Studded Tires
While Washington drivers typically have until March 31 to remove studded tires, the Washington State Department of Transportation is extending the deadline to Friday, May 15, due to COVID-19 virus concerns and Gov. Jay Inslee’s Stay Home, Stay Healthy order.
This extends the previous April 30 deadline.
“Washington is experiencing some extraordinary challenges with COVID-19 right now and we recognize this is not a time for ‘business as usual,’” said WSDOT Maintenance Operations Branch Manager James Morin. “People are dealing with a lot of concerns — and this further extension means getting tires changed by the end of April doesn’t need to be one of them.”
Studded tires are legal in Washington from Nov. 1 to March 31. State law gives WSDOT authority to extend the deadline when circumstances call for it, most commonly when a forecast indicates widespread snow and ice.
If no new extensions are granted at that time, the May 15 deadline means that starting at midnight on Saturday, May 16, drivers with studded tires face a $136 fine.
WSDOT encourages drivers to remove studded tires prior to the deadline, if possible.
