The last four digits of the DOT code on the sidewall give the week and year a tyre was made, so 2623 means week 26 of 2023. Enter yours below to see the tyre's age.
Find the four-digit number at the end of the DOT code on the tyre sidewall. The first two digits are the week it was made and the last two are the year, so 2623 means week 26 of 2023.
A tyre marked 2623 was made in week 26 of 2023, the week beginning Monday 26 June 2023. A tyre marked 0519 was made in the fifth week of 2019. The code does not give the exact day, so the checker counts from the start of that week.
On the sidewall, at the end of a string of letters and numbers that starts with DOT. The four digits are often inside a small raised oval.
Pirelli explains that manufacturers mould the full code on either the outer or the inner sidewall, so if you cannot see it on the outside, it may be facing under the car. GOV.UK confirms that tyres sold in Great Britain must have their date of manufacture marked on the sidewall as a four-digit number.
The DOT code is the tyre's full identification number. The date code is only its last four digits.
| DOT | Short for the US Department of Transportation. It marks the start of the tyre identification number. |
|---|---|
| Plant code | The factory where the tyre was made. |
| Size code | A code for the tyre size. |
| Manufacturer's code | An optional code the manufacturer uses for its own product details. |
| Date code | The last four digits: the week, then the year of manufacture. |
Pirelli describes the full code as a series of 7 to 13 letters and numbers. You only need the last four to work out a tyre's age. If the date code has just three digits, the tyre was made before 2000, when a different system was used, and it is far too old to be on a car. The size you order by is a different marking, such as 205/55 R16, which our tyre size calculator explains.
There is no single expiry date, and no legal age limit for car tyres in the UK. Rubber still ages, so the guidance is about checking tyres more closely as they get older.
The NTDA, the UK tyre distributors' association, says many of its members recommend having tyres checked if they are over six years old. It advises that a spare tyre over six years old is only used to get you home, then changed at the earliest opportunity.
Michelin advises having tyres inspected at least once a year after five years in use, and replacing them 10 years after manufacture whatever the tread depth. The NTDA recommends that tyres over 10 years old are checked for damage, wear and other signs of age.
Since 1 February 2021, tyres over 10 years old have been banned from the front steering axles of goods vehicles over 3.5 tonnes, buses and coaches, and from any axle with single wheels on a minibus. The date code on those tyres must stay legible.
The rule for larger vehicles does not cover private cars, but a car tyre of any age still has to be in legal condition, with enough tread and no deep cuts, bulges or exposed cords. Our guide to how old is too old for a tyre goes into the detail.
The date code tells you how long a tyre has existed. Its condition tells you how it has aged. Pirelli notes that how often a tyre is used, the conditions it meets and how it is stored all affect its life.
Sources: GOV.UK on tyre age restrictions and tyre defects in the MOT inspection manual; the DVSA on when the 10-year ban started; the Highway Code, Annex 6; the NTDA on tyre ageing; Pirelli on the DOT code; Michelin on when to replace tyres.
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