Most people who fail the Wyoming knowledge test do not fail on judgment questions. They fail on numbers: the speed limit where nothing is posted, the alcohol limit for a 17-year-old, how far back to park from a hydrant. This page collects every figure worth memorizing before you walk into a WYDOT office.
Speed limits when nothing is posted
These are Wyoming’s statutory limits. They apply when no sign tells you otherwise.
| Where | Limit |
|---|---|
| Interstate highways (where designated) | 80 mph |
| State highways that are not interstates | 70 mph |
| Other paved roads | 65 mph |
| Unpaved roads | 55 mph |
| Urban districts | 30 mph |
| School zones (posted hours) | 20 mph |
Alcohol limits
| Driver | Illegal at |
|---|---|
| Age 21 and over | 0.08% BAC |
| Under 21 | 0.02% BAC |
| Commercial license holders | 0.04% BAC |
The 0.02% figure is Wyoming’s zero-tolerance rule and is the one most often missed. A single drink can put a teenager over it. You can also be arrested below any of these numbers if alcohol or drugs are impairing your driving.
Refusing a chemical test after a lawful arrest triggers an automatic license suspension under implied consent, separate from whatever happens with the DUI charge itself.
Distances and timings
- Following distance: three seconds in good conditions. Four or more in rain, snow, ice or fog, or behind a large truck. Wyoming law also frames this as two seconds for every 20 feet of vehicle length.
- Fire hydrant: do not park within 15 feet.
- Never park: on a crosswalk, on a sidewalk, in an intersection, or where your vehicle blocks another driver’s view.
- Supervised driving before the road test: 50 hours minimum, including 10 at night.
- Permit validity: 4 years, the longest in the country.
Wyoming quirks worth knowing
A few rules here surprise drivers from other states.
- Passing allowance. When overtaking in the left lane on a two-lane road, Wyoming permits up to 10 mph over the limit to complete the pass. This does not apply in a no passing zone, and you must return to the right and drop back under the limit as soon as it is safe.
- Left-lane loitering. Slowing down or blocking traffic behind you in the far-left passing lane is illegal.
- Texting. Writing, sending or reading a text while driving is a misdemeanor. Hands-free use and use while parked are allowed, as is contacting emergency services.
- School buses. Traffic in both directions must stop for a stopped bus with red lights flashing. You may go once the lights stop or the bus moves.
- Studded tires. Permitted from October 1 through May 31.
- Chain requirements. WYDOT can order chains or traction devices on specific passes during storms, including I-80 over the Continental Divide and Teton Pass.
Signs, in one screen
Shapes: octagon is stop and nothing else. Upside-down triangle is yield. Diamond is a warning. Pentagon is a school zone. Round means a railroad crossing is ahead. A crossbuck means you are at the crossing. A pennant on the left side of the road marks a no passing zone.
Colors: red prohibits, yellow warns about the road, orange means work zone, fluorescent yellow-green means people are crossing, green guides, blue means services, brown means parks and recreation, and white with black lettering is a law.
Weak on this section? Run the Wyoming road signs test, which drills it specifically.
Right of way, in one screen
- Two vehicles reach a four-way stop together: the driver on the left yields to the driver on the right.
- Entering a roundabout: yield to traffic already circulating.
- Turning left: yield to oncoming traffic and to pedestrians.
- Pedestrian in or entering a marked crosswalk: yield, and never pass a vehicle stopped at a crosswalk.
- Emergency vehicle with lights and siren: pull to the right and stop, but never inside an intersection.
- Stopped emergency or service vehicle on the shoulder: move over a lane if safe, otherwise slow down significantly.
- Trains: always have the right of way, and a second train may follow on another track.
The five traps that catch people
- Yellow versus orange. Yellow warns about the road. Orange means workers are present. Different hazard, different penalties.
- Advisory speeds. The number on a yellow plate under a curve sign is a recommendation, not the legal limit, but ignoring it in ice or wind is how vehicles leave the road.
- Skid recovery. Steer gently toward where you want the front of the car to go. Do not brake hard.
- Animals. Brake firmly and stay in your lane. Swerving causes worse crashes than the collision would have.
- Blocked intersections. A green light is not permission to enter if you cannot clear the far side.
Use this properly
A cheat sheet is for the last read-through, not for skipping the manual. The Wyoming Driver License Manual is the actual source of every exam question and it is free on the WYDOT website. Read it, then use this page to check the numbers stuck, then take the full practice test until you are consistently above 90%.
Everything on this page relates to the Wyoming permit process, which covers documents, ages and what happens at the office.
Disclaimer: Pass The Permit is an independent study resource and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the Wyoming Department of Transportation or any government agency. Laws change and local ordinances vary. Always confirm current figures against the official Wyoming Driver License Manual and Wyoming statutes before relying on them.