TBR stands for "To Be Released". When a dot-ca domain is not renewed during the suspension and redemption periods, it is “deleted’” and becomes TBR(To Be Released). The domain names in TBR status become available for registration during a "special registration session" every Wednesday.
Due to high demand for TBR domains, CIRA holds a special registration session before returning them to the pool of available domains. We have partnered with our affiliate registrars to submit registration requests as soon as the special registration session opens, significantly increasing the chances of registering a domain name before it becomes available to the public.
Our TBR platform uses either a one-stage or two-stage process, depending on the number of pre-orders received for a domain.
Stage 1 - Pre-order
In the initial bidding stage, you may place a pre-order on a domain name by submitting a bid selected from one of the predefined bid levels
available for that domain. The deadline to participate in Stage 1 is 1:00 PM ET on the Wednesday of the CIRA TBR session.
Important Benefits of Participating in Stage 1: Participating in Stage rewards you for your early commitment by:
The CIRA special TBR registration session opens every Wednesday at 2:00 PM EST or 3:00 PM EDT. If we successfully acquire a domain name and there is more than one pre-order for that domain, Stage 2 (a public auction) will begin within a few days.
Stage 2 - Auction
For domains that receive multiple pre-orders, the second stage becomes an open public auction where anyone may participate and place bids on the acquired domain.
The starting bid for the auction will be the highest bid received during Stage 1.
In the event of a tie between stage 1 bidders, the earliest pre-order placed will receive priority and will be treated as the higher bidder.
Once the auction ends and payment is successfully processed, the domain will be assigned to the winning bidder.
Important updates (Effective May 13, 2026 TBR session): Any user who places a pre-order in Stage 1, will receive a credit equal to 50% of
their pre-order bid, applied toward the final auction price for that domain. Domains with a single pre-order will be awarded immediately and will not proceed to auction.
See the examples below for different scenarios.
End of Bidding
Once Stage 2 concludes, the system reconciles the final results. After payment has cleared, we will notify the winner by email and assign the domain within 14 days.
There are no hidden fees; you only pay for domains that are successfully registered and won by you.
How to maximize your chances of winning a domain
We prioritize and allocate our catching resources based on the signals we receive during Stage 1. A strong pre-order (higher bid):
There are no hidden fees; you only pay for domains that are successfully registered and won by you.
Effective pricing starts at: $30 CAD (see examples below)
Example 1: You place a pre-order at $600 and are the only user to do so. The domain is awarded directly to you.
You receive a $300 credit ($600 x 50%). Final cost: $300 (600 minus 300)
Example 2: You place a pre-order at $200. Since there is more than one bidder in Stage 1, a Stage 2 auction begins with a starting bid of $200. No other users participate
in Stage 2, and you win the auction. You receive a $100 credit ($200 x 50%). Final cost: $100 (200 minus 100)
Example 3: You place a pre-order at $1000. Since there is more than one bidder in Stage 1, a Stage 2 auction begins with a starting bid of $1000. After competing with other
participants, you win the auction at $1400. You receive a $500 credit ($1000 x 50%). Final cost: $900 (1400 minus 500)
Example 4: You place a pre-order at $60. Since there is more than one bidder in Stage 1, a Stage 2 auction begins with a starting bid of $60. After competing with other
participants, you win the auction at $600. You receive a $30 credit (60 x 50%).Final cost: $570 (600 minus 30)
While we cannot guarantee a successful domain registration, placing a reservation is completely risk-free. There are no hidden fees, and you only pay if the domain is successfully registered and awarded to you..
