How to Pass the Wyoming WYDOT Permit Test

The Wyoming permit test is a written knowledge test given by WYDOT, the Wyoming Department of Transportation, which runs driver licensing in Wyoming instead of a DMV. You take it in person with a vision screening, and every question comes from the Wyoming Driver License Manual. WYDOT's manual does not publish how many questions are on the test or the passing score. Practice sites commonly say 25 questions and 80%, but that is unofficial, so study every chapter.

Wyoming permit test at a glance

How many questions are on the Wyoming permit test?

WYDOT does not publish a question count. Its manual says only that the questions are taken from the manual and cover signs, signals, pavement markings, traffic laws, safety, crash prevention and vehicle equipment. Practice-test sites report 25 multiple-choice questions with 20 correct needed to pass (80%), which would mean you can miss 5. Treat that as a guide, and ask the examiner if you want the exact number for your test.

What's on the Wyoming permit test

• Traffic signs, signals and pavement markings, by shape, color and meaning.
• Traffic laws: right of way, turns, passing, speed limits and parking.
• Safe driving and crash prevention, including following distance and night driving.
• Vehicle equipment: lights, brakes, mirrors and what must work before you drive.
• Alcohol and drugs, and what happens to your license if you break the law.
• Wyoming conditions: wildlife on the road, wind, snow and long rural stretches.

Two things are unusual about Wyoming. First, everything goes through WYDOT, so you will see WYDOT, not DMV, on the manual, the forms and the office signs. Second, Wyoming allows a restricted permit and license as young as 14 for hardship cases.

The restricted permit at 14

According to the WYDOT manual, teens 14 and 15 may qualify for a restricted license when an extreme inconvenience exists in their household and they live five or more miles from school or work. The Wyoming Highway Patrol approves these applications. A restricted instruction permit for teens approved for a restricted license is valid for 60 days, and the restricted license only allows driving between 5 a.m. and 8 p.m. and within 50 miles of home. Most teens take the regular route and get an instruction permit at 15.

How to study for the Wyoming permit test

1. Read the Wyoming Driver License Manual one chapter at a time. Every question comes from it.
2. Learn signs by shape and color first, then by meaning. People who already ride along often skip signs and lose points.
3. Make a one-page list of every number: distances, speeds, ages and alcohol limits.
4. Take practice tests and write down what you miss, then reread those pages.
5. Ask for an oral test ahead of time if reading is hard for you. WYDOT offers one on request.

Read every question twice. Many wrong answers sound almost right, and small words like "always", "never" and "at least" usually decide the answer.

What to bring and how to book

The WYDOT manual lists these for a first-time applicant:

• A state-certified birth certificate, a valid U.S. passport or immigration documents.
• Proof of your Social Security number, such as your Social Security card, a W-2 or a bank statement that shows the number.
• Two documents that show your residential address. A P.O. box does not count.
• Proof of any name change, such as a marriage certificate or court order.
• If you are under 18, a release signed by your parent or legal guardian.
• The permit fee. The 2021 manual lists $40 plus a $5 technology fee.

WYDOT does not list an appointment requirement for the written test in its manual. Find your nearest driver license office and current hours on dot.state.wy.us, or call WYDOT Driver Services at (307) 777-4800 before you go.

Can you take the Wyoming permit test online?

No. WYDOT gives the written test in person at a driver license office. The only online option is practice tests, which help you prepare but do not count toward your permit.

What happens if you fail

The WYDOT manual says applicants may take the written test twice in one day, so you may get a second try on the same visit. The manual also mentions a three-day wait for applicants who miss 13 or more questions, but it places that rule in the skills test section, so ask the examiner how it applies to you. WYDOT does not publish a limit on total attempts. Go back to the chapters you missed before you try again.

After you pass

• You must drive with a licensed driver who is 18 or older, sitting in the front passenger seat.
• At 16 you can move to an intermediate license after 50 hours of driving, 10 of them at night, certified by a parent or guardian, plus a vision screening and a driving skills test.

Wyoming permit test FAQ