Winter Tyres in United Kingdom

Quick answer: No. United Kingdom has no general winter tyre requirement for cars. No law requires winter tyres or snow chains in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. The Highway Code's adverse-weather rules give advice only. Today: No requirement.

Required?

No no general rule

Right now

No requirement

Dates

No fixed dates

The rule

No law requires winter tyres or snow chains in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. The Highway Code's adverse-weather rules give advice only.

What tyres count

None required (legal minimum tread 1.6 mm all year).

Snow chains

Not confirmed. Check the official source below.

Studded tyres

Not confirmed. Check the official source below.

Fine

None (no requirement).

Tips for visiting drivers

UK drivers taking the car to the Alps, the Pyrenees or Scandinavia need to meet the rules of each country they drive through: see France, Austria, Germany, Italy and Switzerland above.

Notes: The 1.6 mm tread minimum is the general UK rule for cars, not a winter rule.

Source

Official source and last check

GOV.UK: The Highway Code, rules 226 to 237 (driving in adverse weather) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · last checked 2 November 2026

Not confirmed on an official page: chains, studs. We show "Not confirmed" rather than guess.

This is general information, not legal advice. Rules change and local signs always apply; check the official source before you travel. "Right now" is worked out from today's date and the dates above; where the rule depends on snow, ice or signs, it applies only when those are present.

Before you drive

Check the road and the weather

Will the roads be icy? Hour-by-hour check for your town Weather warnings in force today in United Kingdom Driving laws in United Kingdom: speed limits, drink-drive limit Live road accident reports: United Kingdom Driving in Europe: what to carry Stopping distance on snow and ice

Questions