Test Strip Expiration: How to Read and Verify Dates

This page describes products and general use; it is not medical advice.

Short answer: the date printed on a test strip vial or test kit box is the manufacturer’s expiration date for that lot. For some home COVID-19 antigen tests the FDA has authorized a longer shelf life after the box was printed, so the box date can be earlier than the date that now applies. For strips with an open-vial limit, such as glucose strips, a second date can end use sooner. Who looks this up: clinic staff who stock strips and kits, and buyers who rotate inventory.

What an expiration date on a test strip or kit means

The expiration date is the last date through which the manufacturer supports the stated performance of that lot when it is stored as the instructions for use (IFU) describe. The FDA’s FAQ on at-home COVID-19 tests says test developers perform stability testing so that test performance remains stable, and that the stated performance generally assumes the test is used in an environment between 15 and 30 °C (about 59 to 86 °F). For product-specific questions, the test’s IFU and the manufacturer are the starting point; the FDA’s Division of Industry and Consumer Education ([email protected], 800-638-2041) takes general questions about at-home COVID-19 tests.

Types of test strips and kits, and which date governs

Type	Date or dates to check	Source
Home COVID-19 antigen test kit	The expiration date on the box label. For some tests the FDA’s table also links an “Extended Expiration Date” document, which can replace the printed date.	FDA, Home OTC COVID-19 Diagnostic Tests (checked 2026-10-30)
Blood glucose test strips	The printed expiration date on the vial and, where the IFU sets one, an open-vial discard date. In the example IFU our guide cites, the discard date is counted from the date the vial is opened, and the earlier of the two dates applies.	OneTouch Ultra IFU, as summarized in our glucose blood test strips guide
Urine test strips	The IFU in our guide refers to the expiration date and to the opening date recorded on the bottle label. The UNFPA catalogue lists a 24 or 36 month shelf life for the generic strip and notes that specifications may vary among suppliers.	Siemens IFU and UNFPA, as summarized in our urine test strips guide

Printed date vs extended date (COVID antigen test shelf life)

The FDA’s table of home over-the-counter COVID-19 diagnostic tests shows “See box label” in the expiration column for most tests. For some tests the same table adds an “Extended Expiration Date” link to a separate FDA document, and it tells readers to search by manufacturer or test name to find whether the expiration date has been extended. That is the answer to the common question of whether a COVID antigen test expiration can be extended: for the tests the FDA lists, yes, and the extension is documented per test and, for some tests, per lot.

A worked example is the iHealth COVID-19/Flu A/B Rapid Test. The FDA document headed “17-month to 20-month shelf-life extension granted by the FDA June 17, 2025” is laid out as a lot table with three columns: the lot number, the printed expiration date, and the new extended expiration date, both written year-month-day. You find your lot number on the box, read across to your printed date, and the matching row gives the extended date. A later revision of this notice may exist, so open the current document linked from the FDA table rather than relying on a copy. Extensions are dated notices; many have already passed, so check the current FDA entry for the test you hold.

How to check a COVID test expiration extension on the FDA list

1. Find the manufacturer and test name on the box.
2. Open the FDA’s Home OTC COVID-19 Diagnostic Tests page and search the table for that test.
3. If the row has an “Extended Expiration Date” link, that document gives the dates for the test; the FDA table shows that link in place of the “See box label” line. If it says “See box label”, the printed date applies.
4. For questions the page does not answer, see the test’s IFU or the contact listed above.

Storage conditions that affect shelf life

The FDA states that performance generally assumes 15 to 30 °C (about 59 to 86 °F); storage conditions for a specific product are given in its IFU. The glucose and urine examples above carry their own storage limits in their IFUs.

Common mistakes

• Discarding a COVID test on the box date without checking the FDA table for an extension.
• Using an extension document for the wrong lot or the wrong product version.
• Ignoring an open-vial discard date because the printed date is still in the future.
• Using strips past the labeled shelf life in a waived testing site. Our CLIA-waived testing guide notes that use past the labeled shelf life can void a test’s waived status.

For lot-level quality control in a lab setting, see reagent lot-to-lot verification and the broader point-of-care testing overview. Diagnostic strips and kits are also stocked in lac.us’s diagnostic, monitoring and imaging supplies category.

FAQ

Does a COVID antigen test expire?

Yes. Each kit carries a manufacturer expiration date on its box label, and the FDA’s table lists that date as “See box label” for most tests.

What is the shelf life of a COVID antigen test?

It depends on the test and lot. Shelf life is set from manufacturer stability testing, and the FDA has authorized longer shelf lives for some tests after the box was printed, for example the June 17, 2025 notice for the iHealth COVID-19/Flu A/B Rapid Test.

Has the FDA extended the expiration of my COVID test?

Search for the test in the FDA’s home OTC table. Rows with an “Extended Expiration Date” link have a separate document with the new date; rows without one use the box label.

Sources

• FDA, Home OTC COVID-19 Diagnostic Tests, checked 2026-10-30.
• FDA, iHealth COVID-19/Flu A/B Rapid Test shelf-life extension notice, checked 2026-10-30.
• FDA, At-Home COVID-19 Diagnostic Tests: Frequently Asked Questions, checked 2026-10-30.