If your B3 cell is a number then to convert to a true date you will have to
enter(somewhere):

=DATE(LEFT(B3,4),MID(B3,5,2),RIGHT(B3,2))

Then you can work on the resulting cell (above) which is now a true date.

"Wiglog" wrote:

If I am wanting to take a date in Cell B3" (20081231) and make it
automatically change to red if it is past that date, what formula or process
would I have to do?

If that same date is within 30 days out, would it be the same process?