If a domain is not renewed after its expiration date, it will enter the next stage of its lifespan: the Expired stage.
The four stages in the lifespan of a domain
Domains have four stages of their life:
- Active
- Expired
- Redemption Grace Period
- Pending Delete
Active
After a domain is purchased, it can be renewed up to 10 years. This limit is set per ICANN (the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers), who are the international organization in charge of regulating the management of domain names. For more information on ICANN, please go to www.icann.org .
We begin sending reminders to renew your domain name starting at 60 days prior to the renewal date. These messages are sent to the Administrative email address on file with your domain. Please ensure that this email address information is accurate, as it is the domain owner's responsibility to ensure that a domain is successfully renewed.
If we are unable to secure payment on or before the domain renewal date, your domain name will expire, and will enter the Expired phrase of the domain lifespan.
Expired
As early as one day after a domain expires, your domain name will be deactivated and replaced with a parking page indicated that the domain name has expired. To retrieve the domain name from its expired status, at least a 1 year renewal fee must be paid.
At 30 days after a domain expires, the registrar has the ability to enter the domain into its "redemption grace period" or an auction program. If a third party purchases the domain name during this auction, the domain name will not be available for the original owner to renew it.
Redemption Grace Period
At 30-45 days after a domain expires, if a domain name has not yet been renewed by its original owner, and has not been purchased by a third party, the expired domain name will enter its redemption grace period.
Registry redemption grace periods are defined by each registrar, but are most commonly a 30 day period.
NOTE: If a third party purchases the domain name prior to it entering the registry redemption period, the domain name will not enter redemption and will not be available for renewal by the original owner.
In order to retrieve the domain from this status, we reserve the right to charge a redemption fee of $240 (in addition to the renewal fee).
Pending Delete
If the domain name completes the registry redemption grace period, the registry will hold the domain name for a period of approximately five days before releasing it again to the public for general registration. At this time, the domain may be purchased by anyone at a regular rate defined by a webhost or domain registrar for that type of domain.
