# Law enforcement and legal requests

> How authorities obtain data from Sealname: only on a Panamanian court order, never on a direct foreign request. One email per domain, no logs, no IP kept.

- URL: https://sealname.com/law-enforcement/
- Last updated: 2026-10-08
- Publisher: Sealname (https://sealname.com)

Your data goes out only on a Panamanian court order (or on an urgent request under ICANN rules). Here is the route for authorities, the data that exists, and the data that does not.

**Quick answer — How can law enforcement obtain data from Sealname?**

Only with a **Panamanian court order**, except urgent cases that ICANN rules require registrars to answer. **Sealname**, a private domain name registration service paid in crypto, is operated by DomaineGoat LLC, an ICANN-accredited registrar incorporated in Panama. A foreign government or police force must go through Panamanian legal process. No ID, no KYC, no logs: we hold one verified email per domain, a random 16-digit account number, the domains with their settings, and the balance.

## Legal requests at a glance

| Attribute | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Address | abuse@sealname.com |
| Subject line | "Legal request" for a court order; "URGENT" for an imminent threat to life, serious bodily injury, critical infrastructure or child exploitation; "Abuse" for phishing, malware, botnets, CSAM or fraud to suspend |
| Legal basis for data | A Panamanian court order. Foreign authorities: Panamanian legal process. Exception: urgent requests that ICANN rules require registrars to answer (threat to life, serious bodily injury, critical infrastructure, child exploitation) |
| Suspension without an order | Only phishing, malware, botnets, CSAM and fraud that takes money from victims; CSAM acted on immediately, and the URLs are reported to NCMEC |
| Data that exists | One verified email per domain, the 16-digit account number, the domains and their settings, the balance and top-ups |
| Data that does not exist | No name, no postal address, no phone number, no ID document, no card or bank details, no wallet address, no TXID |
| Connection logs and IP addresses | None: no access log, no IP stored with orders or requests |
| Notice to the customer | Yes: before any disclosure, unless the Panamanian court order forbids it |
| Reported | Counted in the quarterly [transparency report](https://sealname.com/transparency/) |

## How should an authority send a request?

A **Panamanian court order** is sent by the court, with a copy by email to **abuse@sealname.com** and the subject "Legal request". It should include:

1. **The issuing Panamanian court**, the case reference and an official contact we can verify.
2. **The domain name or names** and, if you know it, the account number.
3. **The exact data ordered**, and the period it covers.
4. **The deadline**, and whether the court forbids telling the customer.

**A foreign authority** does not send its own order to us: it asks the Panamanian authorities through international legal assistance, and a Panamanian court decides. You can still email us first: we can confirm whether a domain is registered with us and explain which kinds of data exist, without disclosing any of it.

## How are urgent cases handled?

Two different things can be urgent, and they are handled differently.

- **An urgent request for data.** ICANN's Registration Data Policy, revised on 12 May 2026, requires registrars to answer urgent requests: an imminent threat to life, serious bodily injury, critical infrastructure, or child exploitation. These are the only requests we answer without a Panamanian court order. Put "URGENT" in the subject, describe the danger in the first lines, and send it from an official address we can verify. We disclose only the data needed to deal with the danger, and the request is counted in the [transparency report](https://sealname.com/transparency/).
- **An urgent suspension.** A domain that serves child sexual abuse material is suspended immediately, and the URLs are reported to NCMEC; send the URL only, never the material itself. Phishing, malware, botnets and fraud that takes money from victims are acted on within 24 hours of a well-documented report, through our [abuse process](https://sealname.com/abuse/). No order and no account is needed.

Every other request for customer data needs a Panamanian court order.

## What data does Sealname hold about a customer?

Sealname holds a small set of data, because it asks for no ID and no KYC. The table lists what exists and what does not. Each item is described in detail on the page [data we collect](https://sealname.com/data-we-collect/).

### What exists, and what does not

| Data | Held? | Details |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Verified email | Yes | One per domain. ICANN requires registrars to verify it within 15 days of a registration, transfer or change. |
| Account number | Yes | Random, 16 digits. It is the customer's login. |
| Balance and top-ups | Yes | Amounts and dates. No wallet address and no TXID: each payment is matched by its exact amount. |
| Connection logs, IP addresses | No | No access log is kept, and no IP address is stored with orders or requests. An IP address only serves to limit abuse, in memory, and is forgotten in less than an hour. |
| Domain settings | Yes | Nameservers, DNS records, transfer lock, auto-renew, privacy switch. |
| Support messages | Yes | Messages exchanged with support@sealname.com. |
| ID document, passport or selfie | No | Never asked. |
| ID, passport or tax number | No | Never asked. |
| Postal address | No | Never asked. |
| Phone number | No | Never asked. |
| Card or bank details | No | Never asked: payment is in crypto only (BTC, USDT, USDC, ETH, SOL, LTC). |

## Which authorities can obtain customer data?

A **Panamanian court**, with a valid order. That is our official policy: your data only goes out on a Panamanian court order, except the urgent requests that ICANN rules require registrars to answer (an imminent threat to life, serious bodily injury, critical infrastructure, or child exploitation). Sealname is operated by DomaineGoat LLC, an ICANN-accredited registrar incorporated in Panama.

