.ng Domain Name Life Cycle

At Ruachost, understanding your domain name's life cycle is crucial to maintaining uninterrupted services like websites and emails. This article outlines the domain name life cycle for most .NG domains (excluding gov.ng and mil.ng) from registration to deletion.

Overview

.NG domains can be registered or renewed for 1 to 5 years. Below is a detailed breakdown of each phase your domain name goes through, from registration to when it becomes available to the public again.

1. Domain Registration or Renewal
   • Domains can be registered or renewed for 1 to 5 years.
   • The renewal must not exceed the maximum allowable period (5 years) from the registration or last renewal date.
2. Domain Expiry – Start of Renewal Grace Period (RGP)

   • After expiration, your domain enters a 60-day grace period.

   • Within the first 30 days, you can renew the domain without penalties.

   • Transfers to another registrar are not allowed during this time unless the domain is renewed first.

3. Suspension Period (Days 31–60)

   • The domain enters a Suspension Period.

   • All services are disrupted (website, emails, etc.).

   • The domain can still be renewed through the current registrar, but no transfers are allowed.

4. 60 Days After Expiry – Services Fully Disabled

   • At this stage, the domain’s DNS servers are deactivated, and all associated services stop functioning.

   • The domain transitions into Redemption Period status.

5. Redemption Period (Days 61–88)

   • This 28-day period allows the domain owner to redeem the domain through their registrar.

   • A domain restoration fee is required to recover the domain.

   • Renewal is still possible at this stage.

6. Pending Delete (Days 89–102)

   • The domain is placed in a "Pending Delete" state.

   • No recovery, renewal, or restoration is possible during this time.

   • Only a direct request to the Registry via your registrar might help, but success is not guaranteed.

7. Domain Deletion – Available for Re-registration

   • After the 14-day Pending Delete phase, the domain is deleted by the registry.

   • The domain becomes available to the general public on a first-come, first-served basis.

If you have any questions or need help with domain management, please contact our support team via your Client Portal or email us at support@ruachost.com.