Vehicle · Studded tires
Are Studded Tires Legal in North Carolina?
Whether studded snow tires are legal in North Carolina, 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 North Carolina
The core rule, the season window if there is one, and who the law exempts.
| What the law says | What it means |
|---|---|
| Studs permitted year round | N.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-122(b) says it is permissible to use upon any vehicle, for increased safety, regular and snow tires with studs. The statute attaches no season, so a passenger car may carry studs at any time of year. |
| Projection limited to one sixteenth of an inch | The studs may project no more than one sixteenth of an inch beyond the tread of the traction surface when compressed. One sixteenth of an inch equals two thirty-seconds, so the North Carolina ceiling matches Pennsylvania numerically, just written differently. |
| Measured when compressed | North Carolina takes the measurement when compressed, a detail Pennsylvania and Ohio leave out. The allowance covers both regular tires and snow tires, so a studded all-season tire is included and not only a dedicated winter tire. |
| Who is exempt | What it means |
|---|---|
| Tire chains | The same subsection permits tire chains of reasonable proportions upon any vehicle when required for safety because of snow, ice, or other conditions tending to cause a vehicle to slide or skid. Chains in North Carolina turn on the road condition, while studs do not. |
| Farm machinery | N.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-122(b) also permits farm machinery with tires having protuberances that will not injure the highway, and § 20-122(d) allows farm tractors to travel dirt roads from farm to farm so long as they do not damage the road or block traffic. |
| Non-pneumatic tires by permit | N.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-122(a) requires tires of rubber or other resilient material depending on compressed air, except by special permission of the Department of Transportation on a showing of necessity, and that requirement does not reach farm vehicles. |
What you can do right now
Concrete, neutral steps for running studded tires within the law in North Carolina. This is legal information, not legal advice.
- Run studs in any season you need
North Carolina sets no date window, so studded snow tires may stay on through spring without a state seasonal violation.
- Keep studs within one sixteenth of an inch
Confirm the studs project no more than one sixteenth of an inch beyond the tread when compressed. Passenger-car studded snow tires are built to this limit.
- Use chains for storm conditions
Tire chains of reasonable proportions are allowed when snow or ice makes traction necessary, a separate condition-based allowance from the year-round stud permission.
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.
→ N.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-122, Restrictions as to tire equipmentThis 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 North Carolina get wrong about studded tires
North Carolina is one of the states that grants studded tires a flat, year-round permission. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-122(b) opens with the usual bar on non-rubber protuberances past the tread, then adds a plain sentence: it is permissible to use upon any vehicle, for increased safety, regular and snow tires with studs that project no more than one sixteenth of an inch beyond the tread of the traction surface when compressed. No date attaches to that allowance. There is no start of season, no end of season, and no deadline to pull the studs. The one sixteenth of an inch ceiling equals two thirty-seconds, so it lands at the same height Pennsylvania uses, though North Carolina is unusual in measuring it when compressed. The permission reaches both regular tires and snow tires, so a studded all-season tire counts. Tire chains ride in the same subsection but turn on snow, ice, or skid conditions rather than the calendar. A visitor should be told plainly: North Carolina never wrote a studded-tire season, and a passenger car with studs within the height limit is legal in any month.
Common questions
Are studded tires legal in North Carolina?
Yes, year round. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-122(b) permits studded regular and snow tires on any vehicle for increased safety, with no seasonal restriction, as long as the studs do not project more than one sixteenth of an inch beyond the tread when compressed.
Is there a season for studded tires in North Carolina?
No. The statute sets no start or end date. North Carolina is one of the states with no studded-tire season, so studs may be used at any time of year.
How far can tire studs stick out in North Carolina?
No more than one sixteenth of an inch beyond the tread of the traction surface when compressed, under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-122(b). That equals two thirty-seconds of an inch.
Are tire chains legal in North Carolina?
Yes. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-122(b) permits tire chains of reasonable proportions when required for safety because of snow, ice, or other conditions tending to cause a vehicle to slide or skid.
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.