ICANN Registry Agreements & Expiration Timeline
Monitor bilateral ICANN registry contracts, expiration timelines, renegotiation windows, wholesale price cap clauses, and contractual amendments across major gTLDs.
ICANN Registry Agreement Directory
| TLD | Registry Operator | Expiration Date | Renegotiation Window | Current Wholesale | Price Cap Terms | Agreement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| .com | Verisign Inc. Verisign (NASDAQ: VRSN) | 2030-11-30 | 2028 to 2030 | $10.26 | Permitted 7% annual increases during 4 out of every 6 year contract cycle per Amendment 3. | ICANN Doc |
| .net | Verisign Inc. Verisign (NASDAQ: VRSN) | 2029-06-30 | 2028 to 2029 | $11.15 | Permitted 10% annual wholesale price increases per Section 7.3 of the 2023 registry agreement. | ICANN Doc |
| .org | Public Interest Registry (PIR) Internet Society (ISOC) | 2029-06-30 | 2028 to 2029 | $10.95 | Historic 10% annual price cap was removed in 2019 contract renewal, aligning with standard Base gTLD terms. | ICANN Doc |
| .info | Identity Digital (Afilias) Identity Digital Inc. | 2029-06-30 | 2028 to 2029 | $14.50 | Legacy price caps removed under 2019 modern Base Agreement transition. | ICANN Doc |
| .biz | GoDaddy Registry (Neustar) GoDaddy Inc. | 2029-06-30 | 2028 to 2029 | $15.20 | Standard Base Registry Agreement terms without fixed statutory price caps. | ICANN Doc |
| .xyz | XYZ.COM LLC XYZ.COM LLC | 2033-12-05 | 2032 to 2033 | $10.00 | Standard 2012 Round Base gTLD agreement with 10-year term and automatic renewal presumptive rights. | ICANN Doc |
| .app | Charleston Road Registry Alphabet Inc. / Google Registry | 2035-05-28 | 2034 to 2035 | $14.00 | Base gTLD agreement with mandatory HSTS preloading security specification (Specification 11). | ICANN Doc |
| .club | GoDaddy Registry GoDaddy Inc. | 2033-12-19 | 2032 to 2033 | $12.50 | Base Registry Agreement with tiered premium second-level pricing schedule. | ICANN Doc |
The .com Tripartite Agreement Structure
Unlike ordinary new gTLDs, .com is governed under a tripartite framework involving ICANN, Verisign Inc., and the US Department of Commerce National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Cooperative Agreement.
Standard Base gTLD Agreement Evolution
Modern new gTLDs launched in the 2012 application round (.xyz, .app, .club, .shop) operate under standardized Base Registry Agreements. These agreements exclude fixed wholesale price caps, relying on registrar-level market competition.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an ICANN Registry Agreement and what does it control?
An ICANN Registry Agreement is the formal legal contract between ICANN and a registry operator governing the administration of a top-level domain. It specifies technical obligations (DNSSEC, SLA uptime, escrow), wholesale pricing terms or fee caps, abuse mitigation requirements, and contract duration.
How do wholesale price cap clauses work in registry contracts?
Legacy extensions such as .com and .net operate under legacy contract clauses that cap annual wholesale price increases (e.g. Verisign is permitted up to 7% annual increases during 4 out of 6 years for .com). Conversely, newer gTLDs and .org operate under standard Base Registry Agreement terms where statutory price caps have been transitioned to market competition.
What is presumptive right of renewal in ICANN contracts?
Presumptive renewal clauses grant incumbent registry operators the automatic right to renew their agreement at contract expiration, provided the registry has met technical performance benchmarks and has not materially breached the agreement terms.
When can ICANN renegotiate registry terms or fees?
Renegotiation typically opens 12 to 24 months prior to contract expiration during formal renewal discussions, or via bilateral contract amendments negotiated between ICANN and the registry operator (and in the case of .com, subject to approval by the US Department of Commerce NTIA).