Finding the date on a convertible or all-in-one car 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 base
  2. Side of the shell, below the cover edge
  3. Back of the shell

Checking each spot

  1. Tip the seat back and check the underside of the base — the moulded-in date wheel or a printed label.
  2. Run a hand under the cover edge on the side of the shell: labels often sit just under the fabric line.
  3. Check the back of the shell. On taller shells the label can be high on the back, under the headrest.

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.