DOT marking serves as the tire's fingerprint and signifies compliance with U.S.Department of Transportation Tire Safety Standards.
Example:
DOT M5H3 459X 063
The first two characters M5 designate the tire's manufacturer and plant code. The third and fourth characters denote the tire size. The fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth (optional) characters identify the brand as well as other significant characteristics. The final three numbers (four numbers, beginning in 2000) denote the date the tire was produced, with the first two indicating the week, and the last number indicating the year (063 indicates the tire was built in the 6th week of 2003).
