How to Check if Your Expired At-Home COVID Test Is Still Good to Use

Now that allergy season is here, many are finding themselves with symptoms asking: Is it allergies or a cold? COVID? Something else? Since allergies, colds and COVID can have symptoms that overlap, it can be difficult to figure out what you have. That’s when an at-home COVID test can come in handy. Even if yours says it’s expired, many tests have had their shelf lives extended past the expiration date.

To determine whether your COVID test is still usable, you can check the at-home COVID-19 tests listed on the FDA’s website to see which brands have had their shelf lives extended.  

What do COVID-19 test expiration dates mean?

The expiration date listed on your box of COVID-19 tests is the last day the test is expected to perform effectively. Generally, the FDA authorizes at-home test kits with a shelf life of about four to six months, but that shelf life could be extended if the manufacturer finds more data that shows the tests are still accurate past the expiration date. 

Can I use a COVID test kit after it expires?

Unless the FDA has extended the shelf life of your box of COVID-19 tests, it’s not recommended you use them after they’ve expired. Here’s why: The COVID-19 test parts could degrade or break down over time, leading to inaccurate or invalid test results.

See below to find out if your box of COVID-19 tests is still OK to use, as it’s possible the expiration date has been extended.

How do I know if the shelf life of my COVID tests has been extended?

If the manufacturer finds that the shelf life is longer than the expected four to six months, it can request that the FDA authorize an extended expiration date. Once that happens, the manufacturer may notify customers of the new expiration dates. However, if you didn’t buy the tests via the manufacturer, you likely won’t receive any notifications.

For the latest information on the expiration dates for your COVID-19 test kits, be sure to check the FDA’s At-Home OTC COVID-19 Diagnostic Tests webpage.

On that page, the FDA page lists COVID-19 tests alphabetically, or you can use a search box to find your test directly. In the far right column of a table, the FDA lists the shelf life for each test and whether it’s been extended. If the expiration date has been extended, an additional link is sometimes provided with information on the exact expiration dates for specific test lots. 

The links below include lot numbers and expiration dates for the brands of at-home COVID-19 tests that have had their expiration dates extended by the FDA.

If you don’t see anything on the FDA page, you can also check the manufacturer to see if they’ve posted a letter from the FDA that their tests have been extended.

How to find lot number on COVID test

You can find the lot number for your at-home COVID test on its box, usually on a sticker with its expiration date. It may be a combination of both numbers and letters. According to the FDA, “If your lot number and/or original expiration date do not appear, or if the Expiration Date column states ‘Expiration Date: See box label,’ do not use the test beyond the original expiration date on your test.”