Driving Tests

Can a 14-Year-Old Drive in Wyoming? Hardship License Rules

informational·how to guide·Published May 29, 2026

Can a 14-year-old drive in Wyoming with a hardship license?

Yes, but only with a restricted (hardship) license. A 14- or 15-year-old needs the Wyoming Highway Patrol to find an "extreme inconvenience," such as school or a regular job more than 5 miles from home. The restricted Class C (RC) license allows driving 5 a.m. to 8 p.m., within 50 miles of home, at a parent's or guardian's direction. WYDOT lists a $25 fee.

Where the Wyoming hardship license rules come from

The rules come from Wyoming Statutes (W.S.) 31-7-117 and related sections of title 31. The Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) explains the steps on its learner's permit page, where it calls the restricted permit a "hardship permit." Other sources are the WYDOT driver license FAQ (fee), the WYDOT driving privilege withdrawal guide (suspension lengths) and the 2021 WYDOT "Rules of the Road" Class C manual (end date). This guide is current as of 2026. Confirm the rules with the Wyoming Department of Transportation (dot.state.wy.us) before you drive.

What counts as an extreme inconvenience in Wyoming?

The teen must drive to school, and home is more than 5 miles from the school.
The teen has a regular job more than 5 miles from home. WYDOT adds that the job must be at least 10 hours per week.
The teen needs the license to work in a parent's business.
Any other situation that the Wyoming Highway Patrol (WHP) finds is an extreme inconvenience.

Who can get a restricted license, and who decides?

The license is for a 14- or 15-year-old. The parent or guardian who has custody signs an affidavit of extreme inconvenience, and the Highway Patrol must find that the inconvenience really exists. The license is not a general license to drive at 14. Unless the 15-and-older rule below applies, the holder may use it only for the situation that creates the hardship. It is valid only with the statement of restrictions that lists those circumstances, and WHP can add other restrictions.

How to get a Wyoming hardship license, step by step

1
Send the packet to the Highway Patrol
Complete the Application for a Restricted Driver License or Permit Packet from the WYDOT Forms page. Mail all required forms to Wyoming Highway Patrol, Restricted License Investigations. WHP replies by mail, and a decision can take up to 6 weeks, so apply early.
2
Get the restricted learner's permit
After approval, bring the required documents to your local driver exam office. The minor must pass the written test and the vision screening, and a parent or guardian signs the application. The test is in English only. If the minor fails the written test, the same test can be taken only twice in one day. To see how the regular route differs, try the free question on the regular instruction permit age.
3
Practice with a licensed adult beside you
The permit lasts 60 days. On every drive, a person who is 18 or older, holds a valid Class C license, is fit to control the vehicle and sits beside the driver must be with the minor.
4
Hold the permit at least 10 days
Wyoming law does not let a license be issued within 10 days of an instruction permit for the same vehicle class. Plan the RC license visit for day 10 or later.
5
Apply for the RC license
Apply for the restricted Class C (RC) license at the driver exam office. The applicant must pass the exam that W.S. 31-7-114 requires: a vision check and a test of traffic signs, safe driving practices and Wyoming traffic laws. The exam can also include a driving test.

What the RC license allows and what it does not

What the RC license allows and what it does not
Rule	What it means for the driver
Hours	Drive only between 5:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.
Distance	Stay within a 50-mile radius of home (your domicile).
Who directs the driving	Drive only at the direction of your parent or guardian.
Purpose	Use the license only for the hardship situation, with the statement of restrictions that lists it (except under the 15-and-older rule below).
Penalty for breaking the limits	A misdemeanor. The division may also cancel, suspend or revoke the license, and you have a right to a hearing.

Can an RC holder drive outside the hours or the 50-mile limit?

You are 15 or older and a licensed person is in the seat beside you

You may drive beyond the hours and the radius if that person is at least 18, licensed for the type of vehicle, fit and capable of controlling it, and in a seat beside you.

You are 14, or nobody who meets those four points is beside you

Keep to 5 a.m. to 8 p.m., within 50 miles of home, and only at your parent's or guardian's direction.

What happens if a hardship license holder gets a ticket?

A citation for a moving violation puts the license at risk. Once the division gets notice of the conviction, W.S. 31-7-117 says it must suspend the RC license and any other license or permit. The WYDOT driving privilege withdrawal guide gives the length: 90 days after the first moving violation conviction and one year after the second. Driving outside 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. or beyond the 50-mile radius also leads to suspension. The guide to Wyoming teen driver penalties covers the other teen license penalties.

When does the restricted license end, and what comes next?

The 2021 Class C manual says a restricted license expires 30 days after the holder's 16th birthday. The next step is the intermediate permit. Wyoming law lets a person who is 16 or older and has held an instruction permit, including the restricted permit, apply for it after at least 50 hours of practice driving, with 10 hours at night. A parent or guardian must certify the hours. Try the free question on intermediate permit practice hours, and read the Wyoming intermediate permit rules before the 16th birthday.

Key takeaways

A 14-year-old can drive in Wyoming only with a restricted (hardship) permit or RC license, and only after the Wyoming Highway Patrol finds an extreme inconvenience.
Qualifying reasons include a school or a regular job more than 5 miles from home. WYDOT says the job must be at least 10 hours per week.
The steps: mail the packet to WHP (up to 6 weeks), get the 60-day restricted permit, hold it at least 10 days, then apply for the RC license. WYDOT lists a $25 fee for a restricted license or permit.
RC limits: 5 a.m. to 8 p.m., within 50 miles of home, at a parent's or guardian's direction. A moving violation conviction leads to a 90-day suspension, and a second one to one year.
Next step: practice the rules of the road on the free Wyoming Class C practice test.

Wyoming hardship license: common questions

Can my 14-year-old drive to school in Wyoming?

Yes, if your home is more than 5 miles from the school and the Wyoming Highway Patrol finds an extreme inconvenience. The teen may then use the RC license for the drive to school, between 5 a.m. and 8 p.m. and within 50 miles of home. Other trips are outside the license, unless the teen is 15 or older and a licensed person 18 or older sits beside.

How long does hardship license approval take in Wyoming?

WHP notifies you by mail, and approval or denial can take up to 6 weeks. After approval, the teen must also hold the 60-day permit for at least 10 days before the RC license. For the application status or the proof of extreme inconvenience that WHP needs, call the Wyoming Highway Patrol at 307-777-4314.

Does a 15-year-old with a learner's permit also need the hardship permit?

Maybe not. The 2021 manual says the 60-day restricted instruction permit is for applicants aged 14 to 15 who are approved for a restricted license but do not hold an instruction permit. Before the RC license, the applicant must have held an instruction permit. The Highway Patrol must still find an extreme inconvenience first. Ask your driver exam office which permit applies before your visit.

Can a hardship license holder drive at night in Wyoming?

Only until 8:00 p.m. The RC license allows driving from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. A holder who is 15 or older may drive outside those hours only with a person who is 18 or older, licensed for the vehicle, fit to control it and in the seat beside the driver.

Is a Wyoming hardship permit the same as a restricted learner's permit?

Yes. WYDOT says the restricted learner's permit for ages 14 to 15 is also known as a "hardship permit." Wyoming law calls it an instruction permit. It lasts 60 days, and a licensed adult who is 18 or older must be with the minor. The RC license comes after it.