Smithfield, N.C.- Residents and visitors will notice a change in how they access Johnston County's website— beginning January 1, 2025, JohnstonNC.com will move to JohnstonNC.gov. To ease the transition, the old address (JohstonNC.com) will automatically redirect to the new URL, allowing citizens time to adjust to the change.
"This is a significant step forward, because it gives our website users more confidence that they are navigating within a legitimate and secure government website," said Johnston County Technology Services Director Jeff Howard.
A .gov domain is reserved exclusively for government organizations and signals the County's official status as a trusted and credible source for information and services. It enhances transparency, improves security, and helps protect users from impersonation. Additionally, switching to a .gov domain ensures we’re meeting legal and regulatory requirements, like data privacy and accessibility standards, while also making it easier for residents and visitors to find us online.
Johnston County Manager Rick Hester weighed in on the upcoming move stating, "Our Technology Services and Web Services teams have been working diligently on this project, and we're excited to continue enhancing our website. This update will be imperative for citizens seeking information or services online."
Along with the website URL change, Johnston County will also transition its email addresses from .com to .gov starting January 1. For example, beginning in January, emails to the Tax Office should be sent to taxoffice@johnstonnc.gov instead of taxoffice@johnstonnc.com. However, residents don’t need to worry about emails being undeliverable—any messages sent to the old .com addresses will automatically forward to the new .gov addresses, ensuring a smooth transition.
This move marks an exciting milestone in our continued efforts to better serve our community. We look forward to seeing you at JohnstonNC.gov in 2025!
