Checked 21.09.2026
Three periods on one axis
Winter tyres are required from 1 December to 1 March. Studded tyres are allowed from 15 October to 31 March, and in winter conditions exceptionally from 1 October to 30 April.
- Winter tyre required1.12–1.03
- Studs allowed15.10–31.03
- Studs in winter conditions1.10–30.04
Source: Transpordiamet and Riigi Teataja, checked 19.09.2026.
Who the requirement covers
The duty is not limited to passenger cars. The list is short, and two entries on it are the ones people rarely expect: a trailer, and a small vehicle with a body.
| Class | What it is | Minimum |
|---|---|---|
| M1 | Passenger car with up to 8 seats | 3.0 mm |
| N1 | Van with a gross mass up to 3.5 t | 3.0 mm |
| O2 | Trailer with a gross mass of 0.75–3.5 t | 3.0 mm |
| L6e, L7e | Small vehicle with a body, e.g. a microcar | 3.0 mm |
Source: Transpordiamet and Riigi Teataja, checked 19.09.2026.
After 2022 only 3PMSF counts
Since 1 December 2022 a studless winter tyre must carry the three-peak mountain and snowflake marking. The requirement comes from a ministerial regulation that took effect on 25 October 2019 and started to apply three years later.
| Marking | What it means | Enough on its own |
|---|---|---|
| 3PMSF | Three peaks and a snowflake. Granted after a braking or traction test on snow | Yes, this is the requirement |
| M+S | The maker's own claim about the tread pattern, with no mandatory test behind it | No, since 1.12.2022 |
| POR | Off-road tyre under UNECE Regulation No 54 | Yes, 3PMSF is not required |
Source: Transpordiamet, notice on changed tyre requirements, 28.10.2022, checked 19.09.2026.
Tread depth: 3.0 mm, not 1.6
- Winter, mandatory period
- 3.0 mm
- Summer
- 1.6 mm
- Worth considering a change at
- 2 mm
The summer floor does not apply in winter, and this is the single most commonly confused point. Depth is judged by the most worn part of the tyre rather than an average: one worn shoulder takes the whole tyre below the limit even when the centre of the pattern still looks fine.
Source: Transpordiamet, checked 19.09.2026.
The calendar is the floor; the decision is yours
The dates say when a tyre must be fitted, not when it is sensible to change. Early December can be bare tarmac and late March can be ice.
Summer rubber stiffens at around +7 °C and loses grip before the road turns white. The decision to change is a question of temperature rather than of a date; the law only sets the frame you may not go below.
About the fine: what we do not state here
The exact figure comes from the Police and Border Guard Board or from the Traffic Act's current wording in Riigi Teataja. What we do state with confidence is what makes a tyre a winter tyre in law: the period, the marking and 3.0 mm.