of them reachable over IPv6. The delegation is DNSSEC-signed, so resolvers can verify that answers for .rio haven't been tampered with on the way. Registration data is published over RDAP.
.rio FAQ
What does .rio mean?
.rio is a generic top-level domain named for the word "rio", and it's aimed at cities & regions. It doesn't belong to any country.
What is .rio used for?
.rio is mostly used for cities & regions. Like most gTLDs, it's a label of intent rather than a guarantee — check the site, not just the ending.
What country is .rio?
None. .rio is a generic top-level domain, so it isn't tied to any country.
Who owns the .rio domain extension?
Empresa Municipal de Informática SA - IPLANRIO operates .rio as its registry, under a registry agreement with ICANN.
When was .rio created?
.rio was delegated to the DNS root zone on May 22, 2014.
Is .rio a valid domain?
Yes. .rio is an active top-level domain in the DNS root zone, delegated in 2014, so .rio addresses work in every browser.
Can I buy a .rio domain?
.rio names are sold through ICANN-accredited registrars. Some gTLDs restrict who can register, so read Empresa Municipal de Informática SA - IPLANRIO's policy if you're unsure.
Is .rio DNSSEC-signed?
Yes, the root zone holds a DS record for .rio.
Sources
Data from IANA root zone version 2026102000. Last changed August 14, 2025. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.
