Montana Studded Tires Laws (2026)

Conditional: Studded tires are legal in Montana only from October 1, 2026 through May 31, 2027.

ConditionalVerified Oct 3, 2026

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Studded tires are legal in Montana only from October 1, 2026 through May 31, 2027. Mont. Code Ann. 61-9-406 writes this as a recurring annual window running between the first day of October and the thirty-first day of May, dated here for the current season. Studs may not protrude more than 1/16 inch beyond the tire tread. A school bus may use studded tires over a longer period, from the fifteenth day of August through the following fifteenth day of June. One studded tire may be carried year-round as a spare in case of tire failure, and tires with retractable studs may be used at any time, but the studs may only be engaged inside the October to May window and not on roads clear of snow and ice.

Official source: mca.legmt.gov →

General legal information, not legal advice — verify important decisions with a licensed attorney.

Studded Tires in states bordering Montana

The same rule in each neighboring state LawLert has verified, from that state’s own official source.

IdahoConditional
Idaho allows studded tires only from October 1, 2026 through April 30, 2027. …
Verified Oct 3, 2026 · Source: legislature.idaho.gov · Full Idaho rule →
North DakotaConditional
Studded tires are legal in North Dakota from October 15 through April 15, with studs no more than 1/16 inch beyond the tread; outside that window they are prohibited except on schoolbuses, which may use them at any time during the year. See N.D. Cent. Code 39-21-40 and the North Dakota Highway Patrol.
Verified Oct 15, 2026 · Source: ndlegis.gov · Full North Dakota rule →
South DakotaConditional
Metal-stud tires are legal in South Dakota only from October 1 through April 30. The statute separately allows a school bus or a fire-fighting vehicle with a gross vehicle weight of over 5,000 pounds, owned or operated by a unit of local government, to run metal studs at any time. A violation is a Class 2 misdemeanor. See S.D. Codified Laws 32-19-3.
Verified Oct 12, 2026 · Source: sdlegislature.gov · Full South Dakota rule →
WyomingPermitted
Studded tires are legal year-round in Wyoming. Studs must not materially injure the road surface. See Wyo. Stat. 31-5-956.
Verified Jul 22, 2026 · Source: wyoleg.gov · Full Wyoming rule →

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