Tire Date Code Checker
The last four digits after “DOT” on a tire’s sidewall are the week and year it was made. Type them for each tire to see how old it is.
How old are your tires?Type the last four digits after “DOT” on each tire’s sidewall: the week each was made, its age and how far apart the four were made appear here.
What NHTSA and the tire makers say, in their own words
Where the code is
DOT XBG U2LL LMLR 2319
The date code is the last group: 23 is the week, 19 the year (week 23 of 2019). The federal rule puts the full code on one sidewall; the other may carry a shorter code with no date, so look on both sides, the inner one too.
The week rule is 49 CFR 574.5: week 01 is the first full Sunday-to-Saturday week of the year. Read 2026-10-03 with NHTSA’s and Michelin’s, Continental’s and Bridgestone’s own pages.
Quick answer: the last four digits after “DOT” on a tire’s sidewall are the week and year it was made: 2319 means week 23 of 2019, Sunday, June 9 to Saturday, June 15. Michelin, Continental and Bridgestone say to replace a tire ten years after it was made, the spare included.
How to use it
Find “DOT” on each tire’s sidewall and type the last group of the code, four digits, into the box for that tire; add the spare if you can reach it. Each tire gets its week of manufacture as dates and its age, and the answer is about the oldest one. If you type all four, it also says how far apart they were made: one tire much older than the rest is often a replacement or a spare put back on. Under it are NHTSA’s and the tire makers’ own words for a tire that age, and the link keeps your codes.
How to read the date code
The federal rule, 49 CFR 574.5, says: The date code, consisting of four numerical symbols, is the final group. The date code must identify the week and year of manufacture.
The first two digits are the week and the last two the year, and the weeks are not counted from January 1: The first and second symbols of the date code must identify the week of the year by using “01” for the first full calendar week in each year, “02” for the second full calendar week, and so on. The calendar week runs from Sunday through the following Saturday.
The rule’s own example: 0109 means the tire was manufactured in the first full calendar week of 2009, or the week beginning on Sunday, January 4, 2009, and ending on Saturday, January 10, 2009.
So a year has 52 full weeks, or 53 when it has 53 Sundays, and a code of three digits is from before 2000.
Where week 01 falls each year, and how many weeks the year has:
| Year | Week 01 (date code 01YY) | Weeks |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Sunday, January 3 – Saturday, January 9 | 52 |
| 2017 | Sunday, January 1 – Saturday, January 7 | 53 |
| 2018 | Sunday, January 7 – Saturday, January 13 | 52 |
| 2019 | Sunday, January 6 – Saturday, January 12 | 52 |
| 2020 | Sunday, January 5 – Saturday, January 11 | 52 |
| 2021 | Sunday, January 3 – Saturday, January 9 | 52 |
| 2022 | Sunday, January 2 – Saturday, January 8 | 52 |
| 2023 | Sunday, January 1 – Saturday, January 7 | 53 |
| 2024 | Sunday, January 7 – Saturday, January 13 | 52 |
| 2025 | Sunday, January 5 – Saturday, January 11 | 52 |
| 2026 | Sunday, January 4 – Saturday, January 10 | 52 |
How old is too old: what NHTSA and the makers say
NHTSA: As tires age, they are more prone to failure.
and Some vehicle and tire manufacturers recommend replacing tires that are six to 10 years old, regardless of treadwear.
The makers’ own pages, read on October 3, 2026:
| Maker | Replace at | Before that |
|---|---|---|
| Michelin | 10 years after manufacture, spare included | Inspected at least once a year after 5 years of service |
| Continental | More than 10 years old, spare included | — |
| Bridgestone | After 10 years, whatever the tread | Older than 6 years and showing aging: ask a tire expert |
A carmaker may give its own age. Continental: Some vehicle manufacturers may recommend a different chronological age at which to replace a tire. Such guidance comes from their understanding of the specific vehicle application; Continental recommends drivers to pay heed to these instructions.
Worked examples
One tire, 2319. Week 23 of 2019 is Sunday, June 9 to Saturday, June 15, 2019 (that year’s first full week began on January 6). On October 3, 2026 it was 7.3 years old: past Bridgestone’s 6 years for an expert’s look if it shows aging, short of the 10 years all three makers give.
Four tires: 3522, 3522, 3622 and 1419. Three were made a week apart in 2022; the fourth was made in April 2019, 3.4 years before the newest. The oldest one, made in April 2019, sets the answer: 7.4 years old on October 3, 2026.
A spare, 1014. Week 10 of 2014, March 9–15: over 12 years old, past the 10 years Michelin and Continental apply to spares too.
A code of 5320. There is no week 53 in 2020: its first full week began on January 5, so it has 52. Look at the code again: it may be 5230 or 2350.
Common mistakes
- Reading the first digits. The date is the last group of the DOT code; the groups before it name the plant and the tire.
- Looking at one side only. The full code is on one sidewall; the other may carry a code without the date, so check the inner side too. NHTSA:
Look on both sides of the tire. The TIN may not be on both sides.
- Counting week 01 from January 1. It is the first full Sunday-to-Saturday week, so 0121 is January 3–9, 2021.
- Forgetting the spare. NHTSA:
Spare tires on all vehicles are prone to aging because they seldom get replaced.
- Judging age by the tread. NHTSA:
You cannot detect tire aging simply by looking at your tires.
More for the trip
Check the tires along with the rest of the road trip essentials, and see how to prepare for a road trip to Florida. For cold-weather drives, read winter road trips and the gear that makes them safe; for the long haul, the cross-country national parks road trip. Buying a car for the trip? The Used Car Analyzer reads the same codes, and the Road Trip Cost Calculator prices the drive.
FAQ
How do you read a tire date code?
Find “DOT” on the sidewall and read the last group of four digits: the first two are the week and the last two the year. 2319 is week 23 of 2019. Week 01 is the year’s first full week, Sunday to Saturday.
What is a DOT tire code?
The Tire Identification Number, molded on the sidewall after the letters DOT: up to 13 characters naming the plant and the tire, ending with the four-digit date code. The federal rule puts the full code on one sidewall.
How to tell how old tires are?
Type each tire’s last four DOT digits into the checker: it gives the week each was made and its age today. By eye you cannot: NHTSA says tire aging cannot be detected simply by looking at your tires.
Where is the tire manufacture date?
At the end of the DOT code on the sidewall. The full code with the date is on at least one side; the other side may carry a shorter code without it, so look on the inner sidewall if you cannot find the date outside.
What tire age is too old?
Michelin, Continental and Bridgestone say to replace a tire 10 years after it was made, spares included. Michelin wants a yearly inspection after 5 years of service, and Bridgestone an expert’s look past 6 years if it shows aging.
What does a 3-digit tire date code mean?
The tire was made before 2000, when the code had three digits. Bridgestone says such a tire should be replaced due to age.
Is there a tire age chart?
The table above gives week 01 of each year from 2016 to 2026 and how many weeks each year has. The checker does the rest: type a code and it gives that week’s dates.