How long a QR code lasts depends on its type. A static QR code lasts indefinitely — the data lives in the pattern, and the QR format is an ISO standard stable since 1994. A dynamic QR code lasts only as long as its provider keeps the redirect alive. The print itself is the other limit.
"How long does it last" and "does it expire" are the same question from two angles. The expiry mechanics are covered in do QR codes expire; this page answers the lifespan question directly, including the physical print and Canva codes.
How long does a static QR code last?
Indefinitely, as a format. A static code stores the destination inside the black and white modules, and your phone decodes them locally with no server in the loop. There is nothing to switch off, no account to lapse, no subscription behind it. The pattern is the data.
The QR standard (ISO/IEC 18004) has been stable since 1994, and every phone camera made in the last decade reads it natively. A static code printed today will still decode in twenty years, on hardware that does not exist yet. The format is not the thing that ages.
So a static code lasts as long as two physical things survive: the print, and the page it points to. Neither is the code expiring — see are QR codes permanent for the full version of this answer.
How long does a dynamic QR code last?
As long as the provider keeps the redirect running. A dynamic code encodes a short link owned by the generator, and their server decides where each scan goes. That indirection lets you edit the destination after printing, and it is also the clock. When the trial ends or the plan lapses, the provider controls where your printed code now points.
Several large generators build the business on exactly this — rank for "free," wait for the print, then deactivate the redirect until you pay. We documented which services do it, quoting their own support pages, in the expiry table and the free trial trap.
A dynamic code can be worth that trade when you genuinely need to re-point a printed code or count scans. But its lifespan is a service contract, not a property of the pattern.
How long do QR codes last on paper, stickers, and signs?
This is the limit most people actually hit. A static code decodes forever in theory, but the print degrades on a normal schedule. Thermal receipt paper fades in months. Regular ink and paper indoors last years. Direct sun and weather are the fastest killers — UV bleaches ink and cracks unlaminated surfaces.
The format has a built-in cushion here. QR error correction comes in four levels, and the highest (level H) recovers the code even with about 30% of the modules damaged or obscured. That is why a scuffed sticker or a slightly torn flyer often still scans.
Two habits extend a printed code's life. Laminate or use weatherproof material for anything outdoors. And keep the code large with high contrast — dark on light, quiet margin around it — so wear has room to eat into before scanning fails. The size guide has the numbers.
Do QR codes have an expiration date?
No. There is no expiry field in the QR standard. A code does not carry a date after which it stops working, and nothing in the pattern counts down. When a code "expires," one of three things actually happened.
- A dynamic redirect was switched off by the provider — the pattern is fine, the server stopped answering.
- The destination page moved or was deleted — the code decodes to a dead link.
- The print faded, tore, or was damaged past what error correction can recover.
How long do Canva QR codes last?
Canva's QR code generator produces static codes: the link you type is baked into the image, so the pattern lasts indefinitely regardless of your Canva plan. Canva's help center says the codes themselves do not expire.
The limit is what the code points to. Link it to a design published as a Canva website, and the code's usefulness depends on Canva keeping that page live under the same URL. The pattern cannot expire; the Canva-hosted destination can move or be taken down.
How do I make a QR code that lasts?
Use a generator that builds static codes in your browser. Qranite's free generator computes the pattern on your device, so your data never reaches our servers — we could not expire your code if we tried, because we never had it. No signup, no watermark, SVG for print and PNG up to 4096px. The never-expires page shows the architecture in one diagram.
If you genuinely need to re-point a printed code or count scans, our dynamic codes come with the policy in writing: stop paying and your printed codes keep redirecting forever. You lose editing and analytics beyond free limits — never the code. A free account includes 2 dynamic codes; Pro is $9/mo or $72/yr for 50.