Disclosed is a tire shape inspection method that can reliably and without misidentification perform accurate shape defect inspection in a short period of time by excluding measurement values in a range in which embossed marks are formed from distribution information for surface height measurement values on the sidewall surface of a tire. In the method, a processor automatically detects the positions of the embossed marks based on sample surface shape information obtained from a sample of the tire, and automatically sets coordinate information for a mask range surrounding the area where said marks are present (S2-S15). The processor also causes a surface shape image based on the sample surface shape information and a mask range image based on the coordinate information for the mask range to be displayed superimposed on a display means, and changes the coordinate information for the mask range according to an operating input (S16). The processor also corrects deviation in the coordinate system between the surface height distribution information obtained from the tire undergoing inspection and the coordinate information for the mask range after changing, and excludes measurement values in the mask range from shape defect inspection processing.