How to Check a Domain's Expiration Date (and What Happens After It Expires)

Every domain name is registered for a fixed term — one to ten years at a time for most generic TLDs. Here is how to find out exactly when a domain expires, why different sources sometimes disagree, and what happens, step by step, if it is not renewed.

By the W.is team · Updated

Check a domain's expiration date now:

How to check an expiration date

The quickest way is to look the domain up. Enter it in the box above, or go straight to an address such as w.is/google.com. W.is asks the registry that runs the TLD and shows the Creation Date, Updated Date and Expiration Date. If the domain expires within 30 days, the result is marked “Expiring Soon”; if the registry has scheduled it for deletion, it is marked “Pending Deletion”.

In an RDAP response, the expiry date is the event whose eventAction is expiration:

{ "eventAction": "expiration", "eventDate": "2028-09-14T04:00:00Z" }

In WHOIS output the label depends on the registry. Some common ones:

WhereWHOIS label for the expiry date
Generic TLDs (.com, .net, .org, …) — registry recordRegistry Expiry Date
Generic TLDs — registrar recordRegistrar Registration Expiration Date
.cn (CNNIC)Expiration Time
.rupaid-till
.de (DENIC)No expiry date published

RDAP dates are in UTC (the trailing Z). Your registrar's dashboard may show the same moment in your local time zone, which can put it on the previous or next calendar day.

Why expiry dates can differ

Two records describe every gTLD domain: the registry's (for example Verisign for .com) and the registrar's (the company you pay). They usually match, but not always:

  • Registry auto-renewal. Many gTLD registries, including .com and .net, renew a domain for one year the moment it expires and bill the registrar. The registry's expiry date jumps a year ahead even if you have not paid; the registrar then either collects payment from you or deletes the domain within the grace period for a refund. So a future date at the registry does not prove a domain has been paid for — check its status codes.
  • Transfers. Moving a gTLD domain to another registrar normally adds a year to the registration, so the date changes after a transfer.

When in doubt, treat the registry's record (which is what W.is shows) as authoritative for the domain itself, and your registrar account as authoritative for what you have paid.

Auto-renew and renewal reminders

Most registrars offer auto-renew: they charge your saved payment method shortly before the expiry date and renew the domain for another term. This is separate from the registry's automatic renewal described above; it is the setting that actually keeps a domain yours.

For generic TLDs, ICANN's Expired Registration Recovery Policy (ERRP) requires registrars to send renewal reminders approximately one month and one week before a domain expires, plus another notice shortly after expiry if it has not been renewed. Registrars must also make their renewal, post-expiration renewal and restore fees available to customers. The reminders go to the registrant's email address, so they only help if that address is current — and not hosted on the domain that is about to expire. ICANN's FAQ on domain renewals and expiration covers the rules in more detail.

What happens after a gTLD domain expires

For generic TLDs, an expired domain goes through a predictable sequence before anyone else can register it. The exact timing within each stage depends on the registrar.

StageTypical lengthStatus you will seeCan the owner get it back?
Expired, in the auto-renew grace periodUp to 45 days at most gTLD registries; the registrar decides how much of it you getautoRenewPeriod, often with clientHoldYes — renew through your registrar, usually at the normal price (some add a late fee)
Redemption grace period30 daysredemptionPeriod (pendingRestore while a restore is processed)Yes — restore through your registrar; a restore fee applies on top of the renewal
Pending delete5 dayspendingDeleteNo — the name can no longer be renewed or restored
Released—None: a lookup returns “not found”Anyone can register it, first come, first served

1. Expiration and the auto-renew grace period

On the expiration date the registrar still controls the domain. At most gTLD registries it now has an auto-renew grace period of up to 45 days in which it can keep the name (if you pay) or delete it for a refund. Registrars may delete an expired registration at any time, but under the ERRP they must first interrupt its normal DNS resolution: for the last eight consecutive days it can still be renewed or, if they delete it within eight days of expiry, from expiry until deletion. Any page they show in place of your website must explain that the domain has expired and how to renew it.

In practice your website and email stop working, and renewing through the registrar puts everything back. Some registrars auction expired names during this window; if the name sells, it moves to the buyer instead of being deleted.

2. Redemption grace period (30 days)

Once the registrar deletes the domain, every non-sponsored gTLD registry (including .com, .net, .org and the new gTLDs) must hold it in a 30-day redemption grace period. The domain does not resolve, but the registrant can still restore it through the registrar, for a restore fee that is often much higher than a normal renewal.

