How to Check Your Tires Meet the BC Winter Tire Rule

The signs on most British Columbia highways switched on today, and the common assumption is that they only matter once snow falls. They do not. From October 1, a car on a signed route needs qualifying tires or chains whatever the weather, and police can fine the driver or stop the trip. The check takes ten minutes in the driveway.

Find out whether your route is a designated one

Open the province's winter tire and chain routes page and pick the regional map for your trip. As of October 2026 it says the rule runs from October 1 to April 30 on most routes, and ends March 31 on select highways outside mountain passes and high snowfall areas. The Lower Mainland and southeastern Vancouver Island are exempt, but the Sea to Sky Highway, the Malahat and every highway in the Interior and the North are not. On the road, the regulatory sign is what counts.

Read the symbol on the tire sidewall

The passenger vehicle page accepts two markings: M+S, which many all-season tires carry, or the three-peaked mountain and snowflake symbol. Both are legal. The province recommends the mountain and snowflake tire for anyone who drives highways regularly, because it grips better on snow and ice.

Measure at least 3.5 mm of tread

A tire with the right symbol still fails if the tread is under 3.5 mm. The province's Winter Tires in BC handout says that depth must hold across the whole tire, so measure the inside and outside edges as well as the middle with a tread depth gauge. Worn shoulders from poor alignment are a common reason a tire that looks fine is short.

Put matching tires on the drive axle

The passenger vehicle page requires at least two matching winter tires on the primary drive axle, even on a four by four. It recommends four matched tires, and warns against mixing tread patterns and sizes.

Carry chains if you are relying on them instead

Chains are the legal alternative on a signed route. The same page allows steel link or cable chains, fitted to the primary drive axle. Practice putting them on at home, not on the shoulder of a pass in the dark.

Check the road before you leave

DriveBC shows current highway conditions and closures. Look before a trip over a pass, since police can turn back a vehicle that is not equipped.

If you are stopped without them. The enforcement page lists a $121 fine as of October 2026 for a passenger vehicle without winter tires where they are required, and says enforcement officers can stop you from continuing the trip.

If you run studded tires. They are allowed only from October 1 to April 30, studs may not stick out more than 2 mm, and studs on the front wheels mean studs on the back as well.

Sources. Designated Winter Tire and Chain Routes, Passenger Vehicles winter tire and chain requirements, Winter tire and chain enforcement, Winter Tires in BC handout, DriveBC.