Expired Domain: When Can I Register It Again?

If you need to know when one of your domains will become available, or you’re interested in the details of when an expired domain can be registered again, you’re in the right place.

We know this information can be difficult to follow, so we’ll explain the domain lifecycle by extension (.es, .com, .net) in more detail.

The lifecycle of domain extensions

To know exactly when a domain registration will expire, you need to understand its lifecycle based on its extension. In general, this cycle is divided into three stages:

• Renew Grace Period or grace period.
• Redemption Period or redemption period.
• Pending Delete or deletion period.

Depending on the extension, each of these phases can last more or less time, and it’s precisely the length of these phases that determines how long you’ll have to wait for a domain to become available again.

When do .com domains expire?

When .com domains expire, they enter a grace period of 42 days. During this time, if you’re the owner of the domain, you can renew it — you simply need to pay the corresponding renewal fee for the extension.

Once the grace period ends, the redemption period begins. It lasts 30 days, and during this time you can still renew the domain. You just need to pay the corresponding penalty.

Finally, after those days have passed, the deletion period begins. It lasts about 5 days, and during this time the domain cannot be renewed.

Once all three described stages are complete — that is, after 77 days have passed — the domain becomes available again, meaning anyone else can register it.

When do .es domains expire?

For .es domains, the whole process is different. For these domains, the grace period lasts only 10 days, during which — just as in the previous case — the owner can renew it.

.es domains do not have a redemption period or a deletion period, which means they’re released automatically as soon as the grace period ends.