3. Pending delete (5 days)

If nobody restores it, the domain spends five days in pendingDelete, when no one can renew or restore it.

4. Release

The registry deletes the name and anyone can register it again; valuable names are usually caught within moments by drop-catching services. If a registrar uses the full grace period, a .com name is released roughly 80 days after it expired (45 + 30 + 5); in practice it is often sooner.

Expiry-related status codes

Status codes tell you which stage a domain is in (RDAP spells them as words, such as “redemption period”). The ones to watch:

  • autoRenewPeriod — the registry renewed the domain automatically at expiry and the grace period is running.
  • renewPeriod — the domain was recently renewed explicitly; a short grace period follows.
  • clientHold — the registrar has taken the domain out of the DNS, which many registrars do when it expires.
  • redemptionPeriod — deleted, but restorable by the registrant for 30 days.
  • pendingRestore — a restore has been requested and the registry is waiting for the registrar to complete it.
  • pendingDelete — the last five days before release.

Every code is explained in the domain status code reference.

Country-code domains follow their own rules

Everything above describes generic TLDs under ICANN contracts. Country-code registries set their own policies, so grace periods, restore fees and deletion schedules vary, and some do not use a redemption period at all. Two examples:

  • .de — DENIC does not publish an expiry date. A .de domain stays registered for as long as the registrar keeps paying for it, so ask your registrar how its renewals and cancellations work.
  • .eu — a deleted .eu name goes into a 40-day quarantine during which only the previous holder can reactivate it.

For any other ccTLD, check the registry's policy or your registrar's help pages. The TLD list shows which registry runs each TLD and how W.is looks it up.

How to avoid losing a domain

  • Turn on auto-renew and keep the payment card on file up to date.
  • Renew important domains for several years at a time (up to ten for most gTLDs).
  • Use a registrar account email on a different domain, so renewal notices still reach you if the domain lapses.
  • Keep your contact details accurate. Registrars must verify registrant contact data, and a domain whose owner does not respond to verification can be suspended.
  • Protect the registrar account with two-factor authentication.
  • Ignore “renewal” letters and emails from companies you do not do business with. They are often solicitations to transfer your domain at a higher price; renew only through your own registrar.
  • Put expiry dates in a calendar; bookmarking w.is/yourdomain.com lets you check the live registry record in one click.

Want an expiring domain?

If you are waiting for someone else's domain to expire, remember that the owner can renew it at any time until the end of the redemption grace period, and many domains renew automatically. Some practical steps:

  • Watch the status, not just the date. autoRenewPeriod or redemptionPeriod means the owner can still act; pendingDelete means the name will be released within about five days.
  • Ask first. Contacting the owner before the domain expires is often the surest route. Our guide on finding a domain owner explains how, even when the details are redacted.
  • Place a backorder. Many registrars and drop-catching services take backorders and try to register the name the moment it is released. For popular names, several backorders usually end in an auction.
  • Check many names at once. If you are tracking a list of candidates, the bulk domain checker Seek.domains (part of the W.is family) shows which are available; then look up individual names on W.is for their status and expiry date.

Frequently asked questions

Does a domain stop working as soon as it expires?

Plan for it to. Not every registrar acts on the first day, but for generic TLDs ICANN requires the registrar to interrupt the domain's normal DNS resolution before it deletes an expired registration, usually by replacing the website with a renewal notice. Email addresses on the domain stop working at the same time.

Can I renew a domain after it expires?

Usually, yes. While the registrar still holds the expired name you can normally renew it at the regular price, although some registrars add a late fee. Once the registrar has deleted it and it is in the 30-day redemption grace period, you can still restore it, but a restore fee applies. After that the name is in pendingDelete and cannot be recovered.

Why does the expiry date show next year even though I did not renew?

Many gTLD registries, including .com and .net, renew a domain for one year the moment it expires and bill the registrar. The registrar then has up to 45 days to keep or delete it. An autoRenewPeriod status means that window is open; your registrar account shows whether you have actually paid.

How long until an expired .com domain becomes available?

Up to about 80 days: up to 45 days of auto-renew grace period, 30 days of redemption grace period and 5 days of pending delete. It is often sooner, because many registrars delete expired names before the 45 days are over, and it may never become available if the registrar sells it at an expired-domain auction or the owner renews it.