This part sets forth the conditions under which regrooved and regroovable tires manufactured or regrooved after the effective date of the regulation may be sold, offered for sale, introduced for sale or delivered for introduction into interstate commerce.

(a) Statutory definitions. All terms used in this part that are defined in section 102 of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966 (15 U.S.C. 1391) are used as defined in the Act.

(b) Motor Vehicle Safety Standard definitions. Unless otherwise indicated, all terms used in this part that are defined in the Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, part 571, of this subchapter (hereinafter “The Standards”), are used as defined therein without regard to the applicability of a standard in which a definition is contained.

(c) Regroovable tire means a tire, either original tread or retread, designed and constructed with sufficient tread material to permit renewal of the tread pattern or the generation of a new tread pattern in a manner which conforms to this part.

(d) Regrooved tire means a tire, either original tread or retread, on which the tread pattern has been renewed or a new tread has been produced by cutting into the tread of a worn tire to a depth equal to or deeper than the molded original groove depth.

(a) General. Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, this part applies to all motor vehicle regrooved or regroovable tires manufactured or regrooved after the effective date of the regulation.

(b) Export. This part does not apply to regrooved or regroovable tires intended solely for export and so labeled or tagged.

(a) Regrooved tires. (1) Except as permitted by paragraph (a)(2) of this section, no person shall sell, offer for sale, or introduce or deliver for introduction into interstate commerce regrooved tires produced by removing rubber from the surface of a worn tire tread to generate a new tread pattern. Any person who regrooves tires and leases them to owners or operators of motor vehicles and any person who regrooves his own tires for use on motor vehicles is considered to be a person delivering for introduction into interstate commerce within the meaning of this part.

(2) A regrooved tire may be sold, offered for sale, or introduced for sale or delivered for introduction into interstate commerce only if it conforms to each of the following requirements:

(i) The tire being regrooved shall be a regroovable tire;

(ii) After regrooving, cord material below the grooves shall have a protective covering of tread material at least 3/32-inch thick;

(iii) After regrooving, the new grooves generated into the tread material and any residual original molded tread groove which is at or below the new regrooved depth shall have a minimum of 90 linear inches of tread edges per linear foot of the circumference;

(iv) After regrooving, the new groove width generated into the tread material shall be a minimum of 3/16-inch and a maximum of 5/16-inch;

(v) After regrooving, all new grooves cut into the tread shall provide unobstructed fluid escape passages; and

(vi) After regrooving, the tire shall not contain any of the following defects, as determined by a visual examination of the tire either mounted on the rim, or dismounted, whichever is applicable:

(A) Cracking which extends to the fabric,

(B) Groove cracks or wear extending to the fabric, or

(C) Evidence of ply, tread, or sidewall separation;

(vii) If the tire is siped by cutting the tread surface without removing rubber, the tire cord material shall not be damaged as a result of the siping process, and no sipe shall be deeper than the original or retread groove depth.

(b) Siped regroovable tires. No person shall sell, offer for sale, or introduce for sale or deliver for introduction into interstate commerce a regroovable tire that has been siped by cutting the tread surface without removing rubber if the tire cord material is damaged as a result of the siping process, or if the tire is siped deeper than the original or retread groove depth.

(a) Regroovable tires. After August 30, 1969, each tire designed and constructed for regrooving shall be labeled on both sidewalls with the word “Regroovable” molded on or into the tire in raised or recessed letters 0.025 to 0.040 inch. The word “Regroovable” shall be in letters 0.38 to 0.50 inch in height and not less than 4 inches and not more than 6 inches in length. The lettering shall be located in the sidewall of the tire between the maximum section width and the bead in an area which will not be obstructed by the rim flange.