Delete domain

How to delete an existing domain

To delete your .de domain, please contact your current provider.

After deletion, there is automatically a 30-day redemption grace period (RGP) – a protection period during which only you or someone with your permission can re-register the domain. After that, it is freely available to everyone.

How it works

Have your domain deleted

  • Contact your current provider and ask them to delete the domain.
  • Many providers have their own form for this purpose.
  • If you registered directly via DENICdirect, please fill out the deletion form, sign it, and send it to the address indicated on the form.

What happens after deletion

The 30-day protection period – Redemption Grace Period (RGP)

  • After deletion, a 30-day protection period begins automatically.
  • During this time, only you or someone you designate can re-register the domain.
  • The domain is not available to others until the end of the RGP.

After the protection period expires
If no one re-registers the domain during the RGP, it is released for free registration by anyone.

Why this RGP protection exists
The RGP protects against accidental loss of the domain. This gives you or a person authorized by you another chance to keep the domain.

Information about the redemption grace period

When a domain registration is terminated, the deletion is initially followed by a 30-day waiting period: the so-called Redemption Grace Period (RGP for short). The domain remains in the waiting period free of charge. During this period, the domain in question can only be re-registered by the last domain owner or a third party designated by the last domain owner.

The domain is not immediately available after deletion and therefore cannot be registered by third parties immediately. Within the 30-day grace period, the domain can only be re-registered by the last domain owner or a third party designated by the last domain owner.

A domain cannot be registered by third parties while it is in the RGP. Only when the 30-day waiting period has expired and the last domain owner or a third party designated by the last domain owner has not re-registered the domain will it be available for re-registration by any interested party.

Domains that are in the RGP are displayed via the domain query with the following note:
The domain “[placeholder].de” was deleted on DD.MM.YYYY and is currently in a redemption grace period (RGP).

The grace period allows the last domain owner to re-register the domain through their former provider. Alternatively, this can also be done through another provider. To do this, the new provider must change providers with AuthInfo for this domain on behalf of the last domain owner in order to re-register the domain.

To do this, the provider initiates the generation of the AuthInfo at DENIC (analogous to: The existing provider cannot provide AuthInfo). DENIC sends the generated AuthInfo to the last domain holder by registered mail to the address stored in the domain data. At the same time, DENIC stores the generated AuthInfo in encrypted form in the domain database. The domain owner provides the AuthInfo to the provider of their choice, whereupon the re-registration can take place.

The re-registration of a domain incurs costs for the provider acting on behalf of the customer, so that these costs may be passed on to the domain owner.

The RGP rule does not apply in the following cases, among others:

  • For a domain that is in the RGP, the 30-day waiting period may be waived if the last domain holder expressly waives the Redemption Grace Period in a written statement to DENIC.
  • If a domain has a DISPUTE entry, the domain does not enter the Redemption Grace Period upon termination of the registration; instead, the DISPUTE holder becomes the owner of the domain directly.