Photo: Mr. Satterly, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
In Wyoming, anyone who has never been licensed in any state must pass a driving skills test with a WYDOT examiner, unless the examiner waives it for an approved driver education certificate. This guide covers what the test route includes, the vehicle you must bring, how to book, what happens if you fail, and exactly what the driver ed certificate must show.
Key facts
- Who must test: first-time applicants never licensed in Wyoming or any other state. A skills test can also be required for some renewals, or if your vision is between 20/40 and 20/100.
- Vehicle: your own. It must be licensed, registered, insured and roadworthy.
- Booking: many exam stations require an appointment. Book on oneWYO or call your local office.
- Automatic failure: breaking state law during the test.
- If you fail: the manual says wait 24 hours, but the examiner can set a longer wait (see below).
- Driver ed waiver: a certificate showing 30 hours of classroom and 6 hours behind the wheel, honored for up to two years, at the examiner’s discretion.
What is on the Wyoming driving test?
WYDOT says the test route includes intersections, stop lights and other situations in normal traffic. You must show you can drive safely in all types of conditions. The manual describes it as a test of “safe driving maneuvers” and says you will never be asked to do anything against the law.
Ask WYDOT or your exam office about the maneuvers and scoring for the Class C test. Practice the skills the manual teaches, since examiners test real-traffic driving:
- Full stops behind the stop line or crosswalk, and stops when leaving a driveway, alley or parking lot.
- Signaling at least 100 feet before a turn, and turning into the proper lane.
- Lane changes with mirror and over-the-shoulder checks. Never change lanes in an intersection.
- Right of way at uncontrolled intersections, four-way stops and roundabouts.
- Backing slowly while looking over your shoulder, not relying on mirrors.
- Parking between cars, and parking on a hill with your wheels turned correctly.
- Keeping to school-zone (20 mph) and residential (30 mph) limits.
For the faults that fail most US road tests, see common reasons people fail the US driving test.
Vehicle checklist for test day
Before your test, make sure your vehicle has:
- current license plates, registration and insurance
- seat belts for the driver and front-seat passenger
- working brakes and brake lights, headlights and tail lights, turn signals and horn
- rearview and driver-side mirrors
- doors that open from both inside and outside
- no windshield cracks that block your view, and working wipers
- tires that are not frayed or bulging
An interpreter is allowed on a Class C skills test.
What happens if you fail the Wyoming road test?
The 2021 manual says applicants who fail must wait 24 hours before testing again. The current WYDOT Testing page adds that the examiner can require a longer wait, such as days or weeks, based on what they saw. The most common reason is that the examiner thinks you need more practice. Plan for the examiner’s decision, not the 24-hour minimum.
If you previously failed a skills test with a state examiner, you must retake it with a state examiner, even if you later finish driver education.
The driver education waiver
Driver education courses must be approved through the Wyoming Department of Education, and you apply to a program on the Department’s approved list. When you apply for your license, show the certificate to the examiner. If it is from an approved program, the examiner may waive the skills test.
What the certification card must show
- Your name, date of birth and driver license (permit) number.
- Original signatures of the instructor and the school administrator.
- A statement that you completed 30 hours of classroom instruction and 6 hours of behind-the-wheel driving.
The card is honored for no more than two years.
Limits on the waiver
- It is discretionary. WYDOT says the examiner may choose not to waive the test, and finishing a course does not guarantee a waiver.
- Only certificates from approved providers count.
- A previous failure with a state examiner cancels the waiver option.
Driver education also matters for timing. Without it you cannot get full privileges before 17. With it, you can get them at 16 and a half after six months on an intermediate license. See Wyoming intermediate license and full privileges.
When you take the skills test
| Applying for | Skills test needed? |
|---|---|
| Restricted license (RC), ages 14 to 15 | Yes, before the RC is issued |
| Intermediate license at 16 | Yes, unless waived for approved driver education |
| Full license at 17 with no intermediate license | Yes |
| Full privileges at 16 and a half | No new skills test is listed. You need the driver ed certificate, ID, vision screening and a minor’s release |
| Moving with a valid out-of-state license | May be waived |
Common questions
Do I have to parallel park on the Wyoming driving test?
Check the Class C maneuvers with your exam office. The manual teaches parallel parking (“parking between cars”), so practice it. See US road tests by state.
Can I use my parent’s car?
Yes. You must bring a vehicle, and it must be legally licensed, registered and insured and meet the equipment checklist above.
Does driver’s ed automatically skip the road test in Wyoming?
No. The examiner has discretion and can still ask you to test.
How long is my driver ed certificate good for?
The manual says WYDOT honors it for no longer than two years.
What counts as an automatic fail?
WYDOT says failing to obey state law is grounds for automatic failure. Running a stop sign or speeding through a school zone would both break state law.
How do I book the test?
Use oneWYO or call your local driver exam office. Many offices test by appointment only.
Back to the full guide: learning to drive in Wyoming. Before your test, log your hours: Wyoming 50 hour behind-the-wheel certification.
Sources
- Wyoming Department of Transportation, “Rules of the Road: State of Wyoming Driver License Manual, Class C (2021)” (dot.state.wy.us)
- WYDOT Driver Services, “Testing” (dot.state.wy.us)
- WYDOT Driver Services, “Driver Education” (dot.state.wy.us)
- WYDOT Driver Services, “Learner Permits” (dot.state.wy.us)
- Wyoming Highway Patrol and WYDOT, “Wyoming Restricted Class Driver License Application (FSDL-708)” (dot.state.wy.us)