Wyoming motorcycle laws: helmets, lane splitting and more

This page explains Wyoming motorcycle laws in plain English so you know what to look up. It isn't legal advice, and it may not cover every condition or exception. Laws change. Before you rely on a rule here, read the law itself and talk to a lawyer about a specific situation. For roads, seasons and events, start with the Wyoming state guide.

Wyoming requires riders and passengers under 18 to wear a helmet. Riders 18 and older aren't required to by that law.

Wear one regardless. Wyoming riding means crosswinds strong enough to move a bike, hail in summer storms, gravel in mountain switchbacks, bugs at speed and near-freezing air on the high passes. A full-face helmet with a good visor handles all of it and cuts the wind noise on long, open highways.

As of 2026, Wyoming law doesn't allow lane splitting, which means riding between lanes of moving traffic, or lane filtering, which means moving up between stopped cars at a light. Ride in your lane like any other vehicle. Several states have changed their laws in recent years, so check before you ride.

This matters because Wyoming is surrounded by states that do allow filtering. Montana, Utah and Colorado all allow it under conditions, so a rider coming down from Red Lodge, over from Salt Lake City or up from Fort Collins may be used to it. Once you cross into Wyoming, stop. At a construction stop or a red light in Cheyenne or Casper, wait in line.

You need a motorcycle endorsement on your Wyoming license to ride on public roads. It comes from WYDOT's Driver Services. The usual path includes a knowledge test and a skills test, and a rider safety course is a good way in. Check Driver Services for current steps, since requirements change.

Training pays off here. Wyoming roads ask a lot: wind, wildlife, steep mountain grades, long distances from help and weather that changes in minutes. New to riding? See our page on the motorcycle app for beginners.

Carry your license with the motorcycle endorsement, your registration and proof of insurance. Wyoming requires liability insurance on registered vehicles. Check with WYDOT and your insurer for the current minimums.

Much of Wyoming is open range, so cattle and sheep can be on or beside the road outside towns. Slow down at cattle guards and assume anything dark on the road at night is an animal.

In a group, every bike follows the same traffic laws. Ride staggered on open highways and single file in the switchbacks, and regroup at stops. A group ride in Rippin' keeps everyone on one live map, useful when riders spread out across a basin.

The Beartooth Highway crosses the Montana line twice in one ride. Know which state you're in before you filter.

Wyoming bans texting while driving. Check the current law for other phone rules. On a bike, the simple rule is: don't touch the phone while you're moving. Tap Record Ride once before you roll, pocket or mount the phone, and tap Stop at the end.

Rippin' never rewards speed on public roads. Segment boards are about who owns a road and who rides it, not a race. On the roads in the best motorcycle roads in Wyoming, steep grades and wildlife reward a margin, and park roads have low speed limits for a reason.

Set a home privacy safe zone so the part of your rides near home stays hidden from other riders.