What is a Wyoming License Plate?
The Wyoming Department of Transportation issues all license plates through its Motor Vehicle Services division. WYDOT sets design standards and processes special orders, but county treasurer offices handle standard registration, plate issuance, and renewal according to W.S. § 31-2-201.
The current general issue of license plates was launched in 2025, featuring the State Flag design with the “Bucking Horse” logo and county number prefix. Wyoming law requires a new plate design every eight years, and each series must be easily distinguishable from the previous one.
Types of License Plates in Wyoming
- Standard plates are assigned upon initial registration through the county treasurer. Replacing a plate with a new number costs $8; reissuing the same number costs $30.
- WYDOT offers approximately 20 specialty designs, including the University of Wyoming, Wildlife Conservation, Donate Life, Rodeo, and Search and Rescue. Each has at least a $30 specialty plate fee payable to WYDOT, with some additional donations to individual programs.
- Prestige plates (Wyoming’s term for personalized plates) allow up to five characters for a one-time fee of $30, ordered online or by mail through the WYDOT prestige plates page.
- Former POW and Disabled Veteran plates exempt the owner from all registration fees on one vehicle according to W.S. § 31-3-101(b). Plates for Pearl Harbor survivors, Purple Heart recipients, and Gold Star families have a standard $30 specialty plate fee.
- Any specialty or prestige plate can be embossed for an additional $50 fee, a unique feature of Wyoming’s plate program.
The full catalog is available on the WYDOT specialty plates page.
What Vehicles Require License Plates in Wyoming?
Every vehicle operated on Wyoming highways must be registered according to W.S. § 31-2-201. New residents must register after establishing residency; anyone working in the state for profit must register immediately.
- Passenger vehicles have an annual state fee of $30 plus a county ad valorem fee calculated at 3% of the vehicle’s depreciated factory price (or $5, whichever is greater). Two plates are issued.
- Motorcycles, ATVs, and multipurpose vehicles pay $25 annually for the state fee and receive one rear plate.
- Trailers and camper trailers are classified by unloaded weight: $5 at 1,000 pounds or less, $30 from 1,001 to 3,500 pounds, increasing to $90 over 6,001 pounds. One rear plate is required. Permanent registration is available under W.S. § 31-2-206(n), eliminating annual renewal.
- Commercial trucks pay state fees based on the vehicle’s gross weight according to the schedule in W.S. § 31-18-401.
- Fully electric vehicles add an annual surcharge of $100, effective July 1, 2026 (reduced from $200). Plug-in hybrids add $50 annually on the same schedule.
License Plate Rules in Wyoming
- Most vehicles require two plates, front and rear. W.S. § 31-2-205 exempts motorcycles, multipurpose vehicles, trailers, antique vehicles, street rods, custom vehicles, and any vehicle originally manufactured without a front plate bracket. Exempt vehicles have one rear plate.
- Plates must be mounted horizontally at least 12 inches from the ground and kept free of foreign materials according to the same statute. Covers, tinting, or any alteration that obstructs easy reading of the plate number violates W.S. § 31-4-101(a)(iii), which separately prohibits altered, damaged, or obscured plates, validation stickers, and permits.
Is Driving Around with No License Plate in Wyoming Illegal?
Operation without valid plates is prohibited under W.S. § 31-4-101(a)(ii). The statute covers missing plates, expired permits, and any registration evidence not properly displayed on the vehicle.
Altered or obscured plates fall under a separate subsection of the same statute. Under § 31-4-101(a)(iii), a plate that has been damaged or obscured so that the number cannot be easily read is a separate offense, distinct from a no-plate charge.
What is the Penalty for Driving Without a License Plate in Wyoming?
Chapter 4 of Title 31 covers both registration fraud and plate violations. The basic penalty for no plate is a misdemeanor, but the statute escalates to felony status for forgery.
- Operation without a valid plate or with expired registration is punishable by a fine of up to $750 under the general penalty provision in W.S. § 31-4-104.
- Obscured or altered plates, stickers, or permits fall under § 31-4-101(a)(iii) and carry the same $750 ceiling through the general penalty provision.
- Forgery, falsification, or knowingly using a counterfeit registration or plate is a felony under W.S. § 31-4-102, punishable by a fine of up to $5,000, up to two years in prison, or both.
- Traffic violations processed under W.S. § 31-5-1201 escalate with repeat offenses: up to $200 for a first conviction, $300 for a second within one year, and $500 or six months in jail for a third.