How to Check Your Tires Meet the Quebec Winter Tire Rule

Tire shops in Quebec fill their October and November calendars fast, and the common assumption is that any tire marked for snow will pass. It will not. Quebec counts only tires with one specific symbol, and a car without them from December 1 can earn the driver a fine. Check the tires now, while there is still time to book a change.

Confirm the rule applies to your vehicle

The Quebec winter tire requirements page says that as of October 2026 every motor vehicle registered in Quebec, rental vehicles included, must have winter tires from December 1 to March 15. Vehicles registered outside Quebec and trailers are exempt, and so is the spare tire.

Find the mountain and snowflake pictogram on the sidewall

Look on the side of each tire for a mountain with a snowflake inside it. Since December 15, 2014, only tires carrying that pictogram, or studded tires, count as winter tires under the Highway Safety Code. An M+S marking alone does not qualify in Quebec, even though British Columbia accepts it (see the BC winter tire rule).

Measure the tread depth

The legal minimum is 1.6 mm. The SAAQ winter preparation page recommends at least 4.8 mm, or 6/32 in, across the entire width of the tire for snow. Check the inside and outside edges as well as the middle with a tread depth gauge. A tire under 4.8 mm is legal but a poor choice for a whole winter.

Book the tire change before December 1

The SAAQ advises installing early because winter weather can arrive before the deadline. If you use studded tires, they are allowed on passenger vehicles, taxis and commercial vehicles up to 3,000 kg from October 15 to May 1.

Get a seven day exemption certificate if you need one

The SAAQ winter tires page lists nine situations that qualify for a seven day exemption certificate. They include driving out of or back into Quebec, as snowbirds do, buying a car from a private seller, and taking a vehicle out of storage. Request it in SAAQclic or at a SAAQ service outlet, and carry it in the car.

If you buy from a dealer or end a lease. No certificate is needed for the seven days after buying from a dealer if you carry the bill of sale, or for the seven days before a lease of a year or more expires if you carry the lease.

If you are stopped without them. As of October 2026, the fine is $200 to $300 plus costs.

Sources. Requirements for winter tires, Quebec government, SAAQ winter preparation, SAAQ winter tires and exemption certificate, SAAQclic.