Top 10 Things Companies Forget to Renew (And How to Fix It)

Most missed renewals aren't the hard ones. They're the quiet ones nobody owns: a TLS certificate an ex-employee set up, a domain paid on someone's personal card, a contractor's insurance that lapsed mid-job. The fix is the same for all ten. Put every expiry date in one register, give each a named owner, and start reminders early enough for the slowest step.

Ten renewals that catch companies out

1. TLS certificates, now capped at 200 days

Since 15 March 2026, public TLS certificates can't be issued for more than 200 days. The cap drops to 100 days in March 2027 and 47 days in March 2029 (DNSimple's summary of the CA/Browser Forum schedule). If you still renew by hand once a year, that habit is already broken. Automate issuance where you can and track the rest.

2. Domain names

ICANN-accredited registrars have to email you about a month and a week before a domain expires, and once more within five days after (ICANN's Expired Registration Recovery Policy). Those emails go to whoever is on the account. If that's a former employee or your old web agency, nobody reads them. Check the contact address today and turn on auto-renew.

3. Contractors' certificates of insurance

A subcontractor's liability cover can run out mid-job, and they rarely tell you. Ask for the new certificate before the date on the one you hold. Our COI tracking guide covers what to check.

4. Your own business insurance

Insurers need time to requote, especially after a claim. Talk to your broker 60 to 90 days before renewal, not the week before.

5. Staff certifications

In the US, every forklift operator needs a performance evaluation at least once every three years under 29 CFR 1910.178(l)(4)(iii). First aid, food safety and trade cards run on their own cycles. These dates sit with individual people, so they vanish when a supervisor leaves.

6. Drivers' DOT medical cards

A commercial driver's DOT medical certificate lasts up to 24 months, and less if the examiner wants to monitor something like high blood pressure. Track each driver's actual date. Don't assume two years.

7. Business licences and permits

City business licences, food permits and liquor licences each have their own date and form, and many agencies send no reminder. Here's what to do if a business licence has already expired.

8. Annual company filings

UK companies must file a confirmation statement at least every 12 months, with 14 days' grace after the review period ends. Skip it and you can be fined up to £5,000 or struck off the register (Companies House guidance). US states set their own annual report dates.

9. Trademark registrations

A US trademark needs a Section 8 declaration between the fifth and sixth years after registration, then a renewal between the ninth and tenth, and every ten years after that (USPTO). That's long enough for everyone involved to change jobs.

10. SaaS contracts that auto-renew

Many software agreements renew automatically unless you cancel 30, 60 or 90 days before the term ends. Track the notice deadline, not the renewal date, or you may be locked in for another term.

Fix it in one afternoon

You don't need a project. You need a list with owners on it.

When the spreadsheet stops being enough

A spreadsheet works until the person who maintains it leaves. ExpiryEdge keeps the same register, but it reminds each owner by email, SMS, WhatsApp, Slack or Teams, escalates overdue items to a manager, and can request the renewed document straight from the contractor or employee. Every step goes into an audit trail you can export.

No credit card needed. Import your dates and see what's due in the next 90 days.