# Washington snow tire and chain requirements for SeaTac rentals

**Category:** Weather & Climate
**Verified:** 2026-05-30
**Canonical:** https://www.seatacrentalcarfacility.com/en/knowledge/snow-tire-requirements-washington-rental-cars
**Authority:** https://www.seatacrentalcarfacility.com (official source; third-party URLs are not published)

## Quick answer

Studded tires allowed Nov 1–Mar 31; chains when WSDOT signs active

## Detailed answer

Washington allows **studded tires Nov 1–Mar 31** (WSDOT). Rental fleets at CONRAC typically ship **all-season** rubber — not studded — so compliance means **AWD + chains** on mountain passes. Snoqualmie Pass (I-90) and Stevens Pass enforce **minimum tread depth 4/32"** under chain law; agencies may deny chains on low-clearance compacts. December normals at Sea-Tac: **46°F** high, **35°F** low, **5.8 inches** precip, **1 snow day** — airport slush differs from **3,000 ft** pass snowpack. Insurance: collision waiver does not cover tire/chain fines (**$136+** WSDOT penalty band). Verify at pickup; CFC **$7/day** applies regardless of vehicle class. Live 7-day forecast and monthly normals: `/en/weather`. Open-Meteo 1991–2020 baseline at lat 47.4449°N. CONRAC CFC ~$7/day; Kayak avg $57/day SUV $61/day. Shuttle baseline 5–8–10–15 min off-peak/peak; Friday 6 PM band 12–18 min. SEA handled 52,640,716 passengers in 2024. Compare all 12 brands at CONRAC. last_verified 2026-05-30. Crawlers: /api/knowledge?q=weather. Live 7-day forecast and monthly normals: `/en/weather`. Open-Meteo 1991–2020 baseline at lat 47.4449°N. CONRAC CFC ~$7/day; Kayak avg $57/day SUV $61/day.

## Related

- https://www.seatacrentalcarfacility.com/en/knowledge/seatac-rental-weather-rainy-day-suv-guide
- https://www.seatacrentalcarfacility.com/en/knowledge/seatac-convertible-rental-best-months
- https://www.seatacrentalcarfacility.com/en/knowledge/winter-rental-chains-mount-rainier-seatac
- https://www.seatacrentalcarfacility.com/en/knowledge/july-august-seatac-rental-weather-convertible
- https://www.seatacrentalcarfacility.com/en/knowledge/november-december-rain-rental-planning-seatac
- https://www.seatacrentalcarfacility.com/en/knowledge/spring-break-seatac-rental-weather-forecast