Tire Chain Laws by State

When winter weather strikes, it’s not only important to have sturdy tire chains ready to go in your vehicle- in some states, it’s the law.

Tire chains help keep your rig on the road in the ice and snow, making travel safer for you, your load and the drivers around you.

There is a wide variety of tire chains available for many different sizes of tires and specific travel needs. That means there is also a range of restrictions for what chains can or must be used from state to state.

Some states ask that you simply carry tire chains in your vehicle, while other states require them to be on your tires when you pass through the state at certain times of the year. Some states require manually applied tire chains, while other states allow you to use automatic chains.

States with Tire Chain Laws or Restrictions

Click a state in the list below for tire chain laws, restrictions and other important tire chain information:

• Alabama
• Alaska
• Arizona
• Arkansas
• California
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• Georgia
• Idaho
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Maine
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• Mississippi
• Montana
• Nebraska
• Nevada
• New Jersey
• New Mexico
• New York
• North Carolina
• North Dakota
• Ohio
• Oklahoma
• Oregon
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Utah
• Virginia
• Washington
• West Virginia
• Wisconsin
• Wyoming

States with No Tire Chain Laws

Some states have no tire chain laws at all. These include:

• Washington, D.C.
• Florida
• Hawaii
• Missouri
• New Hampshire
• Vermont

If you’re concerned about whether you have sufficient chains for your vehicle’s tires, it’s a good idea to contact that states Department of Transportation before you head out with your load.

Need to buy tire chains? We offer two styles of snow chains from Pewag, a leader in chain manufacturing:

- Glacier chains offer durable traction with a 6mm twist link that penetrates icy and snowy conditions. They’re great to have on hand for emergency use.

- Premium chains in a 7mm square link design wear more than four times longer than traditional 6/0 twist link tire chains and also provide about 32% more traction. 

These are the best tire chains for regular use.

Shop our entire selection here: Tire Chains or give our sales team a call at 866-444-9990.