Luckily, decoding a tire and determining the tires age is a pretty straightforward process, as a standardized 10-digit Tire Identification Number (often called a DOT number) was mandated by the United States Department of Transportation in 1971.

Where is the manufacture date on tires?

Remember that the last four digits of the code are the date the tire was manufactured. You can check the first two digits of the DOT code to know the week of the manufacturing. The last two digits will reveal the manufacturing year.

Are Tyres dated?

Tyres are considered to be “new” and fit for retail up to 5 years from the date of production. The first two digits tell you the week number and the last two indicate the year the tyre was manufactured. In the example below the age code is 3909. This means the tyre was made in the 39th week of the year 2009.