Minnesota Tire Regulations

169.72 TIRE SURFACE; METAL STUDS. Subdivision 1.Solid rubber, metal, and studded tires; exceptions; permits.

(a) Every solid rubber tire on a vehicle must have rubber on its entire traction surface at least one inch thick above the edge of the flange of the entire periphery.

(b) No person shall operate or move on any highway any motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer, having any metal tire in contact with the roadway, except in case of emergency.

(c) Except as provided in this section, no tire on a vehicle moved on a highway shall have on its periphery any block, stud, flange, cleat, or spike or any other protuberances of any material other than rubber which projects beyond the tread of the traction surface of the tire.

(d) It is permissible to use any of the following on highways:

1. implements of husbandry with tires having protuberances which will not injure the highway;
2. tire chains of reasonable proportions upon any vehicle when required for safety because of snow, ice, or other conditions tending to cause a vehicle to skid; and
3. tires on a bicycle as provided in section 169.222, subdivision 6.

(e) The commissioner and local authorities in their respective jurisdictions may, in their discretion, issue special permits authorizing the operation upon a highway of traction engines or tractors having movable tracks with transverse corrugations upon the periphery of such movable tracks or farm tractors or other farm machinery, the operation of which upon a highway would otherwise be prohibited under this chapter.

Occasional use of studded tires by nonresidents.

Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision 1, a person, operating a motor vehicle properly licensed and registered in another state or province of a foreign country which authorizes the use of tires with metal studs or wire embedded tires on its highways, may operate the motor vehicle with tires having metal type studs or with tires having wire embedded therein on the highways of this state while occasionally within the state, and such use while occasionally within the state is not unlawful; provided that, the metal type studs shall not exceed 5/16 of an inch in diameter inclusive of the stud casing with an average protrusion beyond the tread surface of not more than 7/64 of an inch, and the number of studs in a tire shall not exceed two percent of the total net contact area. Use of a vehicle in this state on more than 30 days in any consecutive six-month period is not occasionally. Except, a person whose regular place of employment is within the state or who is a student at an educational institution located within the state, shall not operate a vehicle, regardless of its place of registration, upon any highway within the state if such vehicle is equipped with tires which would be unauthorized were the vehicle registered in this state.

Source: https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/?id=169.72