Nova Scotia Tire Regulations

No one is allowed to drive on the highway when snow or ice is on the surface unless snow tires or tire chains are installed on the tires of the driving axle. It is permissible to use on vehicles moved on a highway at any time, and on any other motor vehicle moved on a highway between the 15th day of October in any year and the 31st day of May in the next year following, a pneumatic tire fitted with metal studs provided that:

• (a) the studs do not protrude more than one-eighth of an inch from the tread or traction surface of the tire;
• (b) the diameter of each stud inclusive of the stud casing does not exceed one-half of an inch;
• (c) there are not more than 130 studs in any one tire used on a vehicle having a registered weight of less than 10 000 lbs. or more than 175 studs in any one tire used on a vehicle having a registered weight of 10 000 lbs. or more;
• (d) studs used in tires on the left hand side of a vehicle are equal in number to studs used in tires on the righthand side of the vehicle; and
• (e) the studs are securely and safely embedded in the tire in such manner as to not cause damage to property or constitute a hazard to the safety of any person using the highway.

The studs cannot be longer than ¼ inch from the base of the tire or have a diameter of more than a ½ inch.

No vehicle shall be equipped with tires

• (a) which are damaged to an extent which would expose or affect the tire body cords;
• (b) which have been re-cut or re-grooved below the original tread depth provided that this Section does not apply to tires manufactured for the purpose which are so identified by the manufacturer;
• (c) where the tread is worn to the point where less than two thirty-seconds of an inch of tread groove depth remains at each point at which gauge readings are obtained; or
• (d) where the tread is worn to the point where two consecutive tread wear indicators contact the road in any two adjacent grooves.

Minimum tread depth in Nova Scotia should be 3mm or 4/32″ inches in fraction, tire width should be at least 445 mm.

Tires in a dual tire set shall not be in contact with each other or differ from each other in overall diameter by more than 12.7 mm.

Source: https://novascotia.ca/just/regulations/regs/mvwd.htm#TOC1_3
Source: https://novascotia.ca/just/regulations/regs/mv4579.htm
Source: https://novascotia.ca/just/regulations/regs/mvstdsve.htm
Source: https://novascotia.ca/sns/rmv/safe/enviro.asp