diff --git a/htmldate/core.py b/htmldate/core.py
index 493a1490..cc45b407 100644
--- a/htmldate/core.py
+++ b/htmldate/core.py
@@ -299,7 +299,12 @@ def examine_header(
                 LOGGER.debug("examining meta itemprop: %s", logstring(elem))
                 if "content" in elem.attrib:
                     attempt = "-".join([elem.get("content"), "01", "01"])
-                    if date_validator(attempt, "%Y-%m-%d", latest=max_date) is True:
+                    if (
+                        date_validator(
+                            attempt, "%Y-%m-%d", earliest=min_date, latest=max_date
+                        )
+                        is True
+                    ):
                         reserve = attempt
         # http-equiv, rare
         elif "http-equiv" in elem.attrib:
@@ -636,7 +641,10 @@ def search_page(
     )
     if bestmatch is not None:
         LOGGER.debug("Copyright detected: %s", bestmatch[0])
-        if date_validator(bestmatch[0], "%Y", latest=max_date) is True:
+        if (
+            date_validator(bestmatch[0], "%Y", earliest=min_date, latest=max_date)
+            is True
+        ):
             LOGGER.debug("copyright year/footer pattern found: %s", bestmatch[0])
             copyear = int(bestmatch[0])
 
@@ -779,9 +787,9 @@ def search_page(
     )
     if bestmatch is not None:
         pagedate = "-".join([bestmatch[1], bestmatch[2], "01"])
-        if date_validator(pagedate, "%Y-%m-%d", latest=max_date) is True and (
-            copyear == 0 or int(bestmatch[1]) >= copyear
-        ):
+        if date_validator(
+            pagedate, "%Y-%m-%d", earliest=min_date, latest=max_date
+        ) is True and (copyear == 0 or int(bestmatch[1]) >= copyear):
             LOGGER.debug('date found for pattern "%s": %s', YYYYMM_PATTERN, pagedate)
             return convert_date(pagedate, "%Y-%m-%d", outputformat)
 
@@ -836,7 +844,8 @@ def search_page(
     if bestmatch is not None:
         pagedate = "-".join([bestmatch[0], "01", "01"])
         if (
-            date_validator(pagedate, "%Y-%m-%d", latest=max_date) is True
+            date_validator(pagedate, "%Y-%m-%d", earliest=min_date, latest=max_date)
+            is True
             and int(bestmatch[0]) >= copyear
         ):
             LOGGER.debug('date found for pattern "%s": %s', SIMPLE_PATTERN, pagedate)
diff --git a/htmldate/settings.py b/htmldate/settings.py
index 2d7bdf08..4f379262 100644
--- a/htmldate/settings.py
+++ b/htmldate/settings.py
@@ -19,13 +19,10 @@
 MIN_FILE_SIZE: int = 10
 
 # Plausible dates
-# earliest possible year to take into account (inclusive)
+# earliest possible date to take into account (inclusive)
 MIN_DATE: datetime = datetime(1995, 1, 1)
-MIN_YEAR: int = MIN_DATE.year
 # latest possible date
 LATEST_POSSIBLE: datetime = datetime.now()
-# latest possible year
-MAX_YEAR: int = LATEST_POSSIBLE.year
 
 # set an upper limit to the number of candidates
 MAX_POSSIBLE_CANDIDATES: int = 1000
diff --git a/htmldate/validators.py b/htmldate/validators.py
index 78dcd2d7..b812d2d8 100644
--- a/htmldate/validators.py
+++ b/htmldate/validators.py
@@ -15,11 +15,11 @@
 from time import mktime
 from typing import Match, Optional, Pattern, Union, Counter as Counter_Type
 
-from .settings import CACHE_SIZE, LATEST_POSSIBLE, MAX_YEAR, MIN_DATE, MIN_YEAR
+from .settings import CACHE_SIZE, LATEST_POSSIBLE, MIN_DATE
 
 
 LOGGER = logging.getLogger(__name__)
-LOGGER.debug("date settings: %s %s %s", MIN_YEAR, LATEST_POSSIBLE, MAX_YEAR)
+LOGGER.debug("date settings: %s %s", MIN_DATE, LATEST_POSSIBLE)
 
 
 @lru_cache(maxsize=CACHE_SIZE)
@@ -50,7 +50,9 @@ def date_validator(
         dateobject = date_input
     # basic year validation
     year = int(datetime.strftime(dateobject, "%Y"))
-    if MIN_YEAR <= year <= MAX_YEAR:
+    min_year, max_year = earliest.year, latest.year
+    # full validation
+    if min_year <= year <= max_year:
         # not newer than today or stored variable
         if earliest.timestamp() <= dateobject.timestamp() <= latest.timestamp():
             return True
@@ -100,9 +102,9 @@ def plausible_year_filter(
                     potential_year = int("19" + lastdigits)
                 else:
                     potential_year = int("20" + lastdigits)
-            if potential_year < MIN_YEAR or potential_year > MAX_YEAR:
-                LOGGER.debug("no potential year: %s", item)
-                toremove.add(item)
+            # if potential_year < MIN_YEAR or potential_year > MAX_YEAR:
+            #    LOGGER.debug("no potential year: %s", item)
+            #    toremove.add(item)
             # occurrences.remove(item)
             # continue
         else:
diff --git a/tests/unit_tests.py b/tests/unit_tests.py
index 7c28dfb4..e2fb66fe 100644
--- a/tests/unit_tests.py
+++ b/tests/unit_tests.py
@@ -1083,6 +1083,22 @@ def test_exact_date():
         == "2021-07-13"
     )
 
+    # min_date parameter
+    assert (
+        find_date(
+            '<html><meta><meta property="article:published_time" content="1991-01-02T01:01:00+01:00"></meta><body></body></html>',
+            min_date="2000-01-01",
+        )
+        is None
+    )
+    assert (
+        find_date(
+            '<html><meta><meta property="article:published_time" content="1991-01-02T01:01:00+01:00"></meta><body></body></html>',
+            min_date="1990-01-01",
+        )
+        == "1991-01-02"
+    )
+
 
 def test_approximate_date():
     """this page should return an approximate date"""
@@ -1175,6 +1191,11 @@ def test_date_validator():
     assert date_validator("202-01", OUTPUTFORMAT) is False
     assert date_validator("1922", "%Y") is False
     assert date_validator("2004", "%Y") is True
+    assert date_validator("1991-01-02", OUTPUTFORMAT, earliest=datetime.datetime(1990, 1, 1)) is True
+    assert date_validator("1991-01-02", OUTPUTFORMAT, earliest=datetime.datetime(1992, 1, 1)) is False
+    assert date_validator("1991-01-02", OUTPUTFORMAT, latest=datetime.datetime(1990, 1, 1)) is False
+    assert date_validator("1991-01-02", OUTPUTFORMAT, earliest=datetime.datetime(1990, 1, 1), latest=datetime.datetime(1995, 1, 1)) is True
+    assert date_validator("1991-01-02", OUTPUTFORMAT, earliest=datetime.datetime(1990, 1, 1), latest=datetime.datetime(1990, 12, 31)) is False
 
 
 def test_convert_date():