An authority in another country goes through Panamanian legal process, for example a mutual legal assistance request that the Panamanian authorities bring before a Panamanian court. A non-urgent request sent directly by a foreign government, police force or agency is refused and counted in the transparency report.

Public RDAP already shows the registrar, the nameservers and the dates of any domain. Check [lookup.icann.org](https://lookup.icann.org/en) before you write.

## Can an authority get a domain suspended without a decision from a Panamanian court?

Only for the strict exceptions: phishing, malware, botnets, child sexual abuse material, and fraud that takes money from victims (fake shops, investment and crypto scams, wallet drainers, impersonation of a bank or brand, sale of stolen data). They are handled through our [abuse process](https://sealname.com/abuse/), with no order and no account needed. Phishing, malware, botnets and fraud are acted on within 24 hours of a well-documented report.

Everything else needs a decision from a Panamanian court (foreign judgments must first be recognised in Panama): **no takedown on complaint alone**. That includes copyright, defamation, political content and complaints from competitors, whoever sends them. Trademark disputes follow the UDRP, as ICANN requires: see [UDRP and disputes](https://sealname.com/udrp-and-disputes/).

## Will the customer be told about the request?

Yes, as a rule. We notify the customer before any disclosure, unless the Panamanian court order forbids it. If the Panamanian court forbids notice, its order says so and we follow it.

The full rules are in our [disclosure policy](https://sealname.com/disclosure-policy/).

## Are law-enforcement requests published?

Yes, as counts. Every request is counted in our quarterly [transparency report](https://sealname.com/transparency/), by origin: Panamanian court orders, foreign government and police requests, requests from lawyers and private companies, and UDRP or URS cases. Each shows how many were granted or refused.

The first report will be published in January 2027. The report never names a customer or an authority's case.

Sealname sells private domains in crypto, with WHOIS privacy included where the registry allows it. Its prices are public on the [price list](https://sealname.com/pricing/).

## Legal requests: FAQ

### Can Sealname identify the person behind a domain?

Only through the data it holds, and only on a Panamanian court order or an urgent request under ICANN rules. Sealname collects one email per domain, nothing else: it holds no name, no address, no phone number, no ID, no wallet address, no TXID and no connection logs. It can provide the verified email, the account number, the domains and their settings, and the balance.

### Is a request by email enough?

No. Email is how a copy of an order is sent, but an email is not a legal basis. A request that only asks who owns a domain is refused, whoever sends it. Customer data goes out only on a Panamanian court order (or on an urgent request under ICANN rules).

### Do you need an order from a court in Panama?

Yes. Customer data goes out only on a Panamanian court order (or on an urgent request under ICANN rules): that is our official policy. Authorities in other countries go through Panamanian legal process, for example international legal assistance. Reports of phishing, malware, botnets, child sexual abuse material and fraud that takes money from victims need no order: the domain is suspended.

### Does Sealname keep IP addresses?

No. Our web server keeps no access log for Sealname, and no IP address is stored with orders or requests. An IP address only serves to limit abuse of the service, in memory, and is forgotten in less than an hour. There is no IP history to hand over.

### Can you trace a crypto payment?

Not from our side. Sealname never asks for a wallet address or a TXID: each top-up has its own exact amount, and the payment is matched by that amount. We hold the balance and the top-ups, nothing about the wallet. The blockchain itself is public, and the service that sent the coins, such as an exchange, may hold its own records.

### Is Sealname anonymous?

No: private, not anonymous. Your name, address and phone never appear in public WHOIS/RDAP, and we never ask for an address or a phone number. But Sealname answers Panamanian court orders and the urgent requests ICANN rules require, suspends phishing, malware, botnets, CSAM and fraud that takes money from victims, and follows ICANN's rules, like any accredited registrar.

### Where do I report a phishing domain?

To abuse@sealname.com, with the domain, the URLs, evidence and timestamps. No account and no order is needed. You receive an automatic acknowledgement with a reference number. Phishing, malware, botnets and fraud that takes money from victims are acted on within 24 hours of a well-documented report. See the [abuse page](https://sealname.com/abuse/).

## Sources

1. [2013 Registrar Accreditation Agreement and its specifications (Data Retention, Whois Accuracy)](https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/approved-with-specs-2013-09-17-en) — ICANN (checked 8 October 2026)
2. [ICANN Registration Data Policy now in effect for contracted parties](https://www.icann.org/en/announcements/details/icann-registration-data-policy-now-in-effect-for-contracted-parties-21-08-2025-en) — ICANN (21 August 2025)
3. [2024 global amendments to the RAA and RA: DNS abuse obligations](https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/global-amendment-2024-en) — ICANN (5 April 2024)

**Send a legal request to abuse@sealname.com** Use the subject "Legal request". Read the full rules first, or report DNS abuse without an order. [Disclosure policy](https://sealname.com/disclosure-policy/) · [Report abuse](https://sealname.com/abuse/)

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Sealname: Sealname registers private domain names paid in crypto (BTC, USDT, USDC, ETH, SOL, LTC): privacy-first, we collect one email, nothing else — no ID, no KYC, no logs. WHOIS privacy included; a .com costs $12.99/year.