I want to register an expired domain name, can I do this?
When a domain name expires it does not necessarily mean that the domain name will be available for registration. Domain owners generally have 60 days after the expiry date of a domain name in which they can still renew/restore the name. Additionally, many registrars will keep expired domain names and auction them off, instead of simply deleting them from the registry.
If a domain name still shows up in a WHOIS lookup it means that the registrar has not yet released it and it is not available for registration. If a domain name is available for registration a WHOIS lookup will return a result such as "Available", "Not found" or "Not registered".
For more information about the domain name expiry and deletion stages please click here.