Are studded tires legal in Kansas?
Kansas allows studded tires from November 1 through April 1.
The studded tire rule in Kansas
Allowed in season
Kansas allows studded tires from November 1 through April 1.
Kansas allows studded snow tires from November 1 to April 1 each year, with the dates set by KDOT rule under state law.
Vehicles in Kansas may be equipped with studded snow tires from November 1 to April 1 each year.Consumer Equipment, Kansas Highway Patrol, read September 22, 2026. Read it at the source
Studded tire season 2026-27 in Kansas
The dashed line marks today.
Exceptions to the Kansas rule
State law lets the secretary of transportation approve studded tires by rule and limit them to certain months or vehicle types.
To qualify under paragraph (3) or (4), such tires or studded traction equipment shall be approved by the secretary of transportation by adoption of rules and regulations, and their use may be limited to certain months or types of vehicles by such rules and regulations.K.S.A. 8-1742(c); dates in K.A.R. 36-7-2. Read it at the source
Other traction devices
State law also allows studded traction equipment when snow or ice makes skidding likely, subject to KDOT approval by rule.
(3) studded traction equipment upon any vehicle when required for safety because of snow, ice or other conditions tending to cause a vehicle to skidConsumer Equipment, Kansas Highway Patrol. Read it at the source
Kansas’s chain law
Kansas has no chain requirement law; chains of reasonable size are permitted when snow or ice makes skidding likely.
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 skidRestrictions as to tire equipment, K.S.A. 8-1742, read September 22, 2026. Read it at the source
Kansas studded tire questions
Compiled September 22, 2026 from Consumer Equipment, Kansas Highway Patrol 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.