The tire DOT number is not sexy, exciting or very cool for that matter. But it can be very useful if you understand what the numbers mean. All tire manufactures are required by our federal law to stamp the tires specs as well as the DOT numbers on the sidewall of each tire that is sold in the United States. This includes details about the tires characteristics, construction, various capacities (including load, speed, inflation pressure, etc.) as well as the DOT tire identification number.
According to current regulations the DOT tire identification MUST start with the letters DOT. The number is 10,11, or 12 digits long and can be a combination of letters, numbers or symbols. The last four digits are always numbers and it is a date code. For instance the numbers 1320 means the tires were made in the13th week of 2020. The DOT number is used for a safety standard certification and is used also in the event of a safety recall. The DOT number is used to identify the manufactures production batches. The complete Dot number is only stamped on one side of the tire. If the tire does not have a complete DOT number stamped on one side it does not meet the US federal guidelines for safety. When you purchase new tires the seller should register your tires for you so you can be informed when or if there is a safety recall.