How long are car seats good for?

Between 6 to 10 years from the date of manufacture for the seats GarageDex lists. The maker sets the number for each model and prints it in the manual, and often on the seat's label.

Do car seats expire from the purchase date or the manufacture date?

Most makers count from the date of manufacture printed on the seat's label, so a seat bought new can already be a year or more into its life. Diono counts from the date of purchase instead.

Car seat expiration dates by brand and model

Car seats expire a set number of years after the date of manufacture printed on their label, and the number depends on the model: 6 to 10 years across the 223 seats listed here from 18 brands. Each lifespan below is quoted from the maker's own page or manual, with a link to it. Diono counts from the date of purchase instead.

Check your seat

Pick your seat, then the date of manufacture from its label.

Seat

Month madeYear made

Pick your seat first.

Key takeaways

Count from the date of manufacture on the label, not the day you bought the seat. A seat that sat in a warehouse for a year has a year less left.
Lifespans differ inside one brand, so check your exact model name: an infant seat and a booster from the same maker can be years apart.
Some seats list two lifespans, a shorter one with the harness and a longer one as a booster.
If the label already prints an expiration date, use that date.

Car seat lifespans by brand
Brand	Seats listed	Lifespan
Graco	46	7 to 10 years
Baby Trend	29	6 to 10 years
Britax	28	6 to 10 years
Chicco	24	6 to 10 years
Safety 1st	23	8 to 10 years
Maxi-Cosi	14	8 to 10 years
Cybex	9	6 to 10 years
Diono	9	10 years
Clek	7	9 years
Cosco	7	8 to 10 years
Evenflo	6	6 to 10 years
Nuna	6	10 years
UPPAbaby	6	7 to 10 years
Harmony	3	6 years
Mifold	2	7 years
Peg Perego	2	7 years
Doona	1	6 years
WAYB	1	7 years

Where to find the date of manufacture

Look for a white sticker on the plastic shell, usually on the back, the side or underneath. It lists the model number and the date of manufacture, and newer seats often print the expiration date on the same label or stamp it into the plastic.

When to replace a seat before it expires

After a moderate or severe crash. NHTSA lists the conditions under which a seat can stay in use after a minor one: car seat use after a crash.
When the label with the date of manufacture is missing and the maker cannot tell you the date from the serial number.
When the seat has a recall that has not been fixed. Register the seat with its maker so recall notices reach you.
When your child is past the seat's height or weight limit, whatever the date.

Before you throw an expired seat out, cut the harness straps and write EXPIRED on the shell so nobody picks it up and uses it.

Every lifespan on this page is quoted from the seat maker's own product page, manual or expiration guide, and the quote was checked against that page on the date shown. If the label on your seat prints an expiration date, that date wins.