Passenger Vehicle - Tire and Chain Requirements

Winter road conditions across most of B.C. often include snow and ice and most B.C. highways have high mountain passes where you are likely to encounter winter weather starting in October. It is the responsibility of the operator of a vehicle to understand the conditions on roads they regularly drive and equip their vehicle for those conditions.

About Winter Tires

What is a Legal Winter Tire in B.C.?

A legal winter tire (on a standard passenger vehicle or a four-wheel/all-wheel vehicle) MUST have at least 3.5 mm of tread depth.

A winter tire must be labelled with either of the following:

• The letters "M" and "S", the minimum legal requirement (mud + snow/all season tires)
• The 3-peaked mountain/snowflake symbol (some manufacturers label with both the mountain snowflake and the M+S symbol)
  

3-peaked mountain/snowflake tires (which include all-weather tires) offer better traction on snow and ice. We recommend drivers install 3-peaked mountain/snowflake tires for cold weather driving and, for extreme conditions, carry chains.

Summer tires are not permitted for driving during designated winter months. Chains on summer tires are not an acceptable substitute for legal winter tires on signed B.C. highways.