Tire shops interested in joining the Cottonwood Canyons sticker program must apply by Wednesday, Sept. 30, at 5 p.m.
The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) is recruiting additional tire businesses to join the free program, according to UDOT's Cottonwood Canyons website. The program lets drivers get their tires checked and earn a windshield sticker showing they meet traction requirements for Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons.
UDOT launched the sticker program in 2021 to speed up traction-law checkpoints at the canyon mouths. Drivers with a valid sticker can pass through more quickly when the Traction Law is in effect during winter storms.
The program is voluntary. Stickers are not required to drive either canyon.
More than 140 tire shops across Utah participated in the 2025-26 season, KSL reported in November 2025. UDOT has not said how many shops have signed up so far for the coming season.
Cottonwood Heights police handle traction enforcement at the mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon on SR-190, and slide-offs or crashes there can back traffic into city streets. Sandy police cover the mouth of Little Cottonwood Canyon on SR-210.
"If we can cut down on the amount of slide offs and crashes, we cut down on the unexpected closures, which really affect Cottonwood Heights and Sandy," Cottonwood Heights Assistant Police Chief Chris McHugh told KSL on Nov. 13, 2025, when the 2025-26 season launched at the mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon.
Three area shops were listed as partners during the 2025-26 season, according to UDOT's sticker program page. Hillside Tire and Service at 2255 East Fort Union Blvd. in Cottonwood Heights, Discount Tire at 6180 South Van Winkle in Holladay and Les Schwab at 4011 S. Highland Dr. in Holladay all offered free inspections.
To qualify for a sticker, four-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive vehicles need tires rated 3PMSF or M+S with at least 5/32-inch tread depth. Two-wheel-drive vehicles need 3PMSF tires on all wheels at the same tread depth, or proof of chains in the vehicle.
Participating shops cannot charge drivers for the inspection and cannot use the program to pressure customers into buying new tires or services. UDOT purchases the stickers and authorizes shops to distribute them.
Free inspections during the 2025-26 season ran from Nov. 13, 2025, through Feb. 28, 2026. UDOT has not announced when inspections will begin for the 2026-27 season. Tire businesses can apply through UDOT's application form before the Sept. 30 deadline.
