When does my domain expire, and is it locked?

Updated 2026-10-17

Short answer: a lapsed domain takes the website and the email down together, and renewal reminders often go to an old address. The registry record shows the real expiry date and whether the domain is locked against transfers.

How to check it yourself

  1. Look the domain up in RDAP or WHOIS (your registry's lookup, or whois yourdomain.com).
  2. Note the expiry date and the status lines: clientTransferProhibited means it's locked.
  3. Make sure auto-renew is on at your registrar and the contact email is one you read.
  4. Turn the transfer lock on if it's off and you're not moving the domain.

Why it matters

When a domain expires, the website and every email address on it stop working, usually with little warning. After a grace period, the domain can be bought by someone else. A transfer lock (clientTransferProhibited) stops someone moving your domain to another registrar without your approval.

Common causes

  • Auto-renew is off, or the card on file expired.
  • Renewal reminders go to an old email address or a former developer.
  • The domain is registered in a client's or ex-employee's account nobody checks.
  • The lock was removed for a transfer and never turned back on.

What Preventionlabs shows

Every report reads the registry record for your domain and shows when it expires and whether transfers are locked. For example, from a real report: "The domain is registered until 2027-02-22 (129 days), according to the registry."

Price

First report free, no card needed. Then A$50 a month, up to 10 domains.

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