Are Studded Tires Legal in North Dakota? 2026-27 Season Dates

Q: When can you put studded tires on in North Dakota?

From October 15. For the 2026-27 season that is Thursday, October 15, 2026, and the window runs through Thursday, April 15, 2027.

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

April 15 is the last day of the window, which for 2026-27 is Thursday, April 15, 2027.

Q: Are there exceptions to North Dakota's studded tire rule?

School buses may run studded tires at any time of year. Studs may project no more than one sixteenth of an inch beyond the tread.

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

Minnesota, barred; South Dakota, October 1 through April 30; Montana, October 1 through May 31. Each state's page quotes its own statute.

Allowed in season

Rule

NDCC 39-21-40(3)

October 15

Opens for 2026-27

Thursday, October 15, 2026

April 15

Last day

Thursday, April 15, 2027

17 days

Window opens in

as of Monday, September 28, 2026

The rule

The studded tire rule in North Dakota

Allowed in season

North Dakota allows studded tires from October 15 through April 15.

North Dakota allows studded tires from October 15 to April 15, with studs projecting no more than a sixteenth of an inch.

It is also permissible to use, from October fifteenth to April fifteenth, pneumatic tires which have metal studs which do not project more than one-sixteenth of an inch [1.59 millimeters] beyond the tread of the traction surface of the tire, except that it is permissible to use such tires on schoolbuses at any time during the year.

Restrictions as to tire equipment, NDCC 39-21-40, read September 22, 2026. Read it at the source

2026-27 season

Studded tire season 2026-27 in North Dakota

First dayThursday, October 15, 2026

Last dayThursday, April 15, 2027

North Dakota studded tire window, fall to spring

North DakotaOct 15 to Apr 15

The dashed line marks today.

Exceptions

Exceptions to the North Dakota rule

School buses may run studded tires at any time of year.

except that it is permissible to use such tires on schoolbuses at any time during the year.

NDCC 39-21-40(3). Read it at the source

Studs may project no more than one sixteenth of an inch beyond the tread.

pneumatic tires which have metal studs which do not project more than one-sixteenth of an inch [1.59 millimeters] beyond the tread of the traction surface of the tire

NDCC 39-21-40(3). Read it at the source

Chains and traction

North Dakota’s chain law

North Dakota has no chain requirement law; the equipment statute simply permits tire chains of reasonable proportions.

except also that it is permissible to use tire chains of reasonable proportions.

NDCC 39-21-40, 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

North Dakota and its neighbours, fall to spring

North DakotaOct 15 to Apr 15

South DakotaOct 1 to Apr 30

MontanaOct 1 to May 31

The dashed line marks today.

MinnesotaBarred
South DakotaAllowed in seasonOct 1 to Apr 30
MontanaAllowed in seasonOct 1 to May 31

North Dakota studded tire questions

Are studded tires legal in North Dakota?

Yes, within a season. North Dakota allows studded tires from October 15 through April 15. NDCC 39-21-40(3) reads: "It is also permissible to use, from October fifteenth to April fifteenth, pneumatic tires which have metal studs which do not project more than one-sixteenth of an inch [1.59 millimeters] beyond the tread of the traction surface of the tire, except that it is permissible to use such tires on schoolbuses at any time during the year."

When can you put studded tires on in North Dakota?

When do studded tires have to come off in North Dakota?

Are there exceptions to North Dakota's studded tire rule?

Does North Dakota have a chain law?

What are the studded tire rules in states near North Dakota?

Compiled September 22, 2026 from Restrictions as to tire equipment, NDCC 39-21-40 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.