§FMCSR.com
Historical textIn force on Oct. 1, 1997Source: annual CFR edition 1996

§ 393.75 Tires.

Wording first on file in the 1996 annual edition, superseded by the 1998 annual edition.

govinfo, 1996 edition ↗
Before Jan. 1, 2017 the record is one snapshot per annual CFR edition, revised as of October 1. This is the 1996 edition's wording. An amendment that took effect between Oct. 1, 1997 and Oct. 1, 1997 would not appear until the next edition, so check the citations below and the Federal Register for exact effective dates. govinfo does not publish the 1997 edition of Parts 300–399 in machine-readable form, so the 1996 text is shown for that year.
49 CFR § 393.75 — Tires.. Text in force on October 1, 1997. This wording effective October 1, 1996 to October 1, 1998. Source: govinfo, 1996 edition, https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/CFR-1996-title49-vol4/CFR-1996-title49-vol4-sec393-75. Retrieved from FMCSR.com, https://fmcsr.com/reg/393.75?asof=1997-10-01, on October 26, 2026. Unofficial compilation; verify against the official source.

(a) No motor vehicle shall be operated on any tire that (1) has body ply or belt material exposed through the tread or sidewall, (2) has any tread or sidewall separation, (3) is flat or has an audible leak, or (4) has a cut to the extent that the ply or belt material is exposed.

(b) Any tire on the front wheels of a bus, truck, or truck tractor shall have a tread groove pattern depth of at least 4/32 of an inch when measured at any point on a major tread groove. The measurements shall not be made where tie bars, humps, or fillets are located.

(c) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, tires shall have a tread groove pattern depth of at least 2/32 of an inch when measured in a major tread groove. The measurement shall not be made where tie bars, humps or fillets are located.

(d) No bus shall be operated with regrooved, recapped or retreaded tires on the front wheels.

(e) No truck or truck tractor shall be operated with regrooved tires on the front wheels which have a load carrying capacity equal to or greater than that of 8.25-20 8 ply-rating tires.

(f) Tire load rating 1 . (1) General rule: No motor vehicle shall be operated with tires that carry a greater weight than that specified for the tires in any of the publications of the standardizing bodies listed in FMVSS 571.119 (49 CFR 571.119) and marked on the sidewall of the tire unless:

1 The load and cold inflation pressure imposed on the rim and wheel must not exceed the rim and wheel manufacturer's recommendations even though the tire may be approved for a higher load or inflation. Rims and wheels may be identified (stamped) with a maximum load and maximum cold inflation rating.

(i) The vehicle is being operated under the terms of a special permit issued by the State, and

(ii) The vehicle is being operated at a reduced speed that is appropriate to compensate for tire loading in excess of the manufacturer's normal rated capacity.

(2) Tire pressure. No motor vehicle shall be operated on a tire which has a cold inflation pressure less than that specified for the load being carried.

(3) If the inflation pressure of the tire has been increased by heat because of the recent operation of the vehicle, the cold inflation pressure shall be estimated by subtracting the inflation buildup factor shown in Table I from the measured inflation pressure.

Table I—Inflation Pressure Measurement Correction for Heat
Average speed of tire in previous hourMinimum inflation pressure buildupTires with 4,000 lb (1,814 kg) maximum load rating or lessTires with over 4,000 lb (1,814 kg) load rating
41 to 55 mi/h 66 to 88.5 km/h)5 lb/in2 (0.36 bar)15 lb/in2 (1.07 bars).

(Sec. 204, 49 Stat. 546 as amended (49 U.S.C. 304); sec. 6, Pub. L. 89-670, 80 Stat. 937 (49 U.S.C. 1655); 49 CFR 1.48 and 49 CFR 301.60)

[34 FR 9344, June 13, 1969, as amended at 40 FR 44557, Sept. 29, 1975; 41 FR 36657, Aug. 31, 1976; 44 FR 25455, May 1, 1979; 44 FR 47938, Aug. 16, 1979; 53 FR 18057, May 19, 1988; 53 FR 49401, Dec. 7, 1988]

