How Long Do Eggs Last in the Fridge?

Shell eggs keep 3 to 5 weeks in the fridge at 40°F or below, counted from when you buy them — not from the date printed on the carton. Hard-boiled eggs last 1 week, and raw eggs out of the shell last 2 to 4 days.

How long each kind of egg lasts

Egg	Fridge life at 40°F or below
Shell eggs (raw, in the carton)	3 to 5 weeks
Hard-boiled eggs (in the shell)	1 week
Raw egg whites or yolks (out of the shell, covered)	2 to 4 days
Liquid egg products (opened)	3 days after opening, or use by the date on the carton

Freezing does not extend the shell-egg window: never freeze eggs in the shell, because they expand and crack. Beat raw eggs out of the shell and freeze those instead.

Read the date on the carton — it is not the expiry

The sell-by date is a store date, not a safety deadline. Under USDA rules it is set no more than 30 days after the eggs were packed, and properly refrigerated eggs stay good for weeks past it.
The Julian pack date tells you when they were packed. Look for a 3-digit number from 001 to 365 printed near the sell-by date — 001 is January 1, 365 is December 31. An egg packed on day 300 is fresher than one packed on day 260, whatever the sell-by dates say.
The plant code (P followed by numbers) is just the packing plant. It matters for recalls, not for freshness.

Store them so the weeks actually hold

Keep eggs in their carton, on a middle shelf — never in the door. The door is the warmest, most temperature-swung spot in the fridge, and the carton protects eggs from absorbing smells.
Keep the fridge at 40°F or below. Every hour above that eats into the 3-to-5-week window.
Do not wash eggs before storing them. Washing removes the natural protective coating on the shell; wash just before use if needed.
Trust the calendar over the float test. The float test only measures age — an older egg floats because its air cell grew, not because it is automatically bad. If it smells fine and is within its window, it is fine; if it smells sulfurous or off, throw it out regardless of what the water says.

Catch it before it turns

Eggs are the perfect fridge blind spot: they last so long that nobody tracks them, and then a dozen quietly ages out. FridgeSpy logs eggs the moment you scan them or your receipt, estimates their 3-to-5-week window from the pack date, and flags them as use-soon while there is still time to cook with them — frittata, fried rice, or baking — instead of finding them weeks later and guessing. Scan the carton when it hits the fridge and let the nudge, not the smell test, decide.

Frequently asked questions

Can I eat eggs past the sell-by date?

Yes, if they have been kept refrigerated at 40°F or below. The sell-by date is a store date set within 30 days of packing; USDA guidance gives shell eggs 3 to 5 weeks of fridge life, which usually runs past the sell-by date. Smell them before use, and toss any that smell off.

How long do eggs last after the pack date?

Up to 5 weeks in the fridge from packing, in practice about 3 to 5 weeks from purchase. Decode the 3-digit Julian date on the carton to find the pack day, then count forward — do not rely on the sell-by date alone.

Do eggs last longer in the carton or in a fridge egg holder?

In the carton. The carton shields eggs from temperature swings and strong food smells, and it keeps the pack date visible. A door egg holder is the worst of both worlds: warm, shaky, and dateless.

Can I freeze eggs?

Yes, but never in the shell. Beat raw eggs, add a pinch of salt per cup if they are for savory cooking or sugar if for baking, and freeze in portions. Use frozen eggs within a year for best quality, and thaw them in the fridge.

Sources: USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (shell egg storage, sell-by and pack-date rules); FDA FoodKeeper (refrigerator storage times for shell eggs, hard-cooked eggs, and raw eggs out of the shell).