Renew Before It Lapses

Your domain has a life cycle. Know the dates.

You don't buy a domain once and forget it. You register it for a set time. Then you renew it, or it moves on to the next stage.

After the end date, a registrar may delete the name at any time.[1] This guide follows a domain from its first day to its last, so nothing catches you out.

Start at the beginning →Jump to renewals →

A map of a domain name life. Register, then renew each term. If you do not renew, it expires, goes into redemption, and is finally released. From renew you can also transfer to another registrar.
The stages of a domain name, in order.

Three ideas to hold on to

  1. 1
    Two boxes. Left: what you get when you register a domain, the exclusive right to use the name for a set time. Right: what you do not get, legal ownership of the name itself.
    Registering gives you a right to use the name for a set time. It does not give you legal ownership of it.

    You hold a right to use the name

    Registering gives you an exclusive right of use for a set time. It doesn't give you legal ownership.[2]

  2. 2
    A timeline with four points. About one month before expiry, the first notice. About one week before, the second notice. Expiry day. Within five days after, one more notice.
    The reminders your registrar must send. The times are approximate.

    The end date is the deadline

    Registrars must warn you about a month and a week before it.[1] After it, you can still renew for a while.[1]

  3. 3
    Four rows. clientTransferProhibited stops transfers away. clientDeleteProhibited stops deletion. clientUpdateProhibited stops changes. A registry lock is an extra lock set at the registry.
    The main locks and what each one stops.

    Locks keep the name safe

    Asking your registrar for locks can help stop unwanted transfers, deletions and updates.[3]

Not sure where to begin?

  1. 1What you own when you register a domainWhat registering a domain really gives you, how long it lasts, and what you have to do to keep it.
  2. 2Renewing your domainHow domain renewal works, which reminders you should get, and what auto-renew needs to keep working.
  3. 3What happens when a domain expiresWhat changes on expiry day, how long you can still renew, and why you shouldn't count on a long grace period.

Every stage, in order

Quick questions

Do I own my domain?

Not in the legal sense. You hold the exclusive right to use it for a set time.[2]

How long can I register a name for?

For a generic name such as .com, the longest is 10 years at a time.[4]

Can I still renew after the date has passed?

Often, for a while. The registrar has to let the old holder renew an expired name.[1] But it may delete the name at any time after expiry.[1]

How this guide works

  • Every guide page lists its sources at the bottom.
  • It doesn't recommend or rank registrars.
  • There are no ads, no affiliate links and no sponsors.

Sources

  1. Expired Registration Recovery Policy, ICANN (accessed 2026-10-26)
  2. Domain name, Wikipedia (accessed 2026-10-26)
  3. EPP Status Codes | What Do They Mean, and Why Should I Know?, ICANN (accessed 2026-10-26)
  4. Domain name registrar, Wikipedia (accessed 2026-10-26)