Sidewall-to-tire register

Tire DOT Code Scanner — Read the TIN and Manufacture Date

Pixoate reads markings; it does not inspect tire condition, determine service life, or recommend continued use or replacement.

Embossed black-on-black sidewall text is slow to transcribe and easy to confuse. Photograph the DOT marking, verify the tire identification number, and turn the final date code into a usable row.

DOT TIN, tire size, brand, and vehicle position
Week and year derived only from a valid final four-digit code
Warnings keep uncertain or impossible week codes visible

How to read a tire DOT code and find the manufacture date

The Tire DOT Code Scanner reads the DOT tire identification number from a sidewall photo and works out the manufacture date from its last 4 digits. It places the code, brand, tire line, size, vehicle position and location in an editable row. Verify the embossed characters against the tire, then download a CSV or save a tire register in your account.

Photograph the DOT marking on the tire sidewall

Find the characters that begin with DOT and photograph them straight on, with the camera parallel to the sidewall. Embossed text has little contrast, so light it from the side to throw shadows into the lettering, and clean off road dirt when it is safe. The complete number may be molded on only one sidewall, so check the other side if the final digits are missing.

Clean the sidewall and find the characters that begin with DOT.
Light the lettering from the side and hold the camera parallel.
Upload the photo and select the Extract button.
Compare every character with the tire, not only the date digits.
Add brand, size and position, then save or download.

Read the week and year from the last 4 digits

The scanner works out Manufacture Week and Manufacture Year only when the full number ends in 4 digits whose first 2 fall between 01 and 53. A code ending 0925 gives week 09 and year 2025. If the ending is missing or the week is impossible, the number is flagged and no week or year is filled in. Edit the DOT number and the week and year recalculate, and a week or year typed in that disagrees with the code is flagged.

Keep a register by vehicle and tire position

Vehicle or Position and Location sit beside the code, so a fleet can record which tire is on which axle or trailer. Saved records keep each code with the manufacture week and year worked out from it, and Download saved register (CSV) exports the whole register. The tool reads markings only. It does not inspect tread, pressure or damage, check recalls or recommend when to replace a tire.

How this differs from the VIN, odometer and serial scanners

A DOT marking is a tire's own identification number and date code. A vehicle's identifier is read by scanning its VIN, its mileage by photographing the odometer, and an equipment plate by scanning the serial number label. Each has its own checks, so use the one that matches the label in front of you.

Before you save a tire

Check that the code ends in 4 digits and that the week is between 01 and 53.
Photograph the other sidewall if the complete number is not on this one.
Record the position, such as front left or trailer axle 2.
Treat the date as a manufacture date, not a verdict on how long the tire can be used.

The real problem

The smallest sidewall code carries the history people forget to record

Tire files often contain size and brand but omit the full identification code and manufacture date. On mounted tires, the complete code may even face inward.

Embossed text defeats quick typing

Curved surfaces, shallow relief, road dirt, and low contrast make letters and numbers difficult to distinguish.

Only part of the TIN may be visible

The complete tire identification number is not necessarily molded on both sidewalls, so one photo can be incomplete.

Age is not a safety verdict

Manufacture date alone cannot establish damage, inflation history, loading, wear, recalls, storage, or suitability for continued service.

How Pixoate helps

Extract the code, validate the date segment, keep the decision human

Pixoate places the sidewall information into editable fields and derives manufacture week and year only when the full TIN ends with a plausible four-digit code. The app does not convert that date into a replacement recommendation.

1
Find and photograph the full TIN
Look for the DOT marking and check the other sidewall if the complete code or final date digits are missing.
2
Verify the embossed characters
Use side lighting, clean the area when safe, and compare every OCR character with the sidewall.
3
Save the tire register
Keep the code with brand, line, size, vehicle or position, location, and derived manufacture week and year.

Built for the work small teams do every day

Small vehicle fleets

Record tire identifiers and positions during installation, rotation, inspection, or seasonal changeover.

Tire and repair shops

Capture intake information for customer discussions, inventory, or service documentation.

Trailer and equipment owners

Inventory markings on infrequently used tires that otherwise receive little recordkeeping attention.

Frequently asked questions

What do the final four TIN digits mean?

For the current four-digit date format, the first two digits are the manufacture week and the last two are the year. For example, 2324 means week 23 of 2024.

Why can I not find the complete code?

The full tire identification number may appear on only one sidewall. Check the opposite side rather than treating a partial marking as the complete TIN.

Does the scanner tell me when to replace a tire?

No. Replacement and safety decisions require inspection plus manufacturer, vehicle, service, regulatory, and operating guidance—not only a manufacture date.

How should I photograph embossed sidewall text?

Clean the area when safe, use light from the side to create shadows, hold the camera parallel to the sidewall, and fill the frame with the marking.

What happens if the week code is impossible?

A final four-digit code whose week is outside 01 through 53 is highlighted for review, and manufacture week and year are not derived automatically.

Does this check recalls or tire condition?

No. Pixoate does not contact a recall database or assess tread, pressure, age-related degradation, repairs, loading, damage, or suitability for service.

Is this a DOT code decoder that shows how old a tire is?

It decodes the date part: the last 4 digits become the manufacture week and year, so you can work out how old the tire is. The rest of the number is kept as printed, and plant and size characters are not decoded. Whether a tire stays in service is a separate decision.

Can I scan the DOT codes of all 4 tires on a vehicle?

Yes. Photograph each tire's code as its own image and upload up to 25 images in one run, then set Vehicle or Position on each row so you know which is which. The CSV lists them together in the order you uploaded them.

What happens if the code ends in 3 digits instead of 4?

The scanner works out the date only from a 4-digit ending. A code that ends in 3 digits is flagged as missing its final 4-digit date code, so it can be downloaded in the CSV but not saved to the register until the value ends in a valid code.

Why does the week or year cell show a mismatch warning?

The Manufacture Week and Manufacture Year cells are tied to the last 4 digits of the DOT number. A value that disagrees is flagged with a note that it must match the code. Correct the DOT number instead, and the week and year update to match.

Can I export the tire list to Excel?

Yes. Download current rows (CSV) writes Source file, Brand, Tire Line, Tire Size, DOT Tire Identification Number, Manufacture Week, Manufacture Year, Vehicle or Position and Location. The saved-register export uses the same columns, and both open in Excel or Google Sheets.

Building the rest of the vehicle record

Note the mileage at the time of the tire check by scanning the odometer display, and tie the tires to the right vehicle with a VIN read from the door label. If the sidewall shot came out tilted, rotate it so the code runs level before you upload it.

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