While the colored lines found on new tires are optional, follow along to see what they mean, and why they are there.
The Secret Meaning Behind the Colored Lines on Your New Tires
Published on Jul. 11, 2025
There is a lot of critical information on our tires. The colored lines on new tires are placed there to help simplify the manufacturing process. Other important information found on tires are found in the alphanumeric codes molded into the sidewall, which are standard or required by law. These indicate the type, size, load index, treadwear, traction, temperature and tire speed ratings. The U.S. Department of Transportation requires the manufacturer’s plant code, date of manufacture and tire identification number be embedded in the tire for warranty and recall tracking.
Some tires have red or yellow dots that help service technicians correctly install and balance new tires. Ahead, knowledgeable resources help clarify what the colored lines on new tires are.
What Are the Colored Lines on New Tires?
While the colored lines on new tires may look decorative, they’re simply a temporary barcode manufacturers place on tires that helps identify tire types, sizes, or batches during the tire fabrication process. The color line bar codes enable real-time tire tracking and identification, as well as assisting with inventory control and warehouse operations that help lower overall storage and handling costs.
While the colored lines on new tires are not technically safety related, they are critical for tire integrity, safety and quality control. This ensures specific manufacturing details, including the correct type of rubber, tread type and design are matched to the right tire carcass. This increases driving safety and comfort by eliminating possible mismatched tire components that could lead to premature tire failure.
What Does Each Color Mean?
With no industry-wide standard for the colored stripes, each manufacturer produces their own unique color coding system. For example, a red stripe on one tire might indicate a specific tread compound, while for a different manufacturer it could represent a tire category or tire size. Manufacturers often change the color coding of the lines depending on the assembly plant location or for a peculiar tire production run.
How Long Will It Take for the Colored Lines To Go Away?
It won;t take long for the colored lines on your new tires to fade away. Because the colored lines are only painted on the rubber surface they typically wear off within the first few hundred miles of normal driving.
You can choose to wash the tires to quickly remove them. The colored lines are entirely cosmetic and won’t impact tire performance. Just the same as those little “hairs” found on new tires showing they were never driven on.
Resources
- Tire Industry Association: “Reading a Tire Sidewall” (July 3, 2025)
- U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: “Consumer Guide to Uniform Tire Quality Grading” (July 3, 2025)
- Carl Rodriguez, head of marketing and the founder of NX Auto Transport (July 3, 2025)
- Andrey Smirnov, car expert and owner of Silverstone Auto Spa in Austin, TX., where he compares every product on the market to find the absolute best products for his business. (July 2, 2025)
- Michael Capote, Chief Marketing Officer at German Car Depot (July 2, 2025)
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