Basics

Automatic Exercise

By Ryan Silk & Lawrence Polatchek · Reviewed April 2026 · Options Trading Glossary

ITM options auto-exercise at expiration

What is Automatic Exercise?

Automatic Exercise Options that are in-the-money by $0.01 or more at expiration are automatically exercised by the OCC (Options Clearing Corporation) unless the holder instructs otherwise.

Complete Definition

Options that are in-the-money by $0.01 or more at expiration are automatically exercised by the OCC (Options Clearing Corporation) unless the holder instructs otherwise.

Related Terms

Exercise Occ Expiration Date

Written by

ApexVol Research Team

Quantitative options research

All calculations use live ORATS institutional data — the same source used by professional volatility desks.

Technical reviewer

Ryan Silk, ApexVol Founder

Reviewed for technical accuracy

10+ years trading options. Built ApexVol's pricing engine, Greeks model, and IV-rank methodology.

This guide is updated as market conditions and ORATS data change. Last revised 2026-05-12. How we research →

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