Tyre tread depth: the legal minimum in India and how to check

The legal minimum tyre tread depth in India is 1.6 mm for cars and other four-wheelers, and 0.8 mm for two-wheelers and three-wheelers. The rule, in the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, measures what it calls the non-skid depth: the depth of the tread grooves, which must not fall below that figure, judged against the tread wear indicators moulded into the tyre. Every car tyre has these indicators, small raised bars in the bottom of the main grooves. When the tread wears down level with them, the tyre is at the legal limit and must be replaced. Being legal is not the same as gripping well, though: on wet roads, braking distances grow as the tread wears, so many drivers and some tyre makers choose to replace earlier.

What the law says about tread depth in India

Rule 94 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules requires the tyres of every motor vehicle to be kept properly inflated and in good and sound condition. It then lists what makes a tyre unsound. One item, added in 2001, sets the tread limit: the non-skid depth must not be less than 0.8 mm on two-wheelers and three-wheelers and 1.6 mm on other motor vehicles, below the tread wear indicator built into the tyre when it was made. Agricultural tractor tyres are exempt.

The same rule also treats a tyre as unsound if its casing fabric shows through worn tread or a cut, or if it shows swelling. A tyre worn to the indicators is therefore not only unsafe; it is not legal on a public road.

How the tread wear indicators work

The tyre makers’ association ATMA explains that every tyre has tread wear indicator bars in its main grooves, with marks at the shoulder pointing to them at least six places around the tyre. Different makers use different symbols for those marks; Michelin uses a small Michelin Man. The bars stand 1.6 mm proud of the groove floor, so when the surrounding tread is flush with them, there is 1.6 mm left.

To find them, look along the main grooves for a narrow ridge running across the groove. On a new tyre it sits deep down; on a worn one it is close to the surface.

How to measure tyre tread depth

With a tread depth gauge. This is the accurate way. Push the pin into a main groove, press the body flat on the tread blocks either side, and read the depth. Measure in several grooves and at several points around the tyre, including near the inner and outer edges.

By eye, using the indicators. If the tread is close to level with the bars anywhere around the tyre, it is due for replacement.

Not with a coin. Coin tests are popular abroad, but Apollo points out that they do not work well in India, where coins of the same value come in different sizes. Use a gauge or the indicators instead.

For a sense of scale, Apollo gives 7.5 mm as the tread depth of a new Alnac 4G tyre. Most of a tyre’s life is the wear from that figure down to 1.6 mm.

How tread depth affects wet grip

Tread grooves carry water out from under the tyre. Michelin explains that this keeps the rubber in contact with the road and pushes aquaplaning, where the tyre rides up on a film of water, to higher speeds. As the grooves get shallower, they can move less water.

One recent set of figures shows the size of the effect. In braking tests Michelin commissioned in India in May and June 2026, run on a Hyundai Creta, its new Primacy 5 took 30.5 m on average to slow from 80 to 20 km/h on a wet surface when new, and 37.6 m when worn to 2 mm. The competing tyres in the same test averaged 38.6 m new and 46.5 m worn. These are the maker’s own results, but the pattern is the same for its tyre and for the competitors’ average: worn to 2 mm, they needed roughly a fifth more distance to slow down on a wet road.

When to replace: at 1.6 mm or earlier?

Tyre makers disagree, and it helps to know both views.

Michelin’s view is that 1.6 mm is the point to replace, and that changing earlier is premature. It designs its tyres to keep performing until the wear limit, arguing that fewer tyre changes save money and are better for the environment.

Apollo’s view is that drivers should replace tyres once the tread falls below 2.3 mm, rather than waiting for the legal limit.

A sensible middle course for Indian conditions: plan for replacement as the tread approaches 3 mm, buy before you reach 2.3 mm, and never run below 1.6 mm. Bring the date forward if the monsoon is coming, if you drive a lot on highways in the rain, or if the tyres are also getting old. Our guide to tyre age and expiry dates covers the age side, and when to change car tyres brings tread, age and damage together. Swapping tyres between axles evens out the wear; see our tyre rotation guide.

Uneven wear: what the tread pattern tells you

Measure across the tyre as well as around it. Apollo names wheel misalignment as the usual culprit behind uneven tread wear, warns that ignoring it can lead to early tyre failure, and recommends rotating tyres every 8,000 to 10,000 km so they wear evenly.

If one part of the tread is wearing faster than the rest, have the alignment checked and compare your pressures with the placard before fitting new tyres. Fix the cause first, or the new tyres will wear the same way. Wear that has nothing to do with a defect is not covered by the warranty, as our tyre warranty guide explains.

Choosing the replacement

When the time comes, copy the size, load index and speed rating from the sidewall or the door placard, then compare options in your size on our tyre size pages. Our guide to the best tyres for your car helps you pick by how and where you drive.