Winter TyresColombia Winter Tyres 2026: None Needed, Spare Tyre Is Law
No. Colombia's traffic code has no winter tyre rule. It requires tyres in adequate condition and a spare, jack, triangles, extinguisher and first aid kit on board.
Colombia has no winter tyre rule. What the law checks is whether your tyres are in adequate condition, and whether the car carries its compulsory kit, spare tyre included.
Cold roads without a winter rule
Much of Colombia’s driving is in the Andes, and passes above 3,000 m are cold, wet and often wrapped in cloud. Yet the national traffic code, Law 769 of 2002, has no snow, chain or stud provision anywhere in it. No season, no marking requirement, no fine for summer tyres.
What it does contain is a general test. Article 28 says a vehicle may only travel on national roads if, among other things, it can demonstrate an adequate state of its tyres. There is no millimetre figure, which gives a traffic officer discretion: a bald or cut tyre can be enough for a penalty.
The kit article 30 makes compulsory
No vehicle may use Colombian roads without carrying, at minimum:
- A jack able to lift the vehicle
- A wheel brace
- Two reflective warning triangles on stands, or flashing amber lamps
- A first aid kit
- A fire extinguisher
- Two wheel chocks
- A basic tool kit: pliers, screwdrivers, an adjustable spanner and fixed spanners
- A spare tyre
- A torch
Check every item at the rental counter. A missing extinguisher or chock is a far more likely roadside problem than anything to do with the season.
What actually tests tyres here
Steep grades, tight bends, fog and heavy rain in the wet seasons. Good tread matters for water clearance, and daylight driving on mountain routes is the sensible plan.
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Sources
- Ley 769 de 2002, Código Nacional de Tránsito Terrestre, articles 28 and 30 (Secretaría del Senado): http://www.secretariasenado.gov.co/senado/basedoc/ley_0769_2002.html
Crossing more than one border this winter? See winter tyre rules, dates and legal tread minimums for every country →
Tyre details
- EU tyre label grades for wet grip and fuel use — What each letter and pictogram on the sticker actually measures.
- What the speed letter on the sidewall allows — H, V, W and Y decoded, plus the sticker rule for lower-rated winter sets.
- Load index: will the tyre carry a loaded car? — The two- or three-digit number that caps weight per tyre.
- Tyre noise ratings in decibels — What the dB figure and the A, B or C class on the label mean inside the car.
- Starting tyre pressure for your size and load — A starting figure in bar and psi, then the door placard has the final word.
Full rules, fines & requirements
Winter tyres, tread depth & rules
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Related Questions
No. Law 769 of 2002, the national traffic code, contains no winter tyre, snow chain or studded tyre provision, even for the Andean passes.
The code sets a condition test rather than a millimetre figure: article 28 requires every vehicle to show tyres in an adequate state. A worn or damaged tyre can fail that test at a roadside check.
Article 30 lists a jack, a wheel brace, two reflective warning triangles or flashing amber lamps, a first aid kit, a fire extinguisher, two wheel chocks, a basic tool kit, a spare tyre and a torch.