In general, car seats expire between 6 and 10 years from the date of manufacture. They expire for a number of reasons, including wear and tear, changing regulations, recalls, and the limits of manufacturer testing.

Is it OK to use expired car seat?

NHTSA says there is no regulation prohibiting parents from using an expired car seat and most states don't say anything about a car seat's expiration in their laws. But many states' car seats laws do require a parent to use the car seat per the manufacturer's instructions.

How long after expiration date can you use car seat?

Expired car seats may not adequately protect riders in the event of a crash. That's why the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) urges parents to avoid using car seats that are past their use-by dates, or seats without expiration dates that are more than six years from date of manufacture.