Winter TyresLatvia Winter Tyres 2026: Clause 219, 4 mm, 1 December
Yes - clause 219 makes winter tyres compulsory on cars up to 3.5 t from 1 December to 1 March, and the tread checked in that window is 4 mm, not 1.6 mm.
Clause 219 makes winter tyres compulsory on cars and buses up to 3,500 kg from 1 December to 1 March, and in that window the tread figure is 4 mm, not 1.6 mm.
A calendar rule with a second number attached
Latvia’s requirement does not wait for snow. Between 1 December and 1 March a vehicle up to 3,500 kg must be on tyres intended for winter conditions — no weather test, no discretion, no exemption for a short hop from Riga airport into town (likumi.lv).
The number that catches people is the second one. Outside the season the roadworthiness floor is 1.6 mm; inside it, tread is measured against 4 mm. CSDD’s own March 2026 roadside campaign shows how that works in practice: of 8,216 vehicles checked, 627 — 8% — were sitting between 4 and 5 mm and were warned (CSDD).
The dates that matter
| Winter tyres compulsory | 1 December - 1 March |
| Studs banned | 1 May - 1 October |
| Summer tyres legal again | 2 March |
Those two windows do not line up, which is deliberate: studs stay legal through October, November and April, when the mandate itself is not running but the roads can still ice over.
Studded Tyres
Legal outside summer. Clause 219 prohibits driving on studs from 1 May to 1 October; for the rest of the year they are a normal choice, and on the polished ice of a Latgale morning they are a better one than any friction compound.
All-Season Tyres
The clause asks for tyres “intended for driving in winter conditions”, and CSDD reads that as the 3PMSF mountain-and-snowflake symbol: its November 2025 reminder says tyres with only M+S “will not be considered tyres suitable for the winter period” (CSDD). An all-season set qualifies only with the snowflake and at least 4 mm.
Minimum Tread Depth
4.0 mm in the winter window for vehicles up to 3,500 kg; 1.6 mm outside it, measured across the central three-quarters of the tread around the full circumference. Below the inspection minimum, continuing to drive is prohibited outright rather than merely fined.
Related Driving Rules
- Alcohol limit: 0.05 BAC
- Motorway speed limit: 110 km/h
- Warning triangle: Required
- Reflective vest: Required
- First aid kit: Required
Verify tyre requirements for your destination
Check Tyre RequirementsWhat Most Guides Don’t Tell You
The worst outcome is not a fine
CSDD’s reporting describes drivers being warned at 4-5 mm, and vehicles with serious defects being removed by recovery truck. Clause 222 lists tread below the inspection minimum among the faults that make further driving prohibited — a car taken off the road in Latgale in January costs a day, not a ticket.
Fit before 1 December, not on it
Garages fill through the last week of November, and the obligation starts on a fixed date rather than a cold morning. Booking in the first half of the month is the cheapest habit here.
The winter window moves the speed limit too
Motorway-signed roads drop from 120 km/h to 110 km/h over the same 1 December to 1 March period. The car’s legal status and the road’s legal limit change on the same day.
Crossing into Lithuania or Estonia
Neither neighbour uses the same dates: Lithuania runs 10 November to 31 March and Estonia 1 December to 1 March with a possible extension from 15 October to 31 March. A set that satisfies Latvia in December satisfies all three; one fitted on 1 December does not cover a Lithuanian trip in mid-November.
How Latvia Compares
| Country | Winter Tyres | Period | Studded | Min Tread |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Latvia | Required | 1 Dec - 1 Mar | Allowed 1 Oct - 30 Apr | 4.0 mm in winter (1.6 mm year-round) |
| Estonia | Required | 1 Dec - 1 Mar (can be extended 15 Oct - 31 Mar) | Restricted | 1.6 mm |
| Lithuania | Required | 10 Nov - 31 Mar | Restricted | 1.6 mm |
| Russia | Required | Dec - Feb (varies by region; summer tyres prohibited Dec-Feb) | Allowed | 1.6 mm |
Key Facts at a Glance
| Country | Latvia |
| Winter tyres mandatory | Required, vehicles up to 3,500 kg |
| Mandatory period | 1 Dec - 1 Mar |
| Winter tread minimum | 4.0 mm |
| Year-round tread minimum | 1.6 mm |
| Studded tyres | Legal, except 1 May - 1 Oct |
| All-season accepted | Only with 3PMSF and at 4 mm |
| Required marking | 3PMSF; M+S alone not accepted |
| Emergency number | 112 |
Learn More
Get the complete details on Latvia driving regulations:
Crossing more than one border this winter? See winter tyre rules, dates and legal tread minimums for every country →
Tyre details
- Winter tyre rated below your car's top speed? Read the speed letter — 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.
- EU tyre label grades for wet grip and fuel use — What each letter and pictogram on the sticker actually measures.
- 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
Yes. Clause 219 of the road traffic regulations requires tyres intended for winter conditions on cars and buses up to 3,500 kg from 1 December to 1 March, whatever the weather is doing that week.
4 mm in the winter window for vehicles up to 3,500 kg, against the 1.6 mm roadworthiness minimum that applies the rest of the year. A set that passes inspection in October can be illegal in January without losing another millimetre.
Yes, outside summer. The same clause bans studs from 1 May to 1 October, which leaves them legal through the whole cold half of the year, including October and April when the winter tyre mandate itself is not running.
Only if they carry the 3PMSF mountain-and-snowflake symbol and still measure 4 mm or more. CSDD does not accept M+S-only tyres as winter tyres between 1 December and 1 March.
Not always a fine. Drivers measured between 4 and 5 mm have been warned, and a vehicle below the inspection minimum can be stopped from continuing altogether, which means a recovery truck rather than a ticket.