Winter tyres in Bulgaria: the dates and the measurement

Transport · Last reviewed: 2026-08-23

The rule in one sentence

In the Ministry of the Interior's announcement for the day the duty takes effect, the rule is put like this: from 15 November to 1 March drivers must travel on tyres intended for winter conditions or on tyres whose tread depth is not less than 4 mm. So the rule allows two alternatives — a tyre made specifically for winter, or a tyre with sufficient tread depth. But reading the second alternative as „I will run summer tyres all winter“ keeps the letter of the rule and loses its point; a separate section below is devoted to that.

How to measure 4 mm

The most precise way is a tread depth gauge — a cheap tool sold at any tyre shop and most filling stations. The Traffic Police's own information, however, describes a practical check without a tool: if the base of the digit „1“ in the winter tyre's tread pattern is hidden, the depth is 4 mm. That is a quick verification a driver can carry out at the roadside.

• •Measure at the most worn point; there can be several millimetres of difference between the outer and inner shoulder.
• •Check all four tyres. One tyre below the threshold puts the whole vehicle outside the requirement.
• •Do not forget the spare; once fitted on the road it counts as a working tyre at a check.
• •Depth is not the only measure: the tyre's age, sidewall cracking and storage conditions also determine grip.

The duty does not end with the tyres

The Ministry of the Interior's winter campaigns expect a complete preparation from the driver. Tyres are the most visible part of it, not the only one. Here is what to check before winter:

1. 1

   Tyres

   Winter tyres or at least 4 mm of tread. Pressures fall in cold weather; check monthly.
2. 2

   Lighting

   From 1 November dipped headlights are compulsory in daylight too. Make sure every lamp works and the lenses are clean.
3. 3

   Washer fluid and wiper blades

   Use a non-freezing fluid; summer mix freezes in the reservoir at the first cold snap and strains the pump. Replace hardened wiper rubbers.
4. 4

   Battery and coolant

   Cold exposes a weak battery on the very first morning. Have the antifreeze concentration checked as well.
5. 5

   Equipment in the boot

   Fire extinguisher, first-aid kit, reflective vest and warning triangle are mandatory. In winter add an ice scraper, a tow rope, a torch, a blanket, and chains if you are heading for mountain roads.

Chains, snow and mountain passes

In heavy snowfall, passage through certain sections may be made conditional on fitting chains or restricted to properly prepared vehicles. The body responsible for road conditions and winter maintenance is the Road Infrastructure Agency (Агенция „Пътна инфраструктура“, АПИ). It organises winter maintenance on the national network, runs the snow-clearing fleet and publishes road condition information; on its own account, priority goes to motorways, the busiest sections of first- and second-class roads, and the mountain passes that link northern and southern Bulgaria.

The Agency keeps a situation centre operating around the clock all year, and road condition information is available from its official site or on 0700 130 20 (source: the Agency's own announcement). Checking your route through that channel before a long winter drive costs less than several hours waiting at a closed pass.

Rental cars, foreign plates and transit

The rule looks not at where the vehicle is registered but at whether it is travelling on Bulgarian roads. A car from Türkiye, Greece or anywhere else is under the same duty during the period, and transit creates no exemption.

• •In a rental car, look at the tyres when you take delivery. A „winter equipment included“ clause does not prove what is on the car that day; at a check the driver answers.
• •With foreign plates the duty is yours; if you enter the country after 15 November, your tyres fall under the rule from the border onwards.
• •On long transit routes the weather changes fast: a day of rain on the coast can mean snow on the inland passes.
• •On the insurance side, missing winter equipment can be raised against you when fault is assessed after a collision — an outcome far more expensive than the fine.

When to change: by calendar or by temperature

The law gives a calendar, physics gives a threshold. The calendar is 15 November; the practical threshold tyre specialists use is the daily average temperature falling below roughly 7 °C. In Bulgaria that threshold is crossed in early November in most years, so the statutory date and the physical need sit close together. There is also a practical reason not to leave it to the last day: in the week around 15 November the queues at tyre shops grow long.

Do not rush at the other end of the season either. The duty lapses on 1 March, but snow still falls in the mountains through March; the calendar releases you, the road does not.

Enforcement and penalty

From the day it takes effect the rule is subject to roadside checks; through the winter season the Traffic Police run targeted controls and penalise driving on unsuitable tyres. No fine amount appears on this page, because tariffs are updated by amendment and an unverified figure would send the reader into a wrong calculation. For the current amount see the Ministry of the Interior's relevant information page; payment and liability checks go through the Ministry's electronic services.

How to verify this today

The period and the 4 mm measure here were taken from the Ministry of the Interior's own announcements on 23 August 2026. Before the winter season begins, confirm the current value on the official page: the Ministry's announcements for the date and the measure, the full text of the Road Traffic Act published by the Automobile Administration, and the Road Infrastructure Agency's pages for road conditions and winter maintenance. The chance of the rule changing within a year is small, but not zero.

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