Kansas Studded Tire Law

Running studs in Kansas

Kansas authorizes studded traction equipment only for light vehicles — the regulation defines a 'truck' as one registered at 12,000 lb GVW or less and limits studs to passenger vehicles and light trucks, November 1 to April 1 (K.S.A. 8-1742; K.A.R. 36-7-1, 36-7-2). That shuts out any loaded truck. A Class-8 rig cannot legally run metal studs in Kansas in any month, season or not. On light vehicles, tungsten stud tips must project 0.040 to 0.090 inch. Heavy trucks use chains or traction tires; studs are not an option.

The window and winter-tire rules

• Season: November 1 to April 1 (K.A.R. 36-7-2) — and only on light vehicles. A heavy truck may not run studs in any month.
• No M+S/3PMSF traction-tire law and no mandatory chain law. Studs are not chains — but the bigger fact for you is the weight cap: Kansas authorizes studded traction equipment only on light vehicles (its rules define a 'truck' as 12,000 lb GVW or less), so a heavy truck runs chains or traction tires, never studs. See the Kansas chain-law page.

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