Are Part-Worn Tyres Legal? UK Rules and What to Check

Are part-worn tyres legal?

Yes. It's legal to sell, buy and drive on part-worn tyres in the UK. But a business can only sell one that meets the rules in the Motor Vehicle Tyres (Safety) Regulations 1994.

The tyre must have:

• at least 2mm of tread across its full width, all the way round
• no serious cuts, bulges or exposed cord
• no puncture left unrepaired, and any repair done properly
• "PART-WORN" marked on the sidewall

That doesn't make every part-worn safe. An older tyre can break down inside with nothing to see from the outside. One that's been driven on low pressure, or has hit a pothole or kerb, can be damaged inside too. Part-worns don't have to be x-rayed before they're sold, so it can be impossible to tell.

So check any tyre carefully before you pay. If you're in any doubt about it, buy new.

A part-worn isn't always better value either. The charity TyreSafe says to compare what you pay for each millimetre of tread you can use. A new tyre usually starts with about 8mm, and you can use it down to the 1.6mm road limit. A part-worn with 3mm has 1.4mm left to use.

Part of our guide to running a car.

What should you check before you buy one?

Work through these at the counter, before you hand over any money.

1. Find the PART-WORN mark. It has to be in capitals at least 4mm high, next to the E mark (the letter E and a number, such as E11, moulded in when the tyre was made). It has to be permanent, but it mustn't be burnt or cut into the rubber. A rubber label bonded to the sidewall is one way it can be done.
2. Check the size, load and speed marks against your handbook, or against the tyres already on the car.
3. Measure the tread with a depth gauge. It needs at least 2mm across the full width and all the way round, which is more than the 1.6mm a tyre needs on the road. If you haven't got a gauge, ask the seller to measure it in front of you. The 20p test is only a guide to the 1.6mm limit, so don't rely on it for 2mm.
4. Look for damage, inside the tyre as well as outside, and on both sidewalls. A lump, bulge or tear where the structure has started to fail rules it out, and so does any cord showing. So does a long cut that's deep enough to reach the cord: the limit is 25mm, or a tenth of the tyre's width if that's more. If you can't tell how deep a cut goes, don't buy it.
5. Check for punctures. A hole that hasn't been repaired means the tyre can't be sold. A repaired tyre can be, if the repair was done properly to the British Standard for tyre repairs, BS AU 159. A "string" plug doesn't meet it. TyreSafe says a permanent repair means taking the tyre off the wheel, and that a plug pushed in from the outside isn't one. It also says a tyre can only be repaired in the middle three-quarters of the tread, and not on or near the sidewall.
6. Ask the seller to pump it up and look again. The tyre mustn't show any of that damage on the outside at its maximum pressure, and some faults only appear once it's inflated.
7. Read the date code. It's four digits on the sidewall, the week then the year, so 2120 means week 21 of 2020. The rules don't set an age limit. But TyreSafe says most tyres start to show signs of ageing after around five or six years. If there are cracks in the sidewall, walk away.
8. Buy two for the same axle if you can, so they match.

A business can't legally sell you a tyre with no PART-WORN mark, too little tread or any of that damage. Walk away.

The mark is the quickest check. TyreSafe reported in June 2025 that inspectors had checked 30 part-worn tyres at three garages in Preston. None was properly marked.

Does it matter where you buy it?

Yes. The rules apply across the UK to anyone who sells a part-worn tyre in the course of a business. That takes in tyre shops, garages, breakers and online sellers trading as a business, even where tyres aren't their main trade.

You don't break the law by buying a part-worn.

A one-off private sale isn't covered. So someone selling their own old tyres on a marketplace doesn't have to meet any of these rules, and every check above is down to you.

Once it's fitted, what does the law expect?

Once it's on your car, a part-worn has to meet the same road rules as any other tyre.

In Great Britain, that means at least 1.6mm of tread across the central three-quarters of the tyre, and none of the cuts, bulges or exposed cord described above. The tyre also has to suit the car and the tyres on its other wheels.

In Great Britain, driving on a defective tyre can get you a £100 fixed penalty and 3 penalty points. If it goes to court, the fine can be up to £2,500, and each defective tyre can be fined separately. The penalty points for more than one tyre on the same occasion are normally counted once, though the court can decide to count them separately.

The MOT tests the condition of the tyres on the car. It doesn't ask where they came from.

There's no age limit for a car's tyres. The 10-year limit is for lorries, buses, coaches and minibuses.

Thinking about a winter set? See whether there's a winter tyres law in the UK.

Buying a car on part-worn tyres?

The part-worn rules don't apply to the tyres on a car that's being sold, or to its spare.

A different law does. In Great Britain it's an offence to sell a car whose tyres make it illegal to drive. The main exception is a seller with good reason to believe it won't be driven on the road until it's fixed. For a dealer, that only counts if it also took reasonable steps to make sure you knew the car wasn't legal to drive.

So look at all four tyres, and the spare, the way you would at a tyre shop. Mismatched or badly worn tyres are worth raising when you talk about the price.

If you buy from a dealer and find a tyre problem later, you may have a right to a repair or some of your money back. That doesn't cover a fault you should have spotted when you looked the car over, or normal wear. And it's hard to prove later what state the tyres were in when you bought the car.

Our free car check shows the car's full MOT history, including any tyre advisories or failures. An advisory is a problem the tester listed for the owner to keep an eye on or fix in the future, and MOT advisories explained covers how to read them.

What if you've been sold a dangerous or illegal tyre?

Stop driving on it. A tyre with a bulge, exposed cord or a deep cut is illegal on the road too, so get it checked or replaced first.

If a business sold it to you, ask for your money back. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, goods have to be of satisfactory quality, and safety is part of that. You have 30 days to reject a tyre that isn't, and get a refund.

The 30 days run from when you get the tyre or, if the shop is fitting it, from when it tells you that's done. After 30 days, ask the shop to repair or replace the tyre, which it has to do at its own cost. If that doesn't put it right, you can ask for a refund or a price cut.

None of this covers a fault you were told about before you paid, or one you should have spotted when you looked the tyre over.

And these rights are against a business. Buy from a private seller and you have far fewer, but the tyre still has to be as it was described. Screenshot the listing before you pay.

If a business sold it, report it to Trading Standards, which enforces the part-worn rules in Great Britain. You do that through the Citizens Advice consumer service. In Scotland, contact Advice Direct Scotland, and in Northern Ireland, Consumerline.

Trading Standards can investigate the business, but it won't get you a refund.

For the seller, supplying an illegal part-worn is a criminal offence. The maximum penalty is six months in prison, a fine, or both.

Part-worn tyre questions