Tyre age checker
Every tyre carries a four-digit date code: the week, then the year it was made. In the UAE the five-year line runs from that date. Enter the code to see where your tyre stands.
Tool · works on your phone
How old is my tyre?
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
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.
How the checker works
- The first two digits are the week (01 to 52, occasionally 53); the last two are the year. 3222 means week 32 of 2022.
- We take the Monday of that week as the manufacture date, so results are accurate to within a few days.
- The five-year line is five years from that date. The RTA said in October 2020 that a car fails the technical test if its tyres are more than five years from manufacture.
- A three-digit code means the tyre was made before 2000.
Where the five-year rule comes from
| Claim you'll hear | What the sources say | Source |
|---|---|---|
| “Abu Dhabi rejects tyres at 3 years.” | Unconfirmed Only a retailer blog says this, with no source. Abu Dhabi Police statements we found refer to expired tyres and the same Dh500 fine, with no 3-year limit. | Abu Dhabi: Dh500 fine for tyres past their expiry date (Gulf News, Jul 2022)Jul 2022 · checked 23 October 2026 |
| “Shops can't sell tyres more than 2 years old.” | Not a UAE rule we can find No UAE regulation is cited by the pages that say it. The 24-month rule that turns up in searches is Qatar's, from 2011. | New norms for sale and import of tyres (Gulf Times, 2011, Qatar)2011 · checked 23 October 2026 |
| “New tyres must be under 150 days old.” | Advice, not a rule The figure comes from a mechanic quoted in a 2018 Gulf News feature. No authority is named. Asking for fresh stock is sensible, but it isn't law. | New car tyres should be less than 150 days old (Gulf News, 2018)2018 · checked 23 October 2026 |
| “An unused spare doesn't expire.” | False ESMA's 2012 scheme said tyres expire five years after manufacture, used or unused. | Safety norms for tyres to be tightened in UAE (Gulf News; 2012 scheme)2012 scheme · checked 23 October 2026 |
| “Tyres are fine for 6 to 10 years.” | Not for the UAE test You will see 6- and 10-year figures in general tyre-care advice, but the RTA test fails tyres more than five years past manufacture. | RTA carries field inspection of vehicle tyres in Dubai (Dubai Media Office, 6 Oct 2020)Oct 2020 · checked 23 October 2026 |
| “Plenty of tread means the tyre is legal.” | False Age and condition count too. An expired, cracked or cut tyre fails even with deep tread. | RTA carries field inspection of vehicle tyres in Dubai (Dubai Media Office, 6 Oct 2020)Oct 2020 · checked 23 October 2026 |
Full background: UAE tyre expiry: the 5-year rule and where it comes from, and how to read a tyre date code.
General information only. The checker does arithmetic on the code you type; it can't see your tyre. Age is one check among several: tread depth, cracks, bulges and pressure matter too.