West Virginia Studded Tire Law

Running studs in West Virginia

Metal studs are legal November 1 to April 15 (W. Va. C.S.R. § 157-5-8), but studs can't be installed in tires rated above 40 psi (W. Va. Code § 17C-15-37), and every truck tire runs well above that, so a big rig can't legally stud here. Only school buses clear the 40-psi rule. Studs cap at a 7/64 in. tip, 3/8 in. diameter, and 3% of the contact patch. Chains handle the ice; studs don't count as chains.

The window and winter-tire rules

• Season: November 1 to April 15 (W. Va. C.S.R. § 157-5-8), but studs cannot go in tires rated above 40 psi, which rules out truck tires.
• No M+S or 3PMSF winter-tire mandate. Chains are legal when needed for safety on snow or ice, but studs are not chains and won't satisfy a chain-control order (see the West Virginia chain-law page). Stud specs: tungsten-carbide tip projecting no more than 7/64 in., stud body no more than 3/8 in. diameter, no more than 3% of the tire's contact area. Truck note: the 40-psi cap bars studs on high-pressure truck tires; only school buses are exempt.

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