Short guides on documents and your car
When are winter tyres mandatory in Romania?
The law requires them whenever the road is covered in snow or ice, whatever the date. They must carry the M+S, M.S., MS or M&S marking. Without them, on a covered road, your registration certificate is taken and you are given a replacement document with no right to drive.
Are they mandatory from a set date, such as 1 November?
There is no calendar date from which they become mandatory. Change them before the first frost, and before the first warm days — that is when tire shops get crowded.
What exactly does the law say?
Emergency Ordinance 195/2002 on road traffic punishes with a fine driving on roads covered in snow, ice or black ice without winter tyres (art. 102). Lorries over 3.5 tonnes and buses with more than 9 seats, including the driver's, must have winter tyres on the driven wheels, or chains or other certified anti-skid equipment.
In these cases the police keep the registration certificate and give a replacement document with no right to drive (art. 112).
What should you ask at the tyre shop?
Ask whether balancing and new valves are included in the price.
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Checked between September 26, 2026 and September 29, 2026. Sources:
We are not an official source and we don't give legal advice — before you travel there or pay anything, check the institution's own page. We are not a government app and we don't represent MAI, RAR, CNAIR, ASF or any other institution. Links open the official websites.
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