Snow chains for your tire size

What to check before you buy

• Your owner's manual says whether chains are allowed on your car, and which kind: some cars only take low-profile chains or snow socks.
• Buy for the size on your tires, not for the car: winter tires can be a different size.
• Practice putting them on at home, before the first storm.
• Some states and mountain roads require chains or traction devices in winter: check before you go.

Good to know

• Chains go on the drive wheels, so know whether your car is front-wheel or rear-wheel drive.^1,2
• Do not drive faster than 30 mph with chains, or slower if the chain maker or your owner's manual says so.^3,4
• Cars with little room in the wheel well often call for SAE Class S chains, a low-profile type, and some cars cannot take chains at all.^4,5,6
• California chain controls have three levels: under R1 passenger cars with snow-tread tires may go without chains, under R2 four-wheel and all-wheel drive vehicles with snow tires on all four wheels are exempt, and under R3 every vehicle needs chains.^2,7
• On Colorado's I-70 mountain corridor between Dotsero and Morrison, the Traction Law applies every year from September 1 through May 31.^8,9

How we checked this page

Checked on October 16, 2026. We kept a fact only when two independent sources agree, and each one is numbered to its sources below. We never write a price: the listings come straight from eBay and show what sellers ask. This page was written with an AI assistant and checked against the sources below.