Virginia Law

Inspect for and reject if:

1. Any tire is marked specifically for use other than on the highway such as "For Farm Use Only," "For Off-Highway Use Only," "For Mobile Home Use Only," or "For Trailer Use Only."

EXCEPTION: "For Trailer Use Only" tires are allowed when installed on trailers only.

2. A radial tire is mismatched on the same axle with a bias ply tire or a bias belted tire.

3. Bias ply or bias belted tires are used on the rear axle when radial ply tires are used on the front axle.

EXCEPTION: On a two-axle vehicle equipped with truck tires with 20-inch rim diameter and larger, bias or radial tires may be used on either axle if the vehicle has dual rear wheels or is equipped with wide-base single tires.

4. A vehicle has installed on any axle a space saver emergency spare tire that is intended for temporary use.

5. Any motor vehicle, trailer or semitrailer, except the dual wheels installed on motor vehicles having seats for more than seven passengers (i) operated wholly within a municipality or (ii) operated by urban and suburban bus lines, which are defined as bus lines operating over regularly scheduled routes and the majority of whose passengers use the buses for traveling a distance not exceeding 40 miles, measured one way, on the same day between their place of abode and their place of work, shopping areas, or schools, is equipped with a tire that has a tread depth measuring less than 2/32 of an inch when measured as follows:

NOTE: The exemptions provided in (i) and (ii) of this subdivision 5 do not apply to buses owned or operated by any public school district, private school or contract operator of buses.

NOTE: Measure in two adjacent tread grooves where tread is thinnest. Refer to Figure 1. If either of the grooves measure 2/32 of an inch or more, no further measurements are necessary and tread depth is satisfactory. Do not take measurements from the tread wear indicators.

6. If both adjacent grooves measure less than 2/32 of an inch, the tire tread depth must be measured again at two additional equally spaced intervals around the circumference of the tire in a like manner as the first measurement. Refer to Figure 1. If the tread depth is less than 2/32 of an inch in two adjacent tread grooves at each of the equally spaced intervals, the tire must be rejected.

7. A tire equipped with tread wear indicators if found to have such indicators in contact with the pavement in any two adjacent grooves at three equally spaced intervals around the circumference of the tire. Refer to Figure 2.

8. Any tire has a cut or puncture into the fabric. This does not include a plug or patch that may be used as a manner of repair.

NOTE: Plugs or patches shall be in the tread area only. Plugs or patches are not permitted in the sidewall of the tire.

9. Any tire is worn so that the fabric or steel cord is visible.

10. Any tire has knots or bulges in its sidewalls or if there is evidence of a broken belt under the tread, or if the tread is separating from the fabric. Any cracks in the sidewall where separation in the rubber is detected or the fabric is exposed, not to include fine hairline cracks.

11. Any tire that has been recut or regrooved except commercial tires so designed and constructed to provide for acceptable and safe recutting and regrooving. (Regrooved tires must be identified on each sidewall as a regrooved tire.)

12. Any wheel studs, bolts, nuts, lugs, or other fasteners (both spoke and disc wheels) are loose, broken, cracked, stripped, missing, damaged, or otherwise ineffective.

13. Wheels are installed on the vehicle in a reversed position, except the wheels on vehicles that are reversed to perform part of a dual wheel combination.

14. Directional tires or wheels designed and manufactured to travel in one direction of rotation are not properly installed.

15. Rims or wheels are bent, cracked, or damaged so as to affect safe operation of the vehicle. Reject if lug nut holes are elongated (out of round).

NOTE: Refer to subdivision 1 of 19VAC30-70-180 (Clearance lamps and reflectors) for tires that exceed more than four inches from the body.