Reinstate my domain name?

Find out how to reinstate your domain name when it is in the redemption period.

We have put together a number of ‘How do I guides’ for commonly asked questions that we receive at the Domain Name Commission.

We understand that sometimes issues can be complex and these guides might not have all the answers that relate to your specific problem. If this is the case please contact us.

With the launch of the new .nz registry system last year some of the terminology used has changed. ‘Pending release’ is now called the ‘redemption period’.

What is the redemption period?

Domain names are registered for a specific length of time (anywhere from 1 year to 10 years), when your registration expires your domain name goes into the redemption period. You are able to renew your domain name before the redemption period expires.

The redemption period lasts for 90 days. During the redemption period, any services associated with the domain name (like email or website hosting) will stop working.

If you want to keep your domain name’s registration you will need to reinstate it before the redemption period expires. Domain names can be transferred to a new provider while in the redemption period.

If you are having any issues reinstating your domain name if you haven’t already please contact us.

What happens after the redemption period ends?

Once the 90-day redemption period has expired the domain enters a ‘pending delete’ status, which is the status before the domain name is released to become available to be registered on a first-come-first-served basis. 

Once a domain name is in ‘pending delete’ it can not be reinstated. The period of time it takes for a domain name to go from ‘pending delete’ to ‘available’ varies but is roughly a few working days.

How do I get my name out of the redemption period?

1. You will need to contact the domain name provider (registrar) of the domain name and ask them to have this domain name reinstated. You can find your registrar's contact information on the registration record by performing a whois lookup here.
   
   
2. It’s best to contact the registrar from the domain name holder’s (registrant) email or phone number on the registration record. If your contact information is incorrect, you will need to update these while in contact with your registrar.
   If you are having any difficulty with getting your details updated, please contact us here and we will endeavour to assist.
   
   
3. You might have to pay a reinstatement fee, as well as your normal registration fees. Any fee on top of your registration fee needs to be included in the terms and conditions that you signed up for. 

If you are not the registrant of the domain name, you will need to let the domain name provider know this. 

Last but not least, check your contact details are correct.

If you do reinstate your domain name, we recommend that you take the time to check your registration details - make sure that these are up to date and that you are contactable at your registration details. 

You can find some handy tips on how to manage you domain name here.