Every car seat brand sets its own expiration rules, and the differences are bigger than most parents expect. One brand gives you 6 years. Another gives you 12. Some count from the day the seat was made, a couple count from the day you bought it, and a few change the number from one model to the next. Pick your brand below to see its exact rules, where the date is printed on its seats, what the brand says after a crash, and whether its seats can fly. Not sure of your manufacture date yet? Start with our Baby Car Seat Expiration Checker and come back here for the detail behind the answer.
Expiration Rules by Brand
- Graco: 7 to 10 years from manufacture
- Britax: 6 to 10 years from manufacture
- Chicco: 6 to 10 years from manufacture
- Evenflo: 6 to 10 years from manufacture, 10 for seats made from January 2025
- Nuna: 7 years for PIPA infant seats, 10 for everything else
- Cybex: 6 to 10 years from manufacture
- Clek: 9 years for every seat
- Diono: 8 to 10 years from purchase
- Peg Perego: 7 to 12 years from purchase
- Safety 1st: 8 to 12 years from manufacture
- Maxi-Cosi: 8 to 12 years from manufacture
- Cosco: 8 to 10 years from manufacture
- UPPAbaby: 7 to 10 years from manufacture
- Baby Trend: 6 to 10 years from production
- Doona: 6 years from manufacture
- WAYB: 7 years from manufacture
Whatever the brand, one rule never changes: the date printed on your own seat beats every chart, including this one. If the label on your seat and a brand rule ever disagree, follow the seat. For the full picture of why these dates exist, read our guide on car seat expiration.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q.1 Which car seat brand lasts the longest?
Peg Perego seats last up to 12 years from the purchase date, and Safety 1st and Maxi-Cosi go up to 12 years from the manufacture date. Those are the longest windows of any brand on this page. Doona sits at the other end with 6 years from manufacture. Remember that the date printed on your own seat beats every chart, including this one.
Q.2 Do all car seat brands expire?
Yes. Every brand sets a lifespan, usually between 6 and 12 years. The plastic shell degrades over time, replacement parts become hard to find, and safety standards move on. No brand sells a seat that lasts forever.
Q.3 Does the expiration clock start on the manufacture date or the purchase date?
For most brands, the clock starts on the manufacture date printed on the seat’s label. Diono and Peg Perego are the exceptions: they count from the purchase date, so keep your receipt somewhere safe.
Q.4 Where do I find the expiration date on my car seat?
Check the sticker or embossed label on the seat itself. Most brands print it on the bottom, the back, or the side of the shell. Each brand page linked above shows exactly where to look for that brand.
Q.5 Can I keep using a car seat after it expires?
No. An expired seat can have weakened plastic, missing parts, and outdated crash-test standards. If the label on your seat and a brand chart ever disagree, follow the seat.