Are Studded Tires Legal in Indiana? 2026-27 Season Dates

Q: Are studded tires legal in Indiana?

Yes, within a season. Indiana allows studded tires from October 1 through May 1. IC 9-19-18-3 reads: "Studded tires are permitted from October 1 through May 1 (IC 9-19-18-3)."

Q: When can you put studded tires on in Indiana?

From October 1. For the 2026-27 season that is Thursday, October 1, 2026, and the window runs through Saturday, May 1, 2027.

Q: When do studded tires have to come off in Indiana?

May 1 is the last day of the window, which for 2026-27 is Saturday, May 1, 2027.

Q: What are the studded tire rules in states near Indiana?

Illinois, barred; Michigan, barred; Ohio, November 1 through April 15. Each state's page quotes its own statute.

Allowed in season

Rule

IC 9-19-18-3

October 1

Opens for 2026-27

Thursday, October 1, 2026

May 1

Last day

Saturday, May 1, 2027

203

Days left in the window

as of Saturday, October 10, 2026

The rule

The studded tire rule in Indiana

Allowed in season

Indiana allows studded tires from October 1 through May 1.

Indiana State Police say studded tires are permitted from October 1 through May 1.

Studded tires are permitted from October 1 through May 1 (IC 9-19-18-3).

Are tire chains and studs legal in Indiana?, Indiana State Police FAQ on IN.gov, read September 22, 2026. Read it at the source

2026-27 season

Studded tire season 2026-27 in Indiana

First dayThursday, October 1, 2026

Last daySaturday, May 1, 2027

Indiana studded tire window, fall to spring

IndianaOct 1 to May 1

The dashed line marks today.

Exceptions

Exceptions to the Indiana rule

ISP's winter driving page gives the same season.

Tires: chains provide the most traction followed by studded tires (legal October 1st through May 1st) and regular snow tires

IC 9-19-18-3. Read it at the source

Chains and traction

Indiana’s chain law

Indiana has no chain requirement law; ISP says chains are legal when needed for safety.

Tire chains are legal when required for safety reasons.

Indiana State Police FAQ on IN.gov, read September 22, 2026. Read it at the source

Tire chains wrapped across a truck tire, with snow packed around the wheel hub — Chains on a truck tire, photographed by the Oregon Department of Transportation. Chain rules sit in their own sections of each state code, apart from the studded tire window. “Truck chains (5123859267)”, Oregon Department of Transportation, CC BY 2.0

Across the state line

Studded tire windows in neighbouring states

Indiana and its neighbours, fall to spring

IndianaOct 1 to May 1

OhioNov 1 to Apr 15

The dashed line marks today.

IllinoisBarred
MichiganBarred
OhioAllowed in seasonNov 1 to Apr 15
KentuckyChain law

Indiana studded tire questions

Are studded tires legal in Indiana?

When can you put studded tires on in Indiana?

When do studded tires have to come off in Indiana?

Are there exceptions to Indiana's studded tire rule?

Does Indiana have a chain law?

What are the studded tire rules in states near Indiana?

Compiled September 22, 2026 from Are tire chains and studs legal in Indiana?, Indiana State Police FAQ on IN.gov and the other sources linked beside each quote. Statutes change between winters, and a transportation department can extend a window where its statute allows, so the linked source is the one to check before a trip. Every state is in the studded tire laws by state table.