Motor Vehicle

Vehicle Registration Inside Vehicle Requirement

Beginning January 1, 2010 Wyoming law will require a copy of a vehicle’s registration to be carried in the vehicle at all times. The change is among several revisions to the state’s vehicle titling and registration laws approved by the 2009 Legislature to improve consistency, clarity and accountability.

The law also will require the renewal tabs issued with a vehicle’s annual registration to be displayed and clearly visible in the upper left-hand corner of the license plate. The tab can’t be obscured by a license plate frame or displayed upside down or in another corner of the plate. Previously instructions that came with the tabs directed that they be affixed in upper left-hand corner of the plate, but nothing in the law required it.

Displaying the tab elsewhere makes it harder for law enforcement officers to see, and can create a dangerous situation if officers have to focus on scanning the plate for the tab rather than watching what the driver is doing.

Required Registration

The law requires owners to register their vehicle in Wyoming immediately upon becoming a resident of the state, and the revisions clarify who is considered a resident. Wyoming residency now begins immediately upon any of the following:

  • Working in the state and owning, renting or leasing a residence here;
  • Registering to vote in the state;
  • Applying for public assistance;
  • Purchasing or holding a valid resident hunting or fishing license;
  • Filing a homestead or military tax exemption on property in the state; or
  • Residing in Wyoming for 120 days, regardless of whether employed in the state.

Temporary Permits & Exemptions

  • Workers who expect to be in the state only a few months can obtain a temporary worker registration permit for their vehicles at county treasurer offices for a fee of $50 per month, not to exceed 120 days.
  • The residency law exempts full-time students at the University of Wyoming or any of the state’s community colleges, and defines full-time student is anyone "who attends a post secondary school on a full-time basis as defined by that institution."
  • Daily commuters from a contiguous state also are exempt, provided their vehicles are currently registered in their state.

Pay Online

Visit our online Payment Portal to pay property taxes and vehicle registration feesVisit our online Payment Portal to pay property taxes and vehicle registration fees.