Winter TyresNorway Winter Tyres 2026: 3 mm Rule, NOK 1,000 a Tyre
Norway does not order you to fit winter tyres — it orders tread depth. From 1 November you need 3 mm on a car and 5 mm above 3.5 t, and the fine is charged per tyre.
Norway’s winter rule is written as a tread-depth rule, not a winter-tyre rule. From 1 November you need at least 3 mm on a car and at least 5 mm on anything over 3.5 t.
The number, not the label, is what gets checked
Norway does not require a tyre with a particular symbol on it. What the vehicle-use regulation requires is that tyres suit the conditions and that they carry enough tread: at least 3 mm for vehicles with a permitted total weight up to 3,500 kg, and at least 5 mm above that, from 1 November to the first Sunday after Easter Monday, or 16 October to 30 April in Nordland, Troms and Finnmark (Lovdata, forskrift om bruk av kjøretøy § 1-4). In practice that means proper winter tyres, because no summer tyre keeps 3 mm of useful winter grip — but it also means a nearly-new winter tyre at 2.8 mm is illegal while an honest 3 mm one is not. Studs are legal in season and excellent on ice, with one local quirk: Oslo, Bergen and Trondheim charge a studded-tyre fee (piggdekkgebyr) to hold down road dust, which is why so many Norwegians run studless.
What the Regulation Actually Says
The winter tread minimum applies across the whole period, not only on snowy days:
| Vehicle | Minimum tread, winter period |
|---|---|
| Up to 3,500 kg | 3 mm |
| Over 3,500 kg | 5 mm |
The general year-round minimum for any tyre remains 1.6 mm — it simply is not enough to be legal between November and Easter.
Dates
- Most of Norway: 1 November to the first Sunday after Easter Monday
- Nordland, Troms and Finnmark: 16 October to 30 April
Studded Tyres
Studs are permitted through the winter season. The regulation frames it as a closed period: studded tyres may not be used from the first Monday after Easter Monday to 31 October unless driving conditions make them necessary, and in Nordland, Troms and Finnmark that closed period runs 1 May to 15 October.
The Fine Is Per Tyre
This is the detail that catches people. A worn set is not one offence — the charge is NOK 1,000 for each non-compliant tyre, rising to NOK 2,000 per tyre on vehicles over 7,500 kg, under the Norwegian regulation on fees for certain traffic offences (forskrift 17 September 1993 no. 855). Four bald tyres on a car is NOK 4,000, and the amount increases if it goes unpaid.
Related Driving Rules
- Alcohol limit: 0.02 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
Measure Before You Cross
Roadside checks at border crossings and on mountain routes are routine in winter, and foreign plates are not treated differently. A gauge costs almost nothing; a set of four costs NOK 4,000 if you guess wrong.
Studs Versus Studless
Studs win on polished ice and lose on wet tarmac, cost more in noise and wear, and attract the city fee. Modern studless Nordic tyres are the default choice for anyone spending most of the trip on cleared main roads and in Oslo, Bergen or Trondheim.
Chains Still Matter
Tread depth is the legal test, but on steep mountain routes and over the high passes chains may still be needed, and signs will say so. Carry a set if your route crosses the fjell in deep winter.
Hire Cars
Rental fleets equip for the season, but tread is what you are judged on, and a car late in the winter has been round the fjords a few times already. Check the depth yourself at pick-up rather than assuming.
How Norway Compares
| Country | Winter Tyres | Period | Studded | Min Tread |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norway | Tread rule, not a tyre rule | 1 Nov - first Sunday after Easter Monday (north: 16 Oct - 30 Apr) | Allowed in season | 3 mm (5 mm over 3.5 t) |
| Sweden | Required | 1 Dec - 31 Mar | Restricted | 3 mm |
| Finland | Required | 1 Nov - 31 Mar (can be extended by conditions) | Allowed | 3 mm |
| Denmark | Not required | — | Restricted | 1.6 mm |
| Iceland | No dated mandate; grip tyres or chains on snow/ice | 1 Nov - 14 Apr (tread and stud season) | Allowed 1 Nov - 14 Apr | 3 mm 1 Nov - 14 Apr (1.6 mm otherwise) |
Key Facts at a Glance
| Country | Norway |
| Legal test | Tread depth + tyres suited to conditions |
| Winter period | 1 Nov - first Sunday after Easter Monday |
| Northern counties | 16 Oct - 30 Apr |
| Min tread up to 3.5 t | 3 mm |
| Min tread over 3.5 t | 5 mm |
| Year-round minimum | 1.6 mm |
| Studded tyres | Allowed in season; city fee in Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim |
| Fine | NOK 1,000 per tyre (NOK 2,000 over 7,500 kg) |
| Emergency number | 112 |
Learn More
For the full picture on driving in Norway, explore these resources:
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
Not by name. What the regulation requires in the winter period is tread depth: at least 3 mm on vehicles up to 3,500 kg and at least 5 mm above that, plus tyres suited to the conditions.
1 November to the first Sunday after Easter Monday in most of the country, and 16 October to 30 April in Nordland, Troms and Finnmark.
Yes, in the winter season. Studs may not be used from the first Monday after Easter Monday to 31 October unless conditions require them; in the far north that closed period is 1 May to 15 October.
The charge is per tyre, not per vehicle: NOK 1,000 for each non-compliant tyre, and NOK 2,000 per tyre on vehicles over 7,500 kg.