Can I renew my domain name after it expires?

In many cases, yes. It depends upon your domain name's extension and its registry rules.

If the registry for your domain name extension allows it, we hold your expired domain name for a few days waiting for you to renew it. For many domain name extensions (such as .com, .net, and .org) there is a grace period allowing you to renew the domain name after expiration without penalty. After the grace period for these extensions, you must pay a redemption fee plus the cost of regular renewal if you want to keep the domain name.

For some domain name extensions, primarily country code (ccTLD) extensions, there is no grace period. Once the domain name expires, you must pay a redemption fee plus renewal to keep the domain name.

Our Process for Handling Expired Domain Names

The process we, the registrar, follow for expired domain names depends on your domain name extensions and their renewal settings. Prior to expiration, we send multiple emails to remind you to renew your domain names.

If you set your domain names to automatically renew, we attempt to renew the registrations for you the day after expiration. If we are unable to bill you, we park your expired domain names and notify you via email again.

If you set your domain names to manually renew and you let your domain names expire, we park your expired domain names and notify you via email again the day after expiration.

For expired .com, .net, .org, .info, .biz, .us, .ws, .name, .cc, .mobi, .me, or .tv domain name registrations, we hold your domain name for approximately 42 days before canceling it. Domain name renewal during this period is subject to applicable renewal and redemption fees. For more information, see What happens after domain names expire? and Recovering Expired Domain Names.

Automatic Renewal

If you set the domain name to automatic renewal, when your domain name registration expires, we take the following steps before canceling it:

• On the day after your domain name registration's expiration date, we attempt to bill you for the domain name renewal. If we cannot renew the domain name (for example, your card on file expired), we notify you of the domain name registration's expiration and park your domain name. You can manually renew your domain name.
• On the 5th day after expiration, we email you additional notifications. You can manually renew your domain name.
• On the 12th day after expiration, your domain name remains on hold but becomes subject to a redemption fee. You can call customer support to renew your domain name, subject to any applicable renewal and redemption fees.
• On the 25th day after expiration, we put your domain name up for auction with a domain name industry auction service. You can manually renew your domain name, subject to any applicable renewal and redemption fees.
• On the 42nd day after expiration, we cancel your domain name. We delete all services associated with the domain name.

The registry might hold the domain name before releasing it for general registration.

Manual Renewal

If you did not set your domain names to automatically renew, when your domain name registration expires, we proceed with the following steps before canceling it:

• On the day after your domain name registration's expiration date, we notify you of the domain name registration's expiration and park your domain name. You can manually renew your domain name.
• On the 5th day after expiration, we email you additional notifications. You can manually renew your domain name.
• On the 12th day after expiration, your domain name remains on hold but becomes subject to a redemption fee. You can manually renew your domain name, subject to any applicable renewal and redemption fees.
• On the 25th day after expiration, we put your domain name up for auction with a domain name industry auction service. You can manually renew your domain name, subject to any applicable renewal and redemption fees.
• On the 42nd day after expiration, we cancel your domain name. We delete all services associated with the domain name.

The registry might hold the domain name before releasing it for general registration.

For information on manually renewing your domain names, see Manual renewal.