Is It Illegal to Use Expired Car Seat

When it comes to safety and protection the legalities should not be concerned. What does it mean?

If your car is in need of repair, or you have poor maintenance, you might question the laws regarding it, right? One such question is, is it illegal to use expired car seats or not?

Although driving a car that has an expired car seat is not illegal, you should NEVER choose to drive a car with a poor car seat. It’s important to note that many states have strict laws about it that one must need to know before driving on roads.

Ironically, the car seats/ child safety seats can potentially save you from collateral damage up to 70%. So it makes more sense that using durable and working car seats are important whenever you drive.

And when you are driving with family and kids, the vulnerability of being safe becomes even more intense. If you are using an expired child safety seat, it won’t put you in the illegal zone, but it can cause the potential damage or accident that can certainly put you in the hospital emergency!

Therefore, if the car seats have reached a certain expiry date level, you must replace them with the efficient ones.

When car seats expire? Few common signs

There is no complex reason to it, the car seats will expire when it reaches its expiry date. The expired car seat means it is not efficient to maintain the safety of the person and can’t protect the rider in case of violent crash. Here are the signs that the car seat has expired:

• Usually the car seat manufacturer keeps on updating the design for the sake of safety. So if you are using the older features like LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children), it means the seat needs a replacement.
• If the car seats have worn out or damaged parts it is another sign that the seat has now expired. You can check if the plastic is brittle due to temperature or whatever reason. Broken or cracked seats are expired.
• The damage in the seat for whatever reason is another sign that the seat has now expired. For example, if your car has been involved in some crash or collision, the seats may get impacted.

Car Seat Expiration Laws

The car seat expiration laws readily depend on the state or country you are living in. However, some states have quite strict laws for the safety of the passengers and kids. Whatever the law is, you must always make sure that the car seat is not expired or damaged. Certainly that saves you from falling into any legal issues the most.

How do I know the date of manufacture in the car seat?

The date of manufacture (DOM) is usually mentioned on the car seat shell. If you can’t find it there, it must be on the same label.  You need to check the DOM under the car seat or on the stamp on the frame. You can also check that out in the car’s manual or the handbook that comes along.

Is there any way to get rid of the car seat?

Yes, you can submit the car seat to the recycling center as the best solution. For that you need to carefully detach the sea fabric, foam padding, and the straps. After that, dissemble its metal components and place it in the recycling bin.

Never donate your expired car seat to anyone. It’s a safety concern and you don’t want to stake anyone’s life by giving it to someone who needs it. Likewise, when you are accepting the older car seat (pre-loved) make sure they are not expired.