How to read a tyre date code and work out its age

Short answer

• Look for the code starting with DOT on the tyre sidewall; it may be on the inner side only.
• The last four digits are the date: the first two are the week, the last two are the year.
• Example: 2523 means week 25 of 2023, so the tyre reaches five years around June 2028.
• In Dubai, tyres more than five years past that date fail the RTA technical test.
• Check the code on every tyre before fitting, because shops have been fined for selling old tyres as new.

In this guide (9 sections)

1. Where is the date code on a tyre?
2. How do I read the 4-digit date code?
3. How do I work out how old my tyre is?
4. What is the five-year limit, exactly?
5. Why does the same tyre cost different amounts by year?
6. Old tyres sold as new: what the law says
7. What should I ask before a tyre is fitted?
8. Is the date code the only thing to check?
9. What to check before you act

Tool · works on your phone

How old is my tyre?

Last four digits of the DOT code

Find the oval with four digits on the sidewall: week first, then year. Example: 3222.

DOT Check age

Example 3222: under five years, with 9 months left

Made

Week 32 of 2022, around 8 August 2022

Age on 23 October 2026

4 years 2 months

Five-year line

Around 8 August 2027

5 yrs

A Dubai car fails the RTA technical test once a tyre is more than five years past its manufacture date. Check all four tyres and the spare.

Every road tyre carries a code that starts with "DOT" on the sidewall. The last four digits of that code are its manufacture date: the first two give the week and the last two give the year. A tyre ending in 2523 was made in week 25 of 2023.

That date matters in the UAE because tyres are treated as expired five years after manufacture. In Dubai, the RTA said in 2020 that a car fails its technical test if its tyres are past that point.

uaetyre.com is an independent guide. We are not affiliated with any government authority, tyre brand or retailer, and we don't sell tyres.

Where is the date code on a tyre?

Look on the sidewall for the letters "DOT" followed by a string of letters and numbers. The date is the final group of four digits, often inside a raised oval or box.

The US regulation that defines this code (49 CFR 574.5) only requires the full code on one sidewall. So on many cars, the date is on the side facing inwards, towards the suspension. If you cannot find it on the outside:

• Turn the steering fully to one side to see more of the front tyres' inner faces.
• Use your phone camera and torch to look behind the wheel.
• Check the spare, which is easy to turn over.

A 2018 Gulf News piece also noted that the date sits on the inner edge of the tyre.

How do I read the 4-digit date code?

The structure is set out in 49 CFR 574.5 for a new tyre:

Part of the code	Length	What it tells you
DOT	3 letters	Shows the tyre is marked to the US standard
Plant code	3 symbols	The factory
Manufacturer's code	6 symbols	Size and other features, chosen by the maker
Date code	4 digits	Week (2 digits) then year (2 digits)

So for a code ending 2523:

• 25 = the 25th week of the year
• 23 = 2023

Week 01 is the first full calendar week of the year. The regulation gives the example "0109", meaning the first full week of 2009 (4 to 10 January 2009).

The UAE press has used the same reading. In 2018, Khaleej Times quoted dubizzle's example: "1712" means week 17 of 2012.

Retreaded tyres have a shorter, 7-symbol code (plant code plus date) and an "R" mark. In the UAE, retreads are allowed only on buses and trucks; see our guide to used and retreaded tyres.

How do I work out how old my tyre is?

Take today's date and subtract the code date. Then compare it with the five-year limit.

Worked example (checked in October 2026)

Code on tyre	Made	Approx. age now	Reaches 5 years	What it means
4226	Week 42, 2026	Brand new	Oct 2031	Fresh stock
0325	Week 3, 2025	About 1 year 9 months	Jan 2030	Fine to fit
3023	Week 30, 2023	About 3 years 3 months	Jul 2028	Less than 2 years left
2221	Week 22, 2021	About 5 years 5 months	Jun 2026	Expired; replace
1712	Week 17, 2012	14 years	Apr 2017	Long expired

To turn a week into a month, divide by about 4.3. Week 22 is around late May or early June. Week 42 is around mid-October.

What is the five-year limit, exactly?

The RTA said in October 2020 that a vehicle will not pass the technical test if its tyres are over five years from the date of manufacture. The same rule appears in the 2012 ESMA tyre scheme, which covered used and unused tyres alike.

So the clock starts at the factory, not at the shop. A tyre that sat in a warehouse for two years has three years of legal life left on the day you fit it. Our guide to the 5-year tyre rule explains where the rule comes from, and the tyre fines guide covers the penalty for driving on expired tyres.

