Tire pressure monitoring systems were first adopted by the European market in the 1980s as an optional feature for luxury passenger vehicles. In the United States, the implementation of TPMS was a direct result of the Transportation Recall Enhancement, Accountability, and Documentation (TREAD) Act published by the Clinton administration. What led the Clinton administration to enforce the TREAD act was the Firestone tire recall in the late 1990s (rollovers following tire tread separation was linked to more than 100 deaths). The Act mandated the use of TPMS technology in all motor vehicles under 10,000 lbs to help alert drivers of low tire-pressure. All vehicles sold after September 1, 2007 are affected by the TREAD act.

Today, a wide variety of tire pressure monitoring systems exist, each with its own capabilities and options. TPMS inhabit transportation markets worldwide and provide monitoring for all vehicle types, sizes, and configurations.