Does Body Armor Expire?

If the milk in your fridge was 2 months overdue, would you still drink it? What if it was chunky too? Not only would it be gross, but it could also make you sick.

The same principle goes for body armor, except if you don't follow the expiration date, you won't just get a tummy ache. Your ballistic armor could be less effective or worse...much worse. 

Expiration dates are a necessity for ballistic protection gear. They are necessary because the protection provided by the body armor plates will degrade over time. Without body armor expiration dates, the equipment would be ineffective.

Expiration dates are not just a concern for ballistic protection gear like body armor and bulletproof vests. There are tons of things that expire regarding safety equipment that we rely on like fire extinguishers, safety helmets, and safety goggles. Virtually every piece of tactical gear has a lifespan of some sort. 

Note: Different types of ballistic armor have different lengths before expiring.

Steel core armor plates usually have a shelf life of 20-years, whereas ceramic and composite usually have a shelf life of only 5-years. That is something to consider before purchasing.