Amendment history

9 distinct wordings on file since Oct. 1, 1996
  1. March 23, 2026 → presenteCFR, day-precisediff vs. previous
    [34 FR 9344, June 13, 1969, as amended at 40 FR 44557, Sept. 29, 1975; 41 FR 36657, Aug. 31, 1976; 44 FR 25455, May 1, 1979; 44 FR 47938, Aug. 16, 1979; 53 FR 18057, May 19, 1988; 53 FR 49401, Dec. 7, 1988; 63 FR 8339, Feb. 18, 1998; 65 FR 70220, Nov. 21, 2000; 66 FR 67694, Dec. 31, 2001; 70 FR 48054, Aug. 15, 2005; 81 FR 47731, July 22, 2016; 91 FR 7887, Feb. 19, 2026]
  2. Feb. 19, 2026 → March 23, 2026eCFR, day-precisediff vs. previous
    [34 FR 9344, June 13, 1969, as amended at 40 FR 44557, Sept. 29, 1975; 41 FR 36657, Aug. 31, 1976; 44 FR 25455, May 1, 1979; 44 FR 47938, Aug. 16, 1979; 53 FR 18057, May 19, 1988; 53 FR 49401, Dec. 7, 1988; 63 FR 8339, Feb. 18, 1998; 65 FR 70220, Nov. 21, 2000; 66 FR 67694, Dec. 31, 2001; 70 FR 48054, Aug. 15, 2005; 81 FR 47731, July 22, 2016]
  3. Oct. 1, 2016 → Feb. 19, 2026annual edition 2016diff vs. previous
    [34 FR 9344, June 13, 1969, as amended at 40 FR 44557, Sept. 29, 1975; 41 FR 36657, Aug. 31, 1976; 44 FR 25455, May 1, 1979; 44 FR 47938, Aug. 16, 1979; 53 FR 18057, May 19, 1988; 53 FR 49401, Dec. 7, 1988; 63 FR 8339, Feb. 18, 1998; 65 FR 70220, Nov. 21, 2000; 66 FR 67694, Dec. 31, 2001; 70 FR 48054, Aug. 15, 2005; 81 FR 47731, July 22, 2016]
  4. Oct. 1, 2009 → Oct. 1, 2016annual editions 2009–2015diff vs. previous
    [34 FR 9344, June 13, 1969, as amended at 40 FR 44557, Sept. 29, 1975; 41 FR 36657, Aug. 31, 1976; 44 FR 25455, May 1, 1979; 44 FR 47938, Aug. 16, 1979; 53 FR 18057, May 19, 1988; 53 FR 49401, Dec. 7, 1988; 63 FR 8339, Feb. 18, 1998; 65 FR 70220, Nov. 21, 2000; 66 FR 67694, Dec. 31, 2001; 70 FR 48054, Aug. 15, 2005]
  5. Oct. 1, 2005 → Oct. 1, 2009annual editions 2005–2008diff vs. previous
    [34 FR 9344, June 13, 1969, as amended at 40 FR 44557, Sept. 29, 1975; 41 FR 36657, Aug. 31, 1976; 44 FR 25455, May 1, 1979; 44 FR 47938, Aug. 16, 1979; 53 FR 18057, May 19, 1988; 53 FR 49401, Dec. 7, 1988; 63 FR 8339, Feb. 18, 1998; 65 FR 70220, Nov. 21, 2000; 66 FR 67694, Dec. 31, 2001; 70 FR 48054, Aug. 15, 2005]
  6. Oct. 1, 2002 → Oct. 1, 2005annual editions 2002–2004diff vs. previous
    [34 FR 9344, June 13, 1969, as amended at 40 FR 44557, Sept. 29, 1975; 41 FR 36657, Aug. 31, 1976; 44 FR 25455, May 1, 1979; 44 FR 47938, Aug. 16, 1979; 53 FR 18057, May 19, 1988; 53 FR 49401, Dec. 7, 1988; 63 FR 8339, Feb. 18, 1998; 65 FR 70220, Nov. 21, 2000; 66 FR 67694, Dec. 31, 2001]
  7. Oct. 1, 2001 → Oct. 1, 2002annual edition 2001diff vs. previous
    [34 FR 9344, June 13, 1969, as amended at 40 FR 44557, Sept. 29, 1975; 41 FR 36657, Aug. 31, 1976; 44 FR 25455, May 1, 1979; 44 FR 47938, Aug. 16, 1979; 53 FR 18057, May 19, 1988; 53 FR 49401, Dec. 7, 1988; 63 FR 8339, Feb. 18, 1998; 65 FR 70220, Nov. 21, 2000]
  8. Oct. 1, 1998 → Oct. 1, 2001annual editions 1998–2000diff vs. previous
    [34 FR 9344, June 13, 1969, as amended at 40 FR 44557, Sept. 29, 1975; 41 FR 36657, Aug. 31, 1976; 44 FR 25455, May 1, 1979; 44 FR 47938, Aug. 16, 1979; 53 FR 18057, May 19, 1988; 53 FR 49401, Dec. 7, 1988; 63 FR 8339, Feb. 18, 1998]
  9. Oct. 1, 1996 → Oct. 1, 1998annual edition 1996viewing
    [34 FR 9344, June 13, 1969, as amended at 40 FR 44557, Sept. 29, 1975; 41 FR 36657, Aug. 31, 1976; 44 FR 25455, May 1, 1979; 44 FR 47938, Aug. 16, 1979; 53 FR 18057, May 19, 1988; 53 FR 49401, Dec. 7, 1988]

A new entry appears whenever the regulatory words change between government snapshots. Day-precise from the eCFR (2017 onward); before that, one snapshot per annual CFR edition (revised as of October 1). Bracketed citations are the Federal Register history printed with the section.