Guide to Car Insurance in Wyoming

If you own a registered vehicle in Wyoming, you need to carry a minimum amount of auto insurance to drive legally. The minimum coverage limits are represented as 25/50/20¹, which includes the following:

• Bodily injury liability insurance covers another driver’s medical bills and lost wages if you cause an accident. The minimum required coverage in Wyoming is $25,000 for one person’s injuries and $50,000 for all injuries in a single accident.
• Property damage liability insurance pays for repairs to another driver’s vehicle if you hit it. You must carry at least $20,000 to cover all property damage losses resulting in one crash.

In Wyoming, you need only a minimum coverage policy to drive. However, we recommend raising your coverage limits, as there’s no guarantee that a minimum coverage policy will cover the entire cost of an at-fault crash. Having $500,000 in bodily injury coverage and $500,000 in property damage coverage will provide significantly more protection. (If you want more coverage than that, an umbrella policy might be your best option.)

In addition to liability insurance, there are also several optional car insurance coverages that you might find beneficial. Here are a few suggestions that fall under full coverage car insurance:

Comprehensive Insurance

Comprehensive insurance pays for your vehicle’s repairs stemming from incidents besides accidents. For example, comprehensive insurance covers events like theft, vandalism, fires, floods, falling objects, and weather-related vehicle damage. Most standard policies reimburse you based on your car’s actual cash value (ACV), which is the car’s fair market value before the damage occurred. However, you can often upgrade to a replacement cost value (RCV) policy, which provides a bigger payout because it doesn’t factor in the depreciation of your vehicle.

Collision Insurance

Collision insurance pays for your vehicle’s damages following an accident that you cause. It also covers rollovers and collisions with stationary objects. Most drivers purchase collision and comprehensive insurance together by getting a full coverage insurance policy. Like comprehensive insurance, most collision insurance policies provide a payout based on the ACV of your car, but many insurance companies offer RCV policies if you don’t mind paying a higher premium.

Car insurance premiums in Wyoming are very inexpensive compared to many other states. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) found that Wyoming drivers spend an average of $770 per year on car insurance. That’s 26 percent less than the average spend in the United States.²

However, the cost of car insurance depends on a number of personal factors, like your age, gender, ZIP code, driving record, credit score, and a few others. Car insurance is more expensive for young drivers, for example. In addition, the insurance company you choose can impact your rate. We got rate quotes from a few Wyoming car insurance companies and found premiums as low as $514 and as high as $1,028.

• Allstate
• Farmers
• GEICO
• Grange
• Liberty Mutual
• Progressive
• State Farm
• USAA

1. Take advantage of discounts. Most Wyoming car insurance companies have discounts that lower your rate. Some common discounts include savings for drivers who get good grades in school, have no recent claims, have clean driving records, take defensive driving courses, and pay their annual premiums in full.
2. Bundle your policies. Consider getting your auto and home, renters, condo, or boat insurance from the same provider to get a discount on your combined premium.
3. Raise your deductibles. Some types of insurance, like collision and comprehensive insurance, have a deductible, which is an out-of-pocket cost you must pay when you have a claim. Raising your deductibles lowers your monthly premium, but it also reduces your claim payout.

Adjust your coverage limits. One of the easiest ways to save money on car insurance is to adjust your coverage limits. For example, if your car is older and has high mileage, you may not need collision or comprehensive insurance anymore. Dropping these coverages will lower your monthly rate.

In Wyoming, you need to carry proof of insurance in your vehicle at all times. If a law enforcement officer pulls you over, they may ask to see your proof of insurance to verify that you carry the required amount of liability coverage. Failure to carry proof of car insurance in Wyoming comes with the following consequences³:

You have the option to carry a physical insurance ID card or an electronic version. Most large insurance companies offer digital ID cards that you can access on a mobile app or download through an online customer portal. Both forms of proof of insurance are acceptable in Wyoming.

Fault System

Wyoming is a fault state. If another driver hits you, their insurance company will cover your injuries and vehicle repairs. If you cause an accident, your insurance company will pay for the other driver’s losses.

Wyoming uses modified comparative negligence laws to assign fault in the event of an accident. Here’s how it works: Say you are in a collision, sustain a few moderate injuries, and decide to sue the other driver. If you are 50 percent or more responsible for the crash, you aren’t entitled to money, because you were at least as negligent as the other person involved.

Uninsured Motorists

You aren’t required to carry uninsured/underinsured motorist insurance in Wyoming. But as mentioned earlier, it can be valuable. Roughly 6 percent of drivers in Wyoming are uninsured, which can put you at risk⁴. When an uninsured driver hits you, it can be harder to receive compensation for your losses.

If you choose to purchase uninsured/underinsured motorist insurance, and you have more than one car insured on your policy, you’re allowed to stack your coverage. With stacking, your policy limit is multiplied by the number of cars on your policy. So, if you have two cars with coverage limits of $100,000/$200,000 each, your policy limit would automatically increase to $200,000/$400,000.

DUI Laws

The consequences for a DUI in Wyoming are similar to those in many other states. Regardless of the number of offenses you’ve committed, a DUI will stay on your driving record for 10 years. Besides a significantly higher car insurance premium, here are some of the other consequences of getting convicted of a DUI in Wyoming:

Seat Belt Laws

You’re required to wear a seat belt while driving or riding as a passenger in Wyoming, but it’s a secondary law. That means law enforcement cannot give you a ticket for failure to wear a seat belt unless you are breaking another law, like speeding or driving recklessly. The only exception is for passengers younger than 9. You can get a ticket if there are children in your car who are younger than 9 and not wearing a seat belt.

