Why Do Car Seats Expire? What Should I Do With An Expired Seat?

Car seats and boosters have an expiration date! They expire for three main reasons:
-The materials can degrade and wear out over time and use
-The seat may be discontinued by the manufacturer, so replacement parts are no longer available
-Safety standards may be updated to reflect new or better knowledge on how to keep kids safer!
Expiration date varies by car seat, but is usually between 6 and 10 years from the date of manufacture: check your seat’s manual and labels!
If you have an expired car seat on your hands, cut the harness straps and any other part you can cut, write “EXPIRED: DO NOT USE” on the shell with a permanent marker, and bag it up for the trash. This ensures that nobody else can pick the seat up and try to use it for their child.