Licensing and Residency Requirements

• You have one year from the time you establish residency to be issued a Wyoming driver's license. If the license you currently hold is issued by one of the following states; Georgia, Massachusetts, Michigan, Tennessee, or Wisconsin, or is a Commercial Driver's License, you must apply for a Wyoming license once you have established residency in Wyoming.
• A licensee has 10 days to notify WYDOT of a change of name or address.
• Every owner/operator/lessee of a vehicle which will be operated or driven upon any highway in Wyoming, shall be required to obtain registration at the following times: upon becoming a resident in the case of a previous nonresident owner.

Graduated Licensing Program

Restricted Learner's Permit / Hardship Permit

Requirements

• Must be 14 to 15 years old.
• Must also meet one of the following criteria:
  • Minor's residence must be more than 5 miles from the school they attend;
  • Minor has a regular job (a minimum of 10 hours per week) more than 5 miles from the minor's residence;
  • Minor must have a license to work in his/her parents' business;
  • Any other circumstances which the Wyoming Highway Patrol finds to be an extreme inconvenience.
• Once the application is approved, must pass a written and vision test.

Privileges and Restrictions

• Valid for 60 days.
• Must be accompanied by a licensed adult 18 or older.

Restricted License

Requirements

• Must hold a restricted permit for 10 days before applying for a full restricted license.

Privileges and Restrictions

• May only drive 5 AM - 8 PM;
• May only drive within a 50-mile radius of residence.

Regular Learner's Permit

Requirements

• Must be at least 15;
• Must pass written exam and vision screening.

Privileges and Restrictions

• May only operate a motor vehicle when a licensed adult 19 or older occupies the front passenger seat.

Graduated Driver License / Intermediate Permit

Requirements

• Must be at least 16;
• Must have held learner's permit for at least 10 days;
• Must have completed 50 hours of behind the wheel;
• Must pass the driving skills test.

Privileges and Restrictions

• May not drive with more than one passenger under the age of 18 years who is not a member of your immediate family;
• You and all your passengers must wear seat belts;
• You can only legally drive between the hours of 5 AM and 11 PM.

Unrestricted Driver License

Requirements

• Must be at least 16 1/2 and have completed an approved driver education course OR must be 17.
• Must have held an intermediate permit for 6 months.

Violation Point Counts

Wyoming does not have a point system, but traffic violations are still recorded on your driving record.

Insurance Requirements

Wyoming state law requires minimum Bodily Injury Liability limits of $25,000 per injured person up to a total of $50,000 per accident, and Property Damage Liability coverage with a minimum limit of $20,000.

Headlight Laws

You must dim your headlights from high to low beam when you are within 500 feet of an oncoming vehicle, or when within 300 feet of a vehicle traveling ahead of you.

You must use your headlights:

• From one-half hour after sunset until one-half hour before sunrise.
• At any other time when, due to insufficient light or unfavorable weather conditions, persons and vehicles on the road are not discernable at a distance of 1,000 feet ahead.

There is no specific law allowing or prohibiting headlight flashing.

Implied Consent Laws

In July of 2011, Wyoming repealed the provisions of this law governing penalties for refusing an implied consent chemical test. However, Wyoming law still considers any person who drives a vehicle on a public street or highway in the state to have given consent to a chemical test.

The city of Laramie, Wyoming has established a criminal penalty for implied consent violations within its jurisdiction, consisting of the following:

• First Refusal:
  • 7 days - 6 months imprisonment;
  • $200 - $750 fine;
  • Substance abuse assessment.
• Second or Subsequent Refusal
  • 30 days - 6 months imprisonment;
  • $750 minimum fine;
  • Substance abuse assessment.

DUI Penalties

First Conviction (misdemeanor)

• Up to 6 months imprisonment;
• Up to $750 fine;
• 90 day license suspension.
• If BAC .15 or more, ignition interlock is required 6 months from the date of conviction.

Second Conviction (within 10 years) (misdemeanor)

• 7 days - 6 months imprisonment;
• $200 - $750 fine;
• 1 year license suspension;
• Ignition interlock 1 year from date of conviction.

Third Conviction (within 10 years) (misdemeanor)

• 30 days - 6 months imprisonment;
• $750 - $3,000 fine;
• 3 year license revocation;
• Ignition interlock 2 years from the date of conviction.

Fourth or Subsequent Conviction (within 10 years) (felony)

• Up to 7 years imprisonment;
• Up to $10,000 fine;
• 3 year license revocation;
• Ignition interlock for life, subject to review after 5 years.

Community Service

• Community service may be required as a condition of probation.

Child Endangerment

Any person age 18 or older who commits a violation with a child passenger shall be punished as follows:

• First conviction (misdemeanor): Up to 1 year imprisonment and up to $750 fine.
• Subsequent conviction (felony): Up to 5 years imprisonment.

Alcohol Education and Treatment

• The court may suspend part or all of the discretionary portion of an imprisonment sentence if the defendant agrees to pursue and complete an alcohol education or treatment program as prescribed by the court.
• The mandatory incarceration sanction for a third or subsequent DWI offender may be reduced from 30 days to 15 days if the defendant completes an inpatient treatment program.
• To obtain hardship driving privileges, the defendant must agree to pursue and complete an alcohol education and treatment program prescribed by the driver licensing agency.

Open Container Law

Wyoming allows bottles of wine to be resealed using a specified tamper-evident procedure, by statutory or regulatory requirements, as an exception to its open container prohibition.

Red Light Violation Fines

Wyoming does not have a state law governing red light fines or the use of traffic cameras for red light enforcement.

Construction Zone Penalties

Wyoming does not have laws providing for enhanced penalties for traffic violations in work zones.

Turn Signal Information

Signal your intention to turn or change lanes at least 100 feet in advance.

Hazard Light Information

Hazard light use is permitted to warn other drivers of the presence of a vehicular traffic hazard requiring the exercise of unusual care in approaching, overtaking or passing.

Funeral Procession Right-of-Way Laws

• The law gives the right-of-way to a procession led by a funeral car or escorted by a police car and displaying flashing lights.
• The lead car must comply with traffic lights or signs, but the vehicles following need not stop if their headlights are on.
• The procession must yield to emergency vehicles.

School Bus Laws

Requirements

• Vehicles are required to stop unless separated from the school bus by a physical barrier or separate roadways.

Penalties

• Failure to stop and remain stopped when required will result in a $200 - $750 fine.

Bicyclist Passing Distance

There is no specific law regarding minimum safe passing distance.

Motorcycle Laws

Licensing

• Class M licenses are issued for motorcycles. The designation may be added to a license valid for any other class or may be issued as the only class on a license if the applicant is not licensed for any other classification.

Protective Gear

• Drivers 18 years or under operating a motorcycle on public streets, highways, or thoroughfares must wear protective headgear.

Headlights

• Any person operating a motorcycle must have the headlamps activated at all times including daylight hours.

Sharing the Road

• Lane splitting is not authorized.
• Two motorcycles may travel side-by-side in a single lane.

Using the Shoulder to Pass

You may not drive off the roadway to pass on the right.

Passing Laws

Do Not Pass:

• When approaching or upon a hill or curve;
• When approaching within 100 feet of or traversing any intersection or railroad grade crossing;
• When approaching within 100 feet of any bridge, viaduct, or tunnel.

When Being Passed:

• Give way to the right in favor of the overtaking vehicle;
• The overtaking vehicle may signal by honking its horn;
• Do not increase the speed of your vehicle until completely passed by the overtaking vehicle.

Exceeding Speed Limit to Pass:

• A driver of a passenger car, motorcycle, or pickup truck, not towing any other vehicle, may exceed the speed limit by up to ten miles an hour while passing another vehicle traveling at less than the legal maximum speed, to safely pass the vehicle.
• This applies only upon roadways divided into two lanes for two-way movement of traffic, where the posted speed limit is 50 MPH or greater, and does not apply in construction zones.

Speed Limits

• 75 mph on interstate highways;
• 65 mph on other paved highways;
• 55 mph on unpaved roadways;
• 30 mph in an urban district;
• 20 mph in a school zone or crossing.

Safety Belt and Child Safety Seat Laws

Safety Belts

• Occupants 9 years and older must wear safety belts.
• Police may not stop vehicles solely for belt law violations.
• The fine for a first offense is $25 if the driver is not wearing a seatbelt and $10 for each passenger not wearing a seatbelt.
• Wyoming rewards observed belt use by reducing other moving violation fines by $10.

Child Seats

• Children 8 years and younger must use a child seat, must be in the rear seat if available, and may not use an adult safety belt.
• The fine for a first offense is $50.
• Police may stop vehicles solely for child seat law violations.

Emergency Vehicle Laws

Move Over

• When you see an emergency vehicle displaying flashing lights while stopped on or adjacent to the roadway, you must do the following:
  • When driving on an interstate highway or other highway with two or more lanes traveling in the direction of the emergency vehicle, merge into the lane farthest from the emergency vehicle, except when otherwise directed by a police officer.
  • When driving on a two-lane road, slow to a speed that is 20 MPH less than the posted speed limit, except when otherwise directed by a police officer.

Following

• Do not follow a fire apparatus traveling in response to a fire alarm closer than 500 feet, or drive into or park within 500 feet of where the fire apparatus has stopped in answer to a fire alarm.

Collision Procedures

• Stop at the scene or as close as possible without obstructing traffic more than necessary, and remain at the scene until all requirements are fulfilled.
• You must provide the following information to any other person involved in the accident, or any police officer at the scene of the crash:
  • Driver's name and address;
  • Vehicle registration number;
  • Show driver's license upon request.
• Assist any injured person, including transporting them or making arrangements for transportation to a hospital or doctor, if necessary or requested.
• If the crash resulted in injury or death, or a vehicle is disabled, you must report the accident as quickly as possible to the local police department, county sheriff, or state highway patrol. If the driver is unable to make the report, any other occupant of the vehicle who can must do so.
• If you have collided with an unattended vehicle or other property that is unattended, locate and notify the operator or owner of the driver's name and address, and the registration number of the vehicle. If you are unable to do so, leave a written notice providing this information and a statement of the circumstances.