Distracted Driving Laws

In Wyoming, texting and driving is illegal, no matter how old you are. If you get caught texting and driving, you will be fined $75. There is no statewide law that bans talking on the phone while driving, but some cities have their own laws against it.

Teen Driver Laws

When you turn 15, you are allowed to get a learner’s permit in Wyoming. However, there are a few restrictions:

• You can’t drive between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. unless you are with a licensed driver over age 18 who is sitting in the front passenger seat.
• At any given time, you can only drive with one passenger under age 18 who is not an immediate family member.

During the learning period, you are required to complete an approved driver’s education program. In addition, you must show proof that you completed 50 hours of behind-the-wheel driving time before you can take the on-road license test.

When you turn 16, have had a learner’s permit for at least 10 days, and have completed 50 hours of on-road training, you can apply for an intermediate license. However, keep in mind that the restrictions for a learner’s permit and an intermediate license are the same.

Statute of Limitations

The statute of limitations for claims in Wyoming is four years for personal injury and property damage. If you decide to sue another driver after the statute of limitations has ended, their insurance company is not required to give you any money.

Cancellation and Non-Renewal Notification Laws

You’re allowed to cancel your car insurance policy at any time, but so is your insurance company. For example, if you stop paying your monthly premium or your license gets suspended, your insurance company might decide to terminate your coverage. In Wyoming, insurance companies must notify you within 45 days prior to the cancellation date, or within 10 days in the case of a non-payment cancellation.

Similarly, both you and your insurance company can decide not to renew your coverage when the policy period ends. This can happen for a few reasons. For instance, maybe your insurance company decides to stop selling coverage in your area, or you get a DUI and they no longer want to insure you. In the case of non-renewal, Wyoming insurance companies must notify you within 45 days of the effective date.

Self-Insurance

If you own more than 25 vehicles, you’re allowed to self-insure in Wyoming. Rather than getting a car insurance policy for all 25 cars, you can put up a $200,000 bond, plus $100 for each vehicle you own over 25.

Car Inspection Requirements

Vehicles in Wyoming aren’t required to pass emissions or safety inspections. But if you want to register an out-of-state vehicle in Wyoming, you need to get a VIN inspection from a law enforcement officer in your local jurisdiction to complete the registration process.

SR-22s

If you are convicted of a DUI in Wyoming, you will need to have an SR-22 for three years from the date of conviction. An SR-22 is a certificate of financial responsibility that verifies you carry the minimum amount of insurance that is required in Wyoming. You can expect to pay a much higher car insurance premium when you have an SR-22 on your record.

Defensive Driving Courses

Defensive driving courses are required in Wyoming occasionally. For example, if you receive a seat belt-related citation and fail to pay the fine, you may be required to complete a state-approved defensive driving program. These courses are held online or in person, and depending on your insurance company, you might also be able to earn a discount on your premium.

Accident Reporting Requirements

If you get into an accident in Wyoming that results in a fatality or more than $1,000 in bodily injuries or property damage, you are legally required to report it to the police immediately. Failure to report a collision that meets these criteria will result in a $200 fine.

Price Discrimination

In a handful of states, it’s illegal for car insurance companies to discriminate against drivers based on credit score and gender when calculating car insurance premiums. However, Wyoming does not have any laws against price discrimination based on these factors.

When you apply for a car insurance policy in Wyoming, the insurance company is allowed to factor your credit score and your gender into your premium. Therefore, if you have a poor credit score, it will likely affect the cost of your insurance. In addition, men typically pay higher car insurance rates than women in Wyoming due to their increased risk of claims and reckless driving.

Total Loss Guidelines

If your car gets damaged in an accident, your insurance company will decide if it meets the total loss guidelines. In Wyoming, the total loss threshold is 75 percent, which means that if the estimated cost of repairs exceeds 75 percent of your car’s ACV, it’s considered a total loss and is not worth repairing. If you have collision or comprehensive insurance, your insurance company will pay you the ACV of your car.

Wyoming Car Registration

1. Gather the required items:
   • Vehicle title
   • Proof of insurance
   • Copy of sales contract (if you purchased the car from a dealership)
   • Lease agreement (if you leased the car)
   • VIN inspection form (if you bought the car out of state)
   • Payment for taxes and fees ($30 plus county fees based on the vehicle’s cost and service rate)
2. Visit your local county treasurer’s office with the required paperwork and payment.

Contact Information for the Wyoming Department of Transportation

• Mailing address:
  • 5300 Bishop Blvd.
    Cheyenne, WY 82009-3340
• Phone number: 307-777-4375
• Website: https://www.dot.state.wy.us/driverservices

How to Get a Duplicate Car Title in Wyoming

1. Visit your country treasurer’s office website to find the duplicate title form.
2. Complete the form and have it notarized.
3. Mail or drop off the completed form along with payment for $15 at your county treasurer’s office.

How to Contact Wyoming’s Department of Insurance

• Mailing address:
  • 106 E. Sixth Ave.
    Cheyenne, WY 82002
• Phone number: 307-777-7401
• Website: https://doi.wyo.gov/

Cost of Car Repairs in Wyoming

If your car needs to be repaired after an accident or other covered claim, the cost depends on lots of factors, like the type of car you have and which parts need to be replaced. However, your state can also affect the cost. In Wyoming, the average cost of car repairs is $383.21, which is only a few cents cheaper than the national average.

Vehicle Theft

Wyoming has very few vehicle thefts. According to a 2020 report from the FBI, the vehicle theft rate in Wyoming was 166 thefts per 100,000 inhabitants. That’s nearly 50 percent lower than the national average⁷.

However, car thefts occur more frequently in big cities. In the capital city of Cheyenne, the vehicