How do I know if my UTV tires are DOT compliant?

Wednesday, March 16th, 2022

Is there a law or agency that certifies UTV tires as DOT compliant?

There is no U.S. law or regulation within the United States Federal Register that governs the street, road, or highway use/application of UTV tires in any manner. As of 2022, there is no classification, regulation, or guideline that would make or allow any UTV tire "street legal" or approved by NHTSA or DOT. 

How/why was GBC marketing and marking their tires as street approved?

GBC Powersports previously used steel-belted light truck standard (FMVSS 119) as the unit of measurement for calling a UTV tire "street legal." However, we were informed by NHTSA/DOT that this measurement cannot be used, as the language of FMVSS 119 does not specifically include UTV vehicles. Therefore, we cannot use FMVSS 119 as a measurement of certification.

What does this mean for me, the consumer? Is GBC changing its tire construction?

NHTSA/DOT has notified GBC and other manufacturers to remove the "DOT" stamp from all UTV tires. There will be no change to the construction or design of our UTV tires. GBC will continue to design and test our UTV tires to a level that we believe is appropriate for UTV use in multiple terrains and various road surfaces. The "DOT" mark will be removed from GBC UTV tire sidewalls, and we will no longer make any remarks to "DOT approval," "DOT certified," or "street-legal." Currently, there is no legally permissible way to street legalize a UTV tire as there is no federal regulation or standard in the United States Federal Register. GBC Powersports tires will continue to pioneer the multi-terrain UTV tire market, and we will work with our customers, consumers, and the appropriate government agencies to establish benchmarks for legalizing and certification of UTV tires for street use.