What a tire placard actually is

The Tire and Loading Information placard gives the vehicle maker’s recommended cold inflation pressures and occupant-and-cargo limit. On passenger cars covered by FMVSS 110, the usual location is the driver’s side B-pillar; the rule provides alternate placements when that location is unavailable. 49 CFR 571.110, section S4.3.

Read the front, rear and spare entries separately. The label also identifies original tire sizes and designated seating capacity. The combined occupant-and-cargo figure is a loading limit, not a luggage allowance that ignores passengers. Some manufacturers put tire size and pressure on a separate Tire Information label next to the main placard, as the standard permits. Placard and adjacent-label requirements.

NHTSA tells drivers to use the vehicle maker’s recommendation on the placard or in the owner’s manual, rather than the maximum molded into the tire sidewall. Check pressure when cold: NHTSA describes tires not driven for at least three hours. A reading taken immediately after driving should not be treated as the required cold measurement. NHTSA tire-pressure guidance.

If wheels, tire sizes or the vehicle’s loading configuration have changed, establish appropriate guidance for that change with the vehicle or tire manufacturer. A photographed sample card cannot establish the correct pressure for a modified setup.