Vehicle · Studded tires
Are Studded Tires Legal in Colorado?
Whether studded snow tires are legal in Colorado, the months they are allowed if the rule is seasonal, who is exempt, and the penalty for running them out of season. Cited to the statute.
What the studded tire law says in Colorado
The core rule, the season window if there is one, and who the law exempts.
| What the law says | What it means |
|---|---|
| Studs allowed on passenger cars | Under C.R.S. 42-4-228, single-tired passenger vehicles and other single-tired vehicles rated up to three-fourths of a ton may use tires with studs or protuberances that do not project more than one-sixteenth of an inch beyond the tread of the traction surface. |
| No seasonal cutoff | The section sets no start or end date for studded tires. A private passenger car may carry them at any time of year, which is why Colorado is grouped with the states that place no season on studs. |
| Who is exempt | What it means |
|---|---|
| Heavier and multi-tired vehicles | The one-sixteenth-inch stud allowance is written for single-tired passenger vehicles up to three-fourths of a ton. Larger and multi-tired vehicles are held to the general bar on non-rubber projections that reach past the tread. |
| Farm machinery and tire chains | Farm machinery with protuberances that will not injure the highway is allowed, and tire chains of reasonable proportion may be used on any vehicle when snow, ice, or similar conditions could cause a skid. |
What you can do right now
Concrete, neutral steps for running studded tires within the law in Colorado. This is legal information, not legal advice.
- Check the stud projection
Keep studs within one-sixteenth of an inch beyond the tread. Tires sold as studded snow tires for passenger cars are built to this limit, but confirm it if you have studs installed by a shop.
- Run them in any season you need
Colorado sets no date window, so you can leave studded tires on through spring if mountain conditions call for it, without a state seasonal violation.
- Carry a traction option for the high country
When a Passenger Traction Law is active on a mountain route, make sure your tires qualify. Studded snow tires count, as do winter-rated tires and chains.
If you were cited over studded tires, a local traffic attorney or public defender can explain how the charge is handled and whether an exemption applies to you.
→ Colorado Department of Transportation, Winter Driving and TiresThis is general legal information, not legal advice. Season dates and exemptions can change, so confirm your situation against the statute before winter.
What drivers in Colorado get wrong about studded tires
Studded tires are legal in Colorado, and the state does not close the door on them by season. The rule sits in Colorado Revised Statutes 42-4-228, which bars any block, stud, cleat, or spike of a material other than rubber that projects past the tread, then carves out passenger cars. On single-tired passenger vehicles and other single-tired vehicles rated up to three-fourths of a ton, you may run tires with studs or protuberances that do not project more than one-sixteenth of an inch beyond the tread. Nothing in the section sets a start or end date, so a private car may carry studded tires at any time of year. Colorado does run a Passenger Traction Law on some mountain corridors in winter, and studded snow tires are one way to meet it, alongside winter tires or chains. Keep the studs within the one-sixteenth-inch limit and a standard passenger car stays within the law.
Common questions
Are studded tires legal in Colorado?
Yes. Studded tires are legal in Colorado for ordinary passenger cars year round. C.R.S. 42-4-228 permits studs on single-tired passenger vehicles as long as they do not project more than one-sixteenth of an inch beyond the tread.
Is there a season for studded tires in Colorado?
No. The statute sets no start or end date, so studded tires may be used at any time of year on a passenger car. Colorado is one of the states with no seasonal studded-tire ban.
How far can tire studs stick out in Colorado?
No more than one-sixteenth of an inch beyond the tread of the traction surface, under C.R.S. 42-4-228. Passenger-car studded snow tires are built to meet this limit.
Do studded tires meet the Colorado traction law?
Yes. When a Passenger Traction Law is in effect on a mountain corridor, studded snow tires are one accepted way to comply, along with winter-rated tires and tire chains.
Not legal advicePlainStatute provides plain-language summaries of public law for general information only. This is not legal advice. Statutes change; always confirm current requirements with the official source linked above before acting.