How long can you keep eggs in the fridge?

Short answer

Store-bought eggs in their shells keep 3–5 weeks in the fridge (University of Minnesota and University of Illinois Extension, citing USDA). The American Egg Board puts it at 4–5 weeks beyond the pack date, or about 3 weeks after you buy them. Sell-by and use-by dates are for quality, not safety, so a passed date alone is not a reason to throw eggs out.

Egg shelf life by storage method

Storage method	Shelf life
Raw, in the shell, refrigerated	3–5 weeks
Hard-cooked, in the shell, refrigerated	Up to 1 week
Hard-cooked, peeled	Same day, for best quality
Raw yolks, refrigerated	Up to 2 days
Raw whites, refrigerated	Up to 4 days
Beaten whole eggs, whites or yolks, frozen	Up to 1 year

Don't freeze eggs in the shell, and hard-cooked eggs don't freeze well. Sources: American Egg Board and University of Minnesota Extension.

The float test

Fill a bowl with cold water and place the egg in it:

Sinks and lays flat: Fresh — eat it
Sinks but stands upright: Older but still good — eat it soon
Floats: Old, with a large air cell — but not proof it's bad

What it tells you: Eggs have a small air cell that grows as the egg ages. A larger air cell means more buoyancy. University of Illinois Extension notes that a floating egg is not necessarily unsafe; smell and appearance once you crack it are better guides.

Other ways to check

Crack it open: Fresh egg yolks are round and stand tall; old yolks are flat. Fresh whites are thick; old whites are watery.
Smell: A bad egg smells unmistakably sulfurous. Crack eggs into a separate bowl first so one bad egg doesn't spoil a whole batch.

Why American eggs must be refrigerated (but European eggs don't)

Eggs from larger US farms must be washed under FDA rules, and washing removes the egg's natural protective coating (the "bloom" or cuticle). Once eggs are washed and chilled, they need to stay cold, which is why US eggs are refrigerated.

Eggs in Europe are not required to be washed, so the natural coating stays on. According to the Egg Safety Center, because the coating remains and the eggs are never refrigerated (so they don't "sweat"), authorities consider it safe to sell them at room temperature. If you buy eggs refrigerated, keep them refrigerated.

Can Egg Yolks Be Kept in the Fridge?

Yes — the American Egg Board says raw egg yolks keep for up to 2 days in the fridge. To prevent them from drying out:

Cover with cold water: Place yolks in an airtight container and cover with a thin layer of cold water. Drain before using.

Raw egg whites keep longer — up to 4 days refrigerated in a sealed container.

Freezing egg yolks: Yolks gel as they freeze, which leaves them gummy and hard to blend after thawing. The standard fix is to whisk in a little salt or sugar before freezing — about ⅛ teaspoon of salt, or 1½ teaspoons of sugar, per ¼ cup of yolks (roughly four large yolks). Use salt for savoury dishes and sugar for baking, and label the container with which one you used. Freeze in an ice cube tray, then transfer to a bag.

Common mistakes

Storing eggs in the refrigerator door — the door is the warmest spot and its temperature swings each time it opens, so keep eggs on an inside shelf at 40°F or colder. A dedicated egg storage container keeps them stable and stacked neatly
Throwing away eggs just because the "sell by" date passed — it's a quality date, not a safety date
Keeping hard-cooked eggs longer than a week (or peeled ones past the same day)

Is it safe to eat pink chicken?
How long does cooked rice last in the fridge?
How long to boil eggs — timings for soft, jammy and hard yolks
How to poach an egg
How to make scrambled eggs that aren't rubbery