Finding the date on a booster seat

You're looking for two things: the date of manufacture (month and year, on a label — federal law puts it there) and the maker's useful-life statement ("Do not use this child restraint after…"), which is in the manual or moulded into the shell.

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Typical places the date-of-manufacture label sits on this kind of seat:
  1. Underside of the seat
  2. Back of the backrest (highback) or under the arm (backless)

Checking each spot

  1. Flip it over: on most boosters the date is on the underside of the seat, printed or moulded into the plastic.
  2. On a highback booster, also check the back of the backrest; on a backless one, under the armrest.

Found it — now read it

Date of manufacture + the maker's stated useful life = the expiration date. Your brand's stated figure is here, in the maker's own words, or use the checker. The label on your seat is authoritative; this page is a reference.

Can't find a date anywhere? Don't guess from the seat's looks — ask the maker with the model name and the numbers on any label you can find. Worn or missing labels are also on NHTSA's used-seat checklist as a reason to pass on a second-hand seat.