What is the Driving Age in Wyoming?
You must be at least 15 years old to begin the Graduated Drivers License program in Wyoming to receive an unrestricted license when you are 16 1/2 years old.
Written by Ethan Moser
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
The vast majority of states in the U.S.—including Wyoming—have introduced their own versions of the Graduated Drivers License program (GDL). In Wyoming, this program allows drivers as young as 15 Cowboy State to work progressively towards receiving an unrestricted driver's license as soon as they are 16 1/2 years old.
If you’re ready to get behind the wheel of your very first car for the very first time, you’ll first need to get your driver’s license. But it's important to understand that the age limit on when you can get your license varies from state to state.
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What is the driving age in Wyoming?
In Wyoming, teens will have to wait until their 15th birthday before they can apply for a learner’s permit through the Graduated Drivers License program. If you want to apply for a standard unrestricted driver’s license in Wyoming, on the other hand, you’ll have to be 18 years old.
What is the Graduated Drivers License program in Wyoming?
The Graduated Drivers License program (GDL) was introduced in 1997 as a way to allow young drivers to learn how to drive safely under certain restrictions in hopes of decreasing record-high rates of teen deaths in car accidents. Unfortunately, the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) have reported that motor vehicle accidents remain the second-highest leading cause of death amongst teens.The GDL program hopes to allow young drivers to work up towards unrestricted driving privileges through a series of three stages:
- Instruction permit stage: supervised driving
- Provisional license stage: limited unsupervised driving
- Full license stage: unrestricted standard driver’s license
How to get your instruction permit in Wyoming
If you’re hoping to get your hands on an unrestricted driver’s license before your 18th birthday in Wyoming, you’ll have to go through the GDL program with the Wyoming Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Before you have a parent or guardian drive you down to your local
Wyoming DMV office
, however, you’ll need to gather all of the necessary documentation for your learner’s permit application. Here are the requirements to obtain an instructional permit:
- Be at least 15 years old
- Submit a completedDriver's License & ID Application form(this will require a parent or guardian’s signature for applicants under 18)
- Provide an acceptable form of identification such as a passport or Social Security card
- Pay a standard application fee
So long as you pass your written knowledge exam, you’ll be granted a provisional instruction permit, or Learner’s Permit.
Provisional instruction permit restrictions
With a Wyoming learner’s permit in your pocket, you are authorized to drive between the hours of 5 AM and 11 PM so long as you are driving with a supervising driver who is over 25 years old and properly licensed. With just a basic learner's permit, you are not permitted to drive alone—under any circumstances!
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How to get your provisional driver’s license in Wyoming
The time between receiving your learner's permit and applying for your provisional driver's license in Wyoming is much shorter than in other states. Here, you’ll only have to hold a valid learner's permit for 10 days before you are permitted to apply for your provisional driver's license, so long as you are 16 years old at the time the application is submitted.
Here are the requirements to obtain a provisional driver’s license in Wyoming:
- Be at least 16 years old
- Have held your Wyoming learner’s permit for at least 10 days
- Have completed 50 hours of behind-the-wheel driving experience (10 hours at night)
- Pay the required application fee
- Pass a previously scheduled driving test
Pro Tip When applying for your provisional DL, come prepared with your learner’s permit—you’ll need to surrender this document before receiving your new one.
Provisional driver’s license restrictions
Once you’ve received your provisional driver's license in Wyoming, you’re free to drive on your own—but that doesn’t mean there aren't restrictions.
During the first six months of holding your provisional license—or until you turn 17, whichever comes first—you are not permitted to drive between the hours of 11 PM and 5 AM unless accompanied by a parent, guardian, or licensed Wyoming driver over 25 years old.
Similarly, provisional license drivers cannot drive with more than one passenger under the age of 18 in the vehicle for the first six months—or until they turn 17 years old—unless accompanied by a parent, guardian, or licensed Wyoming driver over 25 years old.
Exceptions
Teens in Wyoming are eligible to apply for a
Teen Hardship License
. A hardship license is available to minors between the ages of 14 and 15 who can demonstrate that not being able to drive would result in “extreme inconvenience”. These licenses are usually granted to teens who have to drive five or more miles to school, work 10 or more hours a week, or need a license to help out with a family business. To get a Teen Hardship License, you’ll need to:
- Provide evidence of a specific hardship
- Pass a written and vision exam
- Submit a completed application form
- Provide proof of identification
Once granted, a hardship license allows the holder to drive unsupervised between the hours of 5 am and 8 pm as long as they remain within 50 miles of the home.
How to save on car insurance in Wyoming
Now that you’ve got your driver’s license, you’re free to explore the Cowboy State to your heart’s content! That being said, it's important to make sure you’re covered by reliable and affordable car insurance coverage before setting out on your first road trip. Thankfully, it’s easier than ever to find the perfect
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FAQs
Can you get a Wyoming driver’s license at 16?
In Wyoming, you’re able to apply for your learner’s permit when you’re as young as 15 years old under the Graduated Drivers License program, though the earliest you can get an unrestricted driver’s license in Wyoming is at 16 ½ years old.
Can you drive by yourself at 17 in Wyoming?
Once you’ve got your provisional driver’s license in Wyoming you can drive by yourself as early as 16 years old. You can drive at night by yourself six months after you receive your provisional license, or when your turn 17.
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