Massachusetts Motor Vehicle Law Begins in Less Than a Week

A reminder that the clock is ticking for Massachusetts motorists.

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I recently had a phone conversation with my mother. She spoke to me from a garage where she had to wait in line for over an hour to get her studded snow tires removed from her car and replaced with her non-winter tires. None of that sounded fun to me. Then she told me that an hour wasn't that bad compared to another garage she tried. That garage's wait time was approximately four hours because there was only one technician on staff that day. Yikes!

I've been using all-season tires for years, and luckily, they've been working fine for me. It beats getting my tires on and off my vehicle twice a year. Not to mention, long lines aren't my bag. Of course, some lines may be shorter depending on where you go and how late you wait to get your studded tires installed or uninstalled.

I understand that not everyone is lucky, and some people have to have studded snow tires installed on their vehicles, especially if they live in higher elevations in Massachusetts. Maybe their vehicles don't operate as well in snowy conditions; that extra bit of safety from studded snow tires makes for peace of mind, especially if you have to travel regularly in the winter months.

I mention this because if you still have studded snow tires on your vehicle, they need to come off by this Wednesday, April 30. If you get caught driving with them in Massachusetts past the April 30 date, you could be subject to a fine, typically $50. So, no matter where you live in Massachusetts, whether it's in a higher elevation like Windsor or other areas like Boston or Worcester, if you are driving around with studded snow tires, make sure you get them switched out by this Wednesday, April 30.