CIRA TBR stands for To Be Released: the weekly session in which the Canadian Internet Registration Authority releases deleted .ca domains back into general registration. A .ca name that is not renewed does not drop at a random moment. It appears on a public TBR list with the session it will be released in, and on the Wednesday of that session registrars submit requests for it. Only registrars can take part, so to get an expired .ca domain you place an order with a registrar that offers TBR, and it tries to catch the name for you.
The .ca lifecycle before a name reaches TBR
CIRA, not ICANN, sets the rules for .ca, so the stages differ from the .com timeline. Registrar documentation describes them like this; CIRA's own page on the .ca domain name life cycle is where to confirm the current figures.
- Expiry and auto-renew grace. After the registration date passes, the owner can still renew at the normal price. Registrars set the length; documentation puts it at roughly 30 to 45 days, and the website may stop working.
- Redemption. If nobody renews, the name enters a 30-day redemption period. The previous owner can still have the registrar restore it, usually for an extra fee. This mirrors the redemption period of generic extensions.
- Pending delete, which is the TBR list. When redemption ends without a restore, the status changes to pending delete and the name joins CIRA's TBR list. From here nobody can redeem it. Registrar documentation says a name sits on the list for roughly two and a half to nine and a half days, depending on the weekday it left redemption.
- The TBR session. On the Wednesday shown next to the name, CIRA runs the release. A name claimed by a registrar goes to that registrar's customer; a name nobody claims becomes available for ordinary registration shortly afterwards.
Add the stages up and a .ca name typically reaches a session roughly two to three months after its expiry date, if the owner never acts.
Reading the CIRA TBR list
CIRA publishes the TBR list on its website. For each name it shows the expected release, so you know the day in advance. Three things to keep in mind:
- Names appear only after redemption ends. A name that has merely expired is not on the list, and its owner can still renew. To find candidates earlier, track expiry dates with the domain expiration checker.
- Early-week deletions roll forward. A name that leaves redemption from early Monday up to the start of the Wednesday session goes into the following week's session. That is why time on the list ranges from under three days to over nine.
- Nothing on the list can be renewed. Pending delete on .ca means what it means on .com. On .co.uk the same status word still allows renewal, as the article on expired .co.uk domains explains, so do not carry that habit across extensions.
CIRA's page about To Be Released states the session day and the exact time.
What happens in the session
CIRA does not run an auction. It opens the session, registrars submit registration requests for the names their customers ordered, and CIRA processes them. Registrar documentation mentions no bidding at CIRA's end, so a registrar's speed and systems decide contested names.
Names no registrar requests are released for general registration after the session. For a name with obvious value, assume several registrars will request it at the opening second.
How to place a .ca domain backorder for a TBR name
From the buyer's side, as the registrars that offer it describe it:
- Pick a registrar that runs TBR. Not every .ca registrar does.
- Order before the cutoff. Registrars finalise their request lists ahead of the session; one publishes a Monday morning cutoff for the Wednesday session. Order as soon as the name shows up on the list.
- Know how rival orders are settled. If you are the only customer at that registrar who ordered the name and the registrar gets it, it is yours. If several customers ordered it, registrars resolve the clash their own way; one documents a 24-hour internal auction among its customers that closes the day after the session. Ask before you order.
- Check when you pay. Several registrars charge only if the name is secured and assigned to you; others charge for the attempt.
- Wait for the result. Registrars report after the session; ask how soon, and what the claim step looks like for a won name.
This is a domain backorder with one difference in your favour: the release day is known, so there is no guessing about when to order.
Canadian Presence Requirements
A .ca domain can only be held by someone who meets CIRA's Canadian Presence Requirements. CIRA publishes the qualifying categories, and a registrar cannot assign a won TBR name to a registrant who fits none of them. If you are outside Canada, read that list before you order, not after you win.
.ca TBR compared with the .com and .co.uk drops
| .ca (CIRA) | .com (ICANN rules) | .co.uk (Nominet) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who sets stage lengths | Registry, with registrar-set grace | Registrar-set grace, then ICANN-fixed stages | Registry |
| Renewal after expiry | Grace, then 30-day redemption | Grace, then 30-day redemption | Until day 90 |
| Final stage | TBR list, roughly 2.5 to 9.5 days | pendingDelete, 5 days | Pending delete, 5 days |
| Release | Weekly Wednesday session, registrars only | Daily drop around 12:00 UTC, first come first served | Per-name published drop time |
| Public list from the registry | Yes, the TBR list | No | Yes, updated daily |
| Auction run by the registry | No | No | No |
The .com column is covered in pending delete domains. On .ca, catching a name is less about millisecond timing and more about choosing the right registrar.
Vetting the name before you order
A TBR date tells you when a .ca name can be had, not whether you should want it. Do the checks while the name is still in redemption.
- Status. Look the name up with the WHOIS lookup to read its dates and status codes. A name in redemption can still be restored by its owner; a name in pending delete cannot.
- History. Sample the Wayback Machine for the first year, the middle and the last two years. A Canadian business site that turned into a gambling or pharma page is a name to skip, whatever its metrics say.
- Backlinks. For a Canadian project, links from Canadian sites on the same topic matter more than a high score built from unrelated ones.
- Trademarks. A name matching a Canadian brand can be challenged. Search the string before you commit. This is not legal advice.
- Index and blocklists. Zero
site:results are normal for an offline site and prove no penalty. A blocklist listing is a stronger warning.
The domain checker runs these checks on any domain and returns a verdict in a minute or two. hunter.domains does not scan CIRA's TBR list; its daily scan covers GoDaddy Auctions, DropCatch, SnapNames, Sedo, Dynadot, Park.io and the .se/.nu registry. If your project is not tied to .ca, the live list of expired domains is the quicker route.
Frequently asked questions
What does TBR mean for a .ca domain?
TBR means To Be Released. It is the state of a .ca name that has passed through redemption without a restore and is scheduled for release in CIRA's weekly session. While a name is on the TBR list nobody can renew or restore it, and the only way to get it is through a registrar that takes part in the session.
Can I register a TBR domain myself without a registrar?
Not during the session. Only registrars can submit requests, so you need one that offers TBR orders. If no registrar claims a name, it becomes available for ordinary registration shortly after the session, through any .ca registrar.
When is the CIRA TBR session?
Every Wednesday. CIRA states the exact time on its TBR page, and that is the figure to use, because registrar pages quote a local time that shifts with daylight saving. Names that leave redemption from early Monday until the session starts move to the following Wednesday.
How long does a .ca domain stay on the TBR list?
Registrar documentation puts it at roughly two and a half to nine and a half days, depending on the weekday the name left redemption. A name deleted just after one session waits almost a full week. During that time it cannot be redeemed.
