When does a .no domain expire and drop?
- Expiry to drop
- 90 days
- Grace
- 60 days
- Redemption
- 30 days
- Pending delete
- None
A lapsed .no is released about 90 days after its subscription lapses. By default it stays registered for about 60 days, after which it is removed from the DNS, then it is held in quarantine for about 30 days before anyone else can register it. .no is the country code of Norway, run by Norid, and open to organisations registered in Norway.
Watch a .noThe .no timeline, stage by stage
The stages a lapsed .no passes through, at the registry's default offsets.
| Stage | Window | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Deletion process: about 60 days | Day 0 to 60 after expiry | The subscription has lapsed and the registry has started deleting the name. By default it stays in the DNS until the end of this stage, and the holder can still renew it. |
| Quarantine: about 30 days | Day 60 to 90 after expiry | The name has been removed from the DNS and is held in quarantine. Nobody else can register it until quarantine ends. Then it is released. |
| Released: registrable by anyone | From about day 90 | The name leaves the registry's deletion pipeline and returns to the public pool, registrable at the standard price on a first-come basis through any registrar. Availability monitoring exists to catch this moment. |
.no at a glance
- Registry
- Norid
- Backend
- Norid
- Type
- ccTLD
- Country
- Norway
- Delegated
- 1987-03-17
- DNSSEC
- Yes
- IDN
- Yes
- Restrictions
- Local-presence
- Label length
- 1–63 chars
- Grace
- 60 days
- Redemption
- 30 days
- Expiry to drop
- 90 days
A deletion process, then quarantine
When a .no subscription lapses, the registry starts a deletion process. By default the name is removed from the DNS after about 60 days, and then held in quarantine for about 30 days before release.
Registrars can configure these offsets, so the figures are the registry's documented defaults rather than fixed limits. A watch reads the real status of the name, whatever its registrar chose.
Who runs .no, and since when
.no is the country code of Norway, delegated in 1987 and run by Norid.
The deletion process comes from the registry's technical documentation, and our engine re-verifies the stage against the live record.
How to register a .no domain
A .no is not open to the whole world: organisations need a Norwegian organisation number, and individuals register under the separate priv.no category.
- Norwegian presence required: organisations must be registered in Norway; individuals use priv.no.
- Register through an accredited registrar; the registry sells wholesale.
- Norwegian and Sámi characters are supported as internationalized names.
- Subscriptions renew; a lapsed name enters the timeline below.
The presence rule applies to whoever catches a drop too, so check you qualify before watching a .no.
.no technical profile
How .no publishes registration data, secures its zone, and handles non-Latin names.
WHOIS and RDAP
Registration data for every .no domain is queryable over RDAP at https://rdap.norid.no/ and legacy WHOIS at whois.norid.no, so status, dates and record changes are machine-readable, which is exactly what our monitoring reads.
DNSSEC
The .no registry supports DNSSEC, so a domain can publish DS records and let resolvers cryptographically validate its DNS answers against tampering.
Internationalized names
The .no registry supports internationalized domain names, so labels in non-Latin scripts register as punycode alongside ordinary ASCII names.
- RDAP
- https://rdap.norid.no/
- WHOIS
- whois.norid.no
The registry publishes .no status over RDAP and WHOIS and signs the zone for DNSSEC, so each stage of a lapsing name is visible on the live record.
Is .no a good domain?
Where .no fits, and the constraint.
A Norwegian address
For a Norwegian business, .no is the extension customers expect and trust.
A word as well as a country
"No" reads as an English word, which some brands use for playful names, provided they qualify.
The presence constraint
Foreign organisations without a Norwegian registration cannot hold a .no, which narrows the pool chasing an expiring name.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about .no domains.
What is a .no domain?
.no is the country code top-level domain of Norway, delegated in 1987 and run by Norid.
How long does it take for a lapsed .no to drop?
About 90 days by default: about 60 days of deletion process, then about 30 days of quarantine. Registrars can change these offsets.
Who can register a .no domain?
Organisations with a Norwegian organisation number. Individuals register under priv.no instead.
What is the best way to get a .no that is expiring?
Make sure you qualify, then watch it. The move into quarantine means release is close.