Why does the same tyre cost different amounts by year?

Some sellers list the production year next to each tyre. On one large UAE retailer's 205/55 R16 listing, checked on 23 October 2026, the Michelin Primacy 5 appeared twice:

Listing	Production year	Fitted price per tyre
Primacy 5 205/55 R16 94V	2025	Dh519.47
Primacy 5 205/55 R16 91V	2026	Dh597.71

The two listings also differ in load index (94 vs 91), so this is not a perfect like-for-like comparison. But it shows why you should check what year you are paying for. A cheaper, older tyre may be a fair deal if you will wear it out well before it turns five. If you drive little, a newer tyre may outlast it. Our tyre prices guide has a wider snapshot.

Old tyres sold as new: what the law says

This is not just a theoretical risk. In September 2012, DriveArabia reported (from an Al Ittihad story) that the Ministry of Economy had fined some tyre shops Dh100,000 under consumer protection law for selling old tyres as new. That story is old, but the advice from it still holds: check the date code yourself before you pay.

A 2018 Gulf News feature suggested new tyres should be under 150 days old. That figure is advice from the article, not a regulation. We found no UAE rule that sets a maximum age for new stock.

What should I ask before a tyre is fitted?

Before the old tyre comes off:

1. Ask the shop for the production year of the exact tyres they will fit.
2. Ask to see the tyres before fitting, and read the date code yourself.
3. Make sure all tyres on the same axle are the same model and similar age.
4. Check the date on the invoice matches what you saw.
5. If you have a full-size spare, check its date at the same time.

Is the date code the only thing to check?

No. Age is one test; condition is another. A tyre under five years old can still be unsafe if it is worn, cut, cracked or bulging. In 2018, Khaleej Times reported RTA advice to replace tyres sooner than five years if the tread drops below 1.6 mm or the sidewall has cracks or cuts.

Our guide to checking tread, bulges and cracks covers the rest of a five-minute check.

What to check before you act

• Find the DOT code on all four tyres and the spare; look on the inner side if needed.
• Read the last four digits as week, then year.
• Count five years forward to find the expiry month.
• Before buying, ask for the production year and read the code on the actual tyres.
• Remember the week number is not a month.
• Rules can change. We checked these sources on 23 October 2026.

Explainer

What the markings on a tyre mean

An example sidewall, drawn for this site. Tap a number to jump to its meaning. Your tyre's markings will differ; the layout is similar on most car tyres.

1. 1 Size 275/60 R20

   275 is the width in millimetres. 60 is the sidewall height as a percentage of the width (here 165 mm). R means radial. 20 is the wheel diameter in inches. It must match the size on the label in your driver's door frame or your manual.

2. 2 Load index and speed rating 116H

   116 is a load index: up to 1,250 kg per tyre. H is a speed rating: up to 210 km/h. When you replace tyres, match or exceed the originals. RoadSafetyUAE advises staying within a tyre's load and speed ratings.

3. 3 DOT code (tyre identification number)

   "DOT" is followed by a plant code and a manufacturer's code, then the date code. The full code is sometimes moulded on one side only, so check the inner sidewall if you can't find it.

4. 4 Date code 3222

   The last four digits, usually in an oval: week, then year. 3222 means week 32 of 2022. In the UAE the five-year line runs from this date. Work out your tyre's age.

5. 5 Maximum pressure

   The most the tyre can safely hold, not the pressure to run it at. Use the figure on your door label, checked when the tyres are cold. See tyre pressure in UAE heat.

6. 6 Tread wear indicator (TWI)

   A small triangle or "TWI" on the shoulder marks where the wear bars sit in the grooves. When the tread is level with the bars, it is down to 1.6 mm, the legal minimum for cars in the UAE. See the five-minute tyre check.

Questions people ask

General information only, not legal or mechanical advice. Rules, fines and prices change; check with the RTA, your local police or a qualified fitter before you act. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.

Sources

1. 49 CFR 574.5 Tire identification requirements (Cornell Legal Information Institute)checked 23 October 2026
2. How to maintain vehicle tyres during summer in UAE (Khaleej Times, 2018)checked 23 October 2026
3. RTA carries field inspection of vehicle tyres in Dubai (Government of Dubai Media Office, 2020)checked 23 October 2026
4. Some UAE tyre dealers selling old tyres as new (DriveArabia, 2012)checked 23 October 2026
5. 205/55 R16 tyres (PitStopArabia listing)checked 23 October 2026
6. New car tyres should be less than 150 days old (Gulf News, 2018)checked 23 October 2026