Knowing exactly when your RHEL version reaches end of life — and which minor release you need to be on — is critical for maintaining security compliance and support eligibility. This guide covers every active and recently retired RHEL major and minor release, end of life dates, lifecycle phases, and what your team should do before support ends.
Quick answer: RHEL 8 full support ended May 31, 2024 — RHEL 8.10 is the final minor release and stays in Maintenance Support until May 31, 2029. RHEL 9 full support runs until May 31, 2027, with maintenance to May 31, 2032. RHEL 10 (released May 20, 2025) full support runs until approximately May 2030.
RHEL Major Version Lifecycle Summary
| RHEL Version | GA Release | Full Support Ends | Maintenance Support Ends | ELS | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RHEL 10 | May 20, 2025 | ~May 2030 | ~May 2035 | ~2036+ | ✅ Active |
| RHEL 9 | May 2022 | May 31, 2027 | May 31, 2032 | ~2033 | ✅ Active |
| RHEL 8 | May 2019 | May 31, 2024 | May 31, 2029 | ~2031 | 🟡 Maintenance |
| RHEL 7 | Jun 2014 | Aug 6, 2019 | Jun 30, 2024 | Jun 30, 2026 | ❌ EOL |
| RHEL 6 | Nov 2010 | May 10, 2016 | Nov 30, 2020 | Jun 30, 2024 | ❌ EOL |
| RHEL 5 | Mar 2007 | Jan 31, 2013 | Mar 31, 2017 | Nov 30, 2020 | ❌ EOL |
Understanding the RHEL Lifecycle Phases
Red Hat defines three main support phases:
Phase 1 – Full Support (Years 1–5)
Active platform development: new hardware enablement, new functionality, and full bug and security fix coverage. Minor releases (e.g., RHEL 9.1, 9.2) ship roughly every 6 months.
Phase 2 – Maintenance Support (Years 5–10)
Only the final minor release (e.g., RHEL 8.10) receives updates — limited to critical security advisories and urgent bug fixes. No new hardware support or feature development.
Phase 3 – Extended Life Cycle Support (ELS, Optional)
A paid add-on that extends security patch coverage 1–3 years beyond the 10-year lifecycle. Intended as a migration bridge, not a permanent solution.
⚠️ Important: During Maintenance Support, only the latest minor release receives patches. If you're on RHEL 8.9, you must upgrade to RHEL 8.10 to remain supported.
RHEL 9 Minor Version EOL Dates
| RHEL 9 Minor | Release Date | End of Support | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| RHEL 9.0 | May 18, 2022 | May 31, 2023 | ❌ EOL |
| RHEL 9.1 | Nov 2022 | May 31, 2023 | ❌ EOL |
| RHEL 9.2 | May 2023 | Nov 2023 | ❌ EOL |
| RHEL 9.3 | Nov 2023 | May 2024 | ❌ EOL |
| RHEL 9.4 | Apr 2024 | Nov 2024 | ❌ EOL |
| RHEL 9.5 | Nov 2024 | May 2025 | ❌ EOL |
| RHEL 9.6 | May 2025 | Nov 2025 | ✅ Current |
| RHEL 9.7 (expected) | ~Nov 2025 | ~May 2026 | Upcoming |
RHEL 8 Minor Version EOL Dates
RHEL 8.10 is the final minor release of RHEL 8. All earlier 8.x versions are end of life.
| RHEL 8 Minor | Release Date | End of Support | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| RHEL 8.0 | May 2019 | Nov 2019 | ❌ EOL |
| RHEL 8.1 | Nov 2019 | Nov 2021 | ❌ EOL |
| RHEL 8.2 | Apr 2020 | Apr 2022 | ❌ EOL |
| RHEL 8.3 | Nov 2020 | May 2021 | ❌ EOL |
| RHEL 8.4 | May 2021 | May 2023 | ❌ EOL |
| RHEL 8.5 | Nov 2021 | May 2022 | ❌ EOL |
| RHEL 8.6 | May 2022 | May 2024 | ❌ EOL |
| RHEL 8.7 | Nov 2022 | May 2023 | ❌ EOL |
| RHEL 8.8 | May 2023 | May 2024 | ❌ EOL |
| RHEL 8.9 | Nov 2023 | May 2024 | ❌ EOL |
| RHEL 8.10 | May 2024 | May 31, 2029 | 🟡 Maintenance |
RHEL 10 — Current Recommended Release
RHEL 10 (released May 20, 2025) is Red Hat's latest major release and the recommended target for new deployments and for teams migrating from RHEL 8. It follows the standard 10-year lifecycle: full support until ~May 2030, maintenance until ~May 2035.
RHEL 7 — Fully End of Life
RHEL 7 reached the end of Extended Life Cycle Support on June 30, 2026. Any system running RHEL 7 is now completely unsupported. Migrate to RHEL 9 or RHEL 10 immediately.
How to Check Your RHEL Version
cat /etc/redhat-release
# Red Hat Enterprise Linux release 9.6 (Plow)
cat /etc/os-release
What to Do When Your RHEL Version Is Approaching EOL
-
Upgrade to the latest minor release within the same major version via
dnf update - Migrate to the next major version using Red Hat's Leapp in-place upgrade tool
- Purchase Extended Life Cycle Support (ELS) as a short-term migration bridge only
FAQ
When is RHEL 8 end of life?
RHEL 8 full support ended May 31, 2024. RHEL 8.10 (final minor) is in Maintenance Support until May 31, 2029.
When is RHEL 9 end of life?
RHEL 9 full support ends May 31, 2027. Maintenance Support extends to May 31, 2032.
Is RHEL 8.10 the last RHEL 8 release?
Yes. RHEL 8.10, released May 2024, is the final minor release of RHEL 8.
What is RHEL ELS?
ELS is a paid add-on extending security patch coverage beyond the standard 10-year lifecycle for 1–3 additional years. It's a bridge, not a long-term solution.
Live version data and version checker: endoflife.ai/rhel
