Is there a winter tyres law in the UK?

Is there a winter tyres law in the UK?

No, there's no winter tyres law in the UK. You don't have to fit them at any time of year, in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland.

That doesn't mean there are no tyre rules. Every tyre on a car needs at least 1.6mm of tread depth, which is the depth of the grooves in the tyre. It also has to be free of serious cuts and bulges. Those rules apply all year, whatever type of tyre you fit.

Northern Ireland has its own motoring rules, and on this point they match. The official government site there, nidirect, says "there is no legal requirement to fit specialist tyres to deal with snow or ice". It calls winter tyres "a personal choice, based on personal circumstances".

This is part of our wider guide to running a used car.

What does the tyre regulation actually say?

In Great Britain, the rules on a tyre's condition sit in regulation 27 of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986. Regulations 24 to 26 of the same instrument cover tyre types, load and speed ratings, and mixing tyres. If a winter tyre rule existed, you'd find it in one of these.

It isn't there. Regulation 27 covers tread depth, cuts, bulges, exposed cord and tyre pressure, and it also bans a tyre that's unsuitable for the way the vehicle is being used. It doesn't mention winter tyres, seasons or temperature anywhere, nor do regulations 24 to 26.

That's the current revised text on legislation.gov.uk, not the 1986 original.

The tread rule applies to "every tyre" on a car. The grooves must be at least 1.6mm deep across the central three-quarters of the tread, and round the whole tyre. There's no separate figure for winter or all-season tyres.

The Highway Code gives the same tread figure in plainer words, and it doesn't mention winter tyres either.

Do you need winter tyres anyway?

Legally, no. Whether they're worth the money depends on where you live and drive.

You'll often hear that you should switch once it drops below 7°C. That figure comes from tyre makers, not from the law. Michelin's UK winter tyre guide says summer tyres are less effective below 7°C, and it suggests fitting winter tyres once the road temperature falls under that.

So treat 7°C as a maker's rule of thumb about grip. The official tyre guidance we read for this piece gives no temperature at all.

As for what the tyres do, Michelin says winter tyres stop in a shorter distance than summer tyres in winter conditions, and grip better.

All-season tyres vs winter tyres

All-season tyres are sold to stay on the car all year, which saves you buying and storing a second set.

The name on the tyre matters less than the marking on its sidewall. There are two to know. M+S stands for mud and snow, and Michelin's guide says an M+S tyre hasn't had to pass a winter performance test.

The second is the three-peak mountain snowflake symbol, often shortened to 3PMSF. It's a small mountain outline with a snowflake inside, and Michelin says a tyre has to pass a snow test to carry it.

An all-season tyre may or may not carry the snowflake symbol. Check the sidewall before you buy, because that symbol is what counts abroad.

If you only see snow a few days a year, I'd look at an all-season tyre with that symbol before paying for a second set. Either way, tyres are a running cost like any other. Our free car check gives a running-cost estimate for a specific car from its number plate.

Will winter tyres affect your car insurance?

Usually not, but check with your insurer.

The Association of British Insurers (ABI) publishes a document called "Winter Tyres – The Motor Insurance Commitment". We read the January 2025 edition, and the insurers named in it don't charge any extra premium if you fit winter tyres.

That promise comes with conditions. The tyres have to meet the car maker's specifications and be fitted in line with them, and they have to be roadworthy while in use.

The commitment has two limits, and they matter. First, it only covers the insurers named in it. The list includes dozens, including Aviva, Admiral, AXA, Direct Line, Churchill and AA Insurance. An insurer that isn't on the list hasn't promised anything.

Second, it only applies to cars used for personal use, on a private or personal-use car policy. A business-use policy or a van sits outside it.

Even among the named insurers, the answers differ. Most say you don't need to tell them, but three say you do: eCar, Southern Rock and Swiftcover. The ABI also points out that your insurer may not be the company that sold you the policy.

We haven't found a general rule saying you must declare a change of tyres. But what your insurer expects comes from your own policy, so read it or ask.

Do you need winter tyres to drive in France or Germany?

It depends where you're going, and when. The two countries work in quite different ways.

France goes by date and place

France's rule is often called the Loi Montagne, or mountain law. It's set out in Decree 2020-1264, and it runs from 1 November to 31 March each winter.

It doesn't cover the whole country. It applies only in mountain communes listed by the local prefect, the state's senior official for the area. Stick to lowland France and you may never enter one, but check your route before you go.

In a listed commune, a car needs one of two things. The first is winter tyres on at least two wheels of each axle, which means all four on a car. The second is removable anti-slip devices, such as snow chains, carried in the car, and they need to fit at least two driven wheels.

So you can comply without fitting winter tyres at all.

The marking matters here. Since 1 November 2024, a tyre only counts as a winter tyre in France if it carries the snowflake symbol alongside an M+S marking. M+S alone is no longer enough.

The forecast doesn't come into it. Inside a listed commune, between those dates, the rule applies even on a dry, sunny day.

Germany goes by the road conditions

Germany has no dates at all. Its rule is in section 2(3a) of the StVO, the German road traffic regulations.

It applies when there's black ice, packed snow, slush, ice or frost on the road. In those conditions, every wheel must carry a tyre marked with the snowflake symbol.

So summer tyres are legal on a clear, dry German road in January. On a slushy one in October, they aren't.

There are a few exemptions, including motorbikes and farm vehicles, but ordinary cars aren't among them. Buses and goods vehicles over 3.5 tonnes follow a narrower rule based on which axles are driven and steered.

Everywhere else

Other countries set their own rules. The government's driving abroad guidance says you may need extra equipment depending on the country you're visiting. It doesn't list winter tyre rules, so look up each country on your route before you leave.

Does the MOT treat winter tyres differently?

No. The MOT is the yearly safety test for cars over three years old (four in Northern Ireland), and it holds every tyre to the same standard.

The tyre section of the MOT inspection manual doesn't mention winter tyres, M+S or the snowflake symbol. The tester checks tread depth, condition, size and structure on whatever is fitted. The 1.6mm minimum is the same.

Our piece on tyres in the latest MOT failure data explains the 20p tread check and shows how often tyres fail the test. Our free MOT check shows a car's MOT record from the number plate.

Tyres are only one of the things that wear, and our guide to common car faults by age covers the rest.

Common questions