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Wyoming driving lesson · Your License

Who needs a Wyoming license (and who can't get one)

A 3-minute lesson from the Wyoming course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.

Study this lesson in the app Back to the course
Read time
3 minutes
Course unit
Your License
Checkpoint questions
6
Source pages
5, 6, 33, 94

To drive legally in Wyoming you need a valid license or permit issued by WYDOT. A few people may drive here on another license, and some people cannot be licensed at all. Test questions often mix up these two lists.

Know the rule

To drive legally in Wyoming you must have a valid driver license, instruction permit, intermediate license or restricted license.

Handbook p. 5 ↗

WYDOT Driver Services

The Driver Services Program of the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) issues Wyoming driver licenses.

Handbook p. 5 ↗

You do NOT need a Wyoming license if you are:

  • A U.S. government employee driving a vehicle owned or leased by the U.S. government
  • An Armed Forces member stationed in Wyoming, or a dependent, with a valid home-state license
  • A full-time UW or Wyoming community college student with a valid license from another state
  • Licensed by another Driver License Compact state (unless you choose to get a Wyoming license)
Handbook p. 5 ↗
1 year

Compact-state license holders must surrender it within 1 year of Wyoming residency

Handbook p. 5 ↗

You count as a Wyoming resident if you:

  • Work or do business in Wyoming and own, lease or rent a home here (or otherwise live here for work)
  • Stay in Wyoming for 120 days or more
  • Are registered to vote in Wyoming
  • Have applied for public assistance from Wyoming
  • Hold a valid Wyoming resident hunting or fishing license
Handbook p. 94 ↗

You cannot get a Wyoming license if you are:

  • Under 16 years of age
  • Suspended, canceled, denied or revoked in Wyoming or any other state
  • Someone who failed any portion of a required driver license exam
  • Judged legally incompetent
  • A habitual user of alcohol or any controlled substance
  • In violation of U.S. immigration laws
Handbook p. 5 ↗

Know the rule

Every applicant is checked through the Problem Driver Pointer System and other electronic systems for adverse actions.

Handbook p. 5 ↗

Driver License Compact

An agreement among states for cooperation on driver license issues, built on a "one license, one record" concept. Wyoming is a member.

Handbook p. 33 ↗

Know the rule

All states except Georgia, Massachusetts, Michigan, Tennessee and Wisconsin are Driver License Compact members.

Handbook p. 33 ↗

Put it into practice

You move to Cheyenne from Colorado with a valid Colorado license. Colorado is a Compact state, so you may keep driving on it, but you must surrender it within one year of becoming a Wyoming resident.

Check your understanding

Read the question, decide on an answer, then open it to check the explanation. These are Roadwise study questions based on the source handbook.

A person judged legally incompetent may still obtain a Wyoming driver license.
  1. True
  2. False

Answer: False

Persons who have been judged legally incompetent cannot get a Wyoming driver license.

Handbook p. 5 ↗
Which agency issues driver licenses in Wyoming?
  1. The Driver Services Program of WYDOT
  2. The Wyoming Highway Patrol
  3. The county sheriff's office
  4. The Wyoming Department of Revenue

Answer: The Driver Services Program of WYDOT

Wyoming licenses are issued by the Driver Services Program of the Wyoming Department of Transportation.

Handbook p. 5 ↗
Who among these is exempt from needing a Wyoming driver license?
  1. A Wyoming resident who has never been licensed anywhere
  2. An Armed Forces member with a valid home-state license
  3. A person whose out-of-state license was revoked
  4. A seasonal worker who moved to Wyoming for a new job

Answer: An Armed Forces member with a valid home-state license

Armed Forces members stationed in Wyoming, and their dependents, who hold a valid license from their state of residence do not need a Wyoming license.

Handbook p. 5 ↗
A full-time student at the University of Wyoming with a valid out-of-state license moves into a dorm. Does she need a Wyoming license?
  1. Yes, immediately upon enrolling
  2. Yes, but only after her first semester
  3. No, full-time UW students are exempt
  4. No, but only if she is over age 21

Answer: No, full-time UW students are exempt

Full-time students attending the University of Wyoming or a Wyoming community college with a valid out-of-state license do not need a Wyoming license.

Handbook p. 5 ↗
A driver licensed in a Driver License Compact member state moves to Wyoming and wants to keep using that license. How long can they wait before surrendering it?
  1. 30 days of Wyoming residency
  2. 90 days of Wyoming residency
  3. Five years of Wyoming residency
  4. One year of Wyoming residency

Answer: One year of Wyoming residency

A Driver License Compact member's out-of-state license must be surrendered within one year of Wyoming residency, unless the person chooses to get a Wyoming license sooner.

Handbook p. 5 ↗
Which of these states is NOT a member of the Driver License Compact?
  1. Colorado
  2. Tennessee
  3. Idaho
  4. Nebraska

Answer: Tennessee

All states except Georgia, Massachusetts, Michigan, Tennessee and Wisconsin are members of the Driver License Compact.

Handbook p. 33 ↗
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More in Your License

All Wyoming lessons