How do I tell how old my tyres are?

Find the DOT code on the sidewall. The last four digits are the week and year the tyre was made, so 1523 means the 15th week of 2023. The date may only be on one side, so check the inner sidewall if you can't see it.

Is it illegal to drive on tyres over 10 years old?

Not on a car. Since February 2021, tyres over 10 years old have been banned in Great Britain on the front axles of lorries over 3.5 tonnes, buses and coaches, and on single-fitted wheels of minibuses. For cars, the legal rules are about tread depth and condition, not age.

How long do tyres last if you don't drive much?

Age, not wear, usually decides. Michelin advises a professional check every year once tyres have had five years of use, and Michelin and Continental both recommend replacing tyres 10 years after they were made. The Caravan and Motorhome Club recommends replacing caravan tyres at five years and never using them beyond seven.

Can a new tyre already be a few years old?

Yes. Tyres spend time in storage before they're sold. Continental says a properly stored, unused tyre up to five years old can be sold as new. If you'd prefer a recent one, check the date code before it's fitted.

Choosing tyres

How old is too old for tyres?

5 min read · Updated 6 October 2026

Tread isn't the only thing that wears out. Rubber ages whether the car is driven or not, so a tyre with plenty of tread can still be past its best. Here's how to tell how old your tyres are, and what the law and the tyre makers say about it.

How to find a tyre's age

Look on the sidewall for the letters DOT followed by a string of letters and numbers. The last four digits are the date the tyre was made: the first two are the week, the last two are the year. So 1523 means the 15th week of 2023.

Check both sides. The date may only be on one sidewall, so if you can't find it, it may be on the side facing under the car.
A three-digit code means the tyre was made before 2000. That's far older than any maker recommends for road use.
Age counts from when it was made, not from when it was fitted.

The rest of the markings are explained in how to read a tyre sidewall.

Why age matters, even with good tread

Rubber changes over time. Sunlight, heat and the air itself slowly harden it and make it less flexible, and eventually fine cracks can appear in the sidewall. That happens whether the car is used or not. In fact, tyres on a vehicle that stands still for long periods age faster than tyres in regular use, especially in strong sun or near the coast. A tyre carrying the same weight on the same spot for months is also under strain in that one place.

The catch is that an old tyre can look fine. Cracks show on the outside, but changes in the structure inside the tyre don't. That's why the date is worth checking on its own, not just the tread.

What the law says

For cars, there's no legal age limit. A car tyre is legal as long as it has at least 1.6mm of tread across the central three-quarters, all the way round, and no serious damage such as deep cuts, bulges or exposed cords.

The age limit that does exist is for larger vehicles. Since 1 February 2021, the law in Great Britain has banned tyres more than 10 years old on:

the front axles of lorries over 3.5 tonnes, and of buses and coaches
any wheel of a minibus that's fitted singly, rather than as a twin pair

On those vehicles the date code also has to be legible. None of this applies to cars or to vans up to 3.5 tonnes, but the reasoning behind it, that tyres deteriorate with age as well as use, applies to every tyre.

What tyre makers advise

There's no single agreed cut-off. TyreSafe, the UK tyre safety charity, says there's no technical data that supports one specific age for taking a tyre out of service, but recommends following the vehicle or tyre maker's advice where they give it. The big tyre makers broadly agree:

From five years, have them checked. Michelin advises having tyres checked by a professional at least once a year once they've had five years of use.
At ten years, replace them. Michelin and Continental both recommend replacing tyres 10 years after they were made, whatever the tread looks like. Michelin says that includes the spare.
In between, look at them monthly. Continental says regular inspection matters more the longer a tyre stays in service.

On a car that's used every day, most tyres wear out long before they reach that age. Age mostly matters for vehicles that don't do many miles.

Spares, caravans, motorhomes and classics

The oldest tyres are usually the ones that hardly get used.

The spare wheel. A spare that's never touched the road can be the oldest tyre on the car. Check its date and its pressure when you check the others.
Caravans. They cover few miles, so the tyres age out long before they wear out. The Caravan and Motorhome Club recommends replacing caravan tyres at five years old and never using them beyond seven. Tyres that run at 50 psi or more should be checked from three years old and replaced at five.
Motorhomes. They often stand for months at a time, so check the date codes and follow the vehicle and tyre makers' advice rather than going by the tread.
Classic and weekend cars. Same story: low miles and a lot of standing. A deep tread on a car that only comes out in summer says nothing about how old the tyres are.

If a vehicle is going to stand for a long time, TyreSafe suggests covering the tyres to keep the sun off and, if you can, taking the weight off them.

"New" tyres that have been in stock

A new tyre won't have been made last week. It goes through warehouses and stock rooms first. Stored properly, somewhere cool, dry and out of direct light, a tyre ages very slowly, and Continental says an unused tyre up to five years old that's been stored that way can be sold as new. If you'd rather have a recent one, ask what dates the fitter has in stock and check the code before it goes on.

Signs a tyre is past it

Fine cracks in the sidewall.
A bulge, lump or anything that changes the tyre's shape.
A tyre that loses air faster than it used to.
A new vibration or noise while you're driving.

If you see any of these, have the tyre looked at by a fitter, whatever its date. A bulge means replace it, not keep an eye on it.

Buying second-hand to save money? A used tyre can be older than it looks. Here's what to know about part-worn tyres.