Free tool
Expired domain drop date calculator
A .com that isn’t renewed is released 35 to 80 days after it expires. Enter the expiry date, or look up the domain, to see each stage and the day it could be free to register. No sign-up; nothing is stored.
.com expiring Sep 21, 2026
Free to register between Oct 26, 2026 and Dec 10, 2026
Day 20 after expiry. It is in renewal grace (the owner can still renew) or redemption (the owner can restore it for a fee), depending on when the registrar deleted it. Look up the domain to see which.
| Stage | Earliest | Latest |
|---|---|---|
| Redemption startsRestore fee for .com: $70.00–$120.00 (by registrar) | Sep 21, 2026 | Nov 5, 2026 |
| Pending delete starts | Oct 21, 2026 | Dec 5, 2026 |
| Free to register | Oct 26, 2026 | Dec 10, 2026 |
Earliest: the registrar deletes it the day it expires. Latest: the registrar keeps it for the full 45-day grace period. Each registrar picks its own timing inside that range.
How an expired domain is released
- Grace, up to 45 days. The registration has lapsed and the site stops resolving for at least part of it, but the owner can still renew. The registrar can delete it any day in this period.
- Redemption, 30 days. The registrar has deleted it. The owner can still restore it, for a restore fee.
- Pending delete, 5 days. Nobody can renew or restore it. At the end the registry releases it.
- Released. Anyone can register it, first come, first served.
Periods from the .com registry agreement (Appendix 7) and ICANN’s Expired Registration Recovery Policy, which lets a registrar delete an expired domain at any time after it expires. Restore fees come from the registrars’ own price lists, read daily.
Common questions
How long after a domain expires does it become available?
For .com, .net, .org and other generic extensions, between 35 and 80 days after the expiry date. The registrar can keep an expired domain for up to 45 days, then the registry holds it for a 30-day redemption period and 5 days of pending delete before releasing it.
Can the owner still renew an expired domain?
Yes, until pending delete starts. During the grace period the owner renews at the registrar’s renewal price (some registrars add a late fee). During redemption the owner can restore it, which costs a restore fee on top of the renewal. For .com, the restore fee is $70.00 to $120.00 at the registrars that publish one.
What is pending delete?
The last 5 days. Nobody can renew or restore the domain any more; at the end the registry deletes it and anyone can register it, first come, first served.
Why is the drop date a range and not an exact day?
The registry sets the longest grace period, but each registrar decides when to delete an expired domain inside it. Looking the domain up narrows it: once the registry shows redemption, the window is 35 days at most; in pending delete it is 5.
Does it work for .io, .co, .uk and other country codes?
Country-code registries set their own expiry rules, and most don’t publish a fixed cycle, so the calculator gives dates for generic extensions only. Looking up a country-code domain still shows its current status from the registry.
How do I get a domain when it drops?
Backorder it with a drop-catching service that charges only if it catches the name, or register it yourself the moment the registry releases it. Names with traffic or a short, common word are usually caught by backorders within seconds.
Do you keep the domains I look up?
No. The lookup reads the public registry record (RDAP) and nothing about it is stored. The date calculator runs entirely in your browser.