When Do .uk Domains Drop? Expiration & Deletion Timeline
A .uk domain takes about 95 days to drop after it expires, moving through Nominet's expiration and deletion stages before the name is released.
.uk Expiration Timeline
- 1
Expiry
Registration ends
- 2
Grace Period (30d)
Nominet allows renewal without a redemption fee
- 3
Redemption (60d)
Recovery is still possible, usually for a redemption fee
- 4
Pending Delete (5d)
Locked, cannot be renewed or recovered
- 5
Drop
Deleted from the registry, open for new registration
Total time from expiry to drop: 95 days.
About the Nominet lifecycle
Nominet, the not-for-profit registry for the United Kingdom, runs a 60-day redemption period, double the 30-day gTLD standard, on top of its 30-day grace period, making the total wait for a .uk domain to drop longer than almost any other ccTLD in this list.
Track a .uk domain's drop date
Check a specific .uk domain's current status and estimated drop date, or set up a free alert so you know the moment it moves toward pending delete.
Frequently asked questions
How long after a .uk domain expires before it drops?
A .uk domain generally drops about 95 days after its expiration date: 30 days of grace, then 60 days of redemption, then 5 days of pending delete before deletion. Nominet can vary the exact timing within its published windows.
Can I re-register a .uk domain the day it expires?
No. Expiration only starts the clock. The previous owner (or anyone who pays the redemption fee) can still recover a .uk domain while it is in its recovery window. It is not open for new registration until it is deleted from the Nominet registry, roughly 95 days after expiration in the typical case.
What does the .uk grace period mean?
During the 30-day grace period, the domain still resolves to the old owner's nameservers in most cases, and the registrar can restore it with a simple renewal, no redemption fee required. Once grace ends, recovery gets more expensive or closes entirely, and the domain becomes visible as "expired" to drop-catching tools.
Is .uk different from other TLDs' drop timelines?
Nominet runs a 60-day redemption period, double the standard gTLD length, on top of the 30-day grace period.