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Is your car seat expired?

Car seats expire 6 to 12 years after manufacture, depending on the brand. Pick your brand, enter the date from the seat's label, and get an instant answer plus what to do next.

Expiration rules by brand

7โ€“10 yrs๐Ÿš—

Graco

10 years from date of manufacture for most current seats, 7 years for some models

6โ€“10 yrs๐Ÿš—

Chicco

6 years for infant seats, 8 years for most convertibles and boosters, 10 years for the Fit4

6โ€“10 yrs๐Ÿš—

Britax

6 years for infant seats, 9 years for harness-2-booster seats, 10 years for convertibles, all-in-ones, and boosters

6โ€“10 yrs๐Ÿš—

Evenflo

10 years for seats made from January 2025 on; older seats mostly 6 years (8 for Symphony, Transitions, and Evolve)

8โ€“12 yrs๐Ÿš—

Safety 1st

8 to 12 years depending on the product; the Grow and Go line is good for 10 years

8โ€“10 yrs๐Ÿš—

Cosco

8 years for the Scenera NEXT, 10 years for the Finale DX; the do-not-use-after date is marked on the seat

8โ€“12 yrs๐Ÿš—

Maxi-Cosi

8 to 12 years depending on the product; Mico infant seats 8 years, Pria and Emme 360 10 years

7โ€“10 yrs๐Ÿš—

Nuna

7 years for PIPA infant seats, 10 years for Nuna's convertibles, all-in-ones, rotating seats and boosters

7โ€“10 yrs๐Ÿš—

UPPAbaby

7 years for the MESA V2, MESA MAX and ARIA infant seats, 10 years for the MESA V3, ROVE and KNOX, 8 years for the ALTA booster

6โ€“10 yrs๐Ÿš—

Cybex

6 to 10 years depending on the seat; infant seats 6 years, Sirona S 10 years

9 yrs๐Ÿš—

Clek

9 years from date of manufacture for every Clek seat

8โ€“10 yrs๐Ÿš—

Diono

10 years for Radian seats, 8 for boosters and LiteClik 30 infant seats, counted from purchase

7โ€“12 yrs๐Ÿš—

Peg Perego

Since 2023: 7 years for infant seats, 10 for convertibles, 12 for boosters, from the date of purchase

6โ€“10 yrs๐Ÿš—

Baby Trend

6 years for most infant seats, 7 for EZ-Lift and Secure-Lift and harnessed convertibles, up to 10 for backless boosters

6 yrs๐Ÿš—

Doona

6 years from the date of manufacture, per Doona's own guidance

7 yrs๐Ÿš—

WAYB

7 years from the date of manufacture for the Pico, WAYB's only car seat

Why trust the label, not your memory

Most parents count from the day they bought the seat. Manufacturers count from the day it left the factory, which can be a year earlier. The only date that matters is the date of manufacture printed on the seat itself, so start there. Our checker applies each brand's current published policy and links to the manufacturer's own page so you can verify.

If your seat is expired, don't donate or resell it. See how to recycle or dispose of an expired car seat, including Target trade-in events that turn it into a discount on a new one.

Frequently asked questions

Do car seats really expire?
Yes. Every major manufacturer stamps a useful life of 6 to 12 years on their seats. Plastic fatigues through heat cycles, safety standards evolve, and recall support ends. The expiration date is printed on a label on the seat shell or base.
Where do I find my car seat's expiration date?
Look for a white sticker on the back or bottom of the shell, or molded text in the plastic. It shows the date of manufacture and usually an explicit expiration date. If only the manufacture date is listed, add the brand's useful-life period to it.
Is it illegal to use an expired car seat?
No US state explicitly fines parents for an expired seat, but using one can violate the requirement to use a seat according to manufacturer instructions, and an expired seat may fail in a crash. Retailers and checkpoints will refuse it. Replace it.
Can I use a car seat after a minor crash?
NHTSA allows reuse only after a truly minor crash: you could drive away, the door nearest the seat was undamaged, nobody was injured, airbags did not deploy, and the seat shows no damage. Several brands are stricter and say replace after any crash.

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