GSA Shelf Life Management Program

Shelf Life is defined by the Department of Defense (DoD) Shelf Life Management Manual (DoD 4140.27-M / May 5, 2003) as the period of time beginning with:

• The date of manufacture;
• Date of cure (for elastomeric and rubber products only);
• Date of assembly; or
• Date of pack (subsistence only).

The end of this period is the date by which an item must be used (expiration date) or subjected to inspection, test, restoration, or disposal action. After inspection/laboratory test/restorative action some items may remain in the combined wholesale (including manufacturer's) and retail storage systems and still be suitable for issue or use by the end-user.

Within the federal supply system, appropriate Shelf Life Codes are designated for each National Stock Number (NSN). These codes are contained in DoD Shelf Life Management Manual 4140.27-M, Appendix E. Shelf Life Codes designate items as either Type I (alpha character, except X) or Type II (numeric character and alpha character X). Type I items expire at expiration date when material is unfit for use. Type II items can be extended by either visual inspection, or laboratory test as required by the applicable management activity storage standards. All NSNs or NIINs deemed "non-deteriorative" are identified by Shelf Life Code 0 (zero).

The General Services Administration’s (GSA) Shelf Life Management Procedures are outlined in Federal Standard 793B, Depot Storage Standards. In addition, GSA fully supports DoD shelf life policies contained in DoD 4140.27-M, Shelf Life Management Manual. For more information, please review these policy documents and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ). Send questions to GSA's email via the “Shelf Life Contact Points” established on this website.

The following documents provide guidance and direction for Shelf Life Material

DoD 4140.27-M, Shelf Life Management Manual*
DLA Regulation 4155.37, Material Quality Control Storage Standards*
Federal Standard 793, Depot Storage Standards*
*(Click on "Policy" in the left column after arriving at the website linked to the above information.)

GSA Shelf Life Management Policy:

The GSA closely coordinates its shelf life program with the DoD and others in the federal community as described in  DoD Regulation 4140-R, DoD Supply Chain Material Management Regulation.

FED-STD-793, Depot Storage Standards: 

FED-STD-793 provides guidance for how the depots determine shelf life extensions of products currently stored in their facility. GSA’s Acquisition Centers establish initial shelf life requirements and inspection criteria based on manufacturer recommendations and commodity specialist oversight.

Minimum Shelf Life Criteria:

In accordance with DoD 4140.27-M, Section 2-12 (A):

“Acquisition/procurement documentation shall specify that shelf life items/materiel will have not less than 85 percent (allowing for rounding to whole months) of shelf life remaining at time of receipt by the first government activity." Any direct delivery from a GSA supplier to our customer not having at least 85 percent shelf life remaining shall normally be considered non-conforming.    

General Description of GSA Shelf Life Extension Procedures:

• Within the Warehouse Distribution System, shelf life re-inspection due dates are tracked monthly.
• When inspecting an item for the first time, only visual inspections are performed and shelf life can be extended based on this visual inspection. 
• An item may be visually inspected or laboratory tested at the time of second inspection depending on the value of the inventory involved, the weapons system sensitivity of the item and other factors. 
• If laboratory tests are conducted, this information is provided to Hill Air Force Base to be included in the DoD Quality Status List (QSL).
• In accordance with FED-STD-793, items can be extended up to three times. The total of all extensions may not exceed an amount of time equal to the item’s original shelf life. 
• Extended items shall have a shelf life extension notice/label placed on them, indicating the extended expiration date. The notice/label mirrors the DoD 2477 series forms for shelf life extensions.

The following criteria are used in determining the minimum shelf life that must remain on an item for it to be shipped. (Reference: DoD 4140.27-M, Section 5-6).

*Items with a three  month shelf life must be shipped overseas only by air transportation.

(Minimum Shelf Life remaining on product to allow shipment from GSA Warehouse.)

DoD Material Quality Control Storage Standards (MQCSS) and the DoD “Quality Status List (QSL)”:

The MQCSS delineates storage standards for deteriorative items. The QSL delineates current results of shelf life extension tests, by NSN, Manufacturer, Lot and Batch Number. Users of the DoD Shelf Life website can register to view MQCSS and QSL data online. Access is limited to users from a “.mil” or “.gov” host. Registration instructions are provided.

Robins Air Force Base “shelf life extension date” database:

Robins Air Force Base maintains the “SLED” database at its Science & Engineering Lab. This lab is located at WR-ALC / TIEL, 420 Second St, Ste 100, Warner Robins Air Logistics Center, Robins Air Force Base, GA 31098-1640.  

DoD Inventory Control Points:

The role of each DoD “Inventory Control Point" (ICP) is to determine storage standards for deteriorative items that they manage, and to arrange for laboratory shelf life extension tests when their Installation Supply Activities request such tests. Storage standards (including length of shelf life and whether an item requires only a visual inspection or a full laboratory test in order to extend shelf life) are recorded in the on-line Material Quality Control Storage Standards (MQCSS). Each ICP has update rights to this system. The type of test required on each item (visual inspection or laboratory testing) is determined by the managing ICP.

DoD Installation Responsibility:

If an installation finds that shelf life extension information is not available in the QSL for one of their items, staff can contact their service ICP for further instructions on possible extensions. Laboratory test requests are only allowed when there has not already been a shelf life test for that NSN, Manufacturer, Lot and Batch, and when the quantities of material in question warrant the expense of laboratory testing. When these tests are accomplished, test result and extension data are entered into the QSL.  

Other Related Hyperlinks:

DoD Shelf Life Homepage

GSA National Customer Service Center (NCSC) “eResolve”              

Suggested Additional Information (email addresses, phone numbers)

NCSC product deficiency reports:

             Email: rodsm.ncsc@gsa.gov for military customers

             Email: rodsm.ncsc@gsa.gov for civilian customers

             Call: 1 (800) 488-3111, DSN 465-1416 or Commercial (816) 926-1416

Questions regarding whether a GSA product can be extended should be forwarded to the GSA shelf life hotline at (209) 547-8634. GSA shelf life questions should be directed to:

              SLES.GSA@dla.mil

GOVERNMENT LINKS

• Need a copy of a military specification, standard,or commercial item description?
• National Center for Standards and Certification document search

NONGOVERNMENT LINKS

• American National Standards Institute (ANSI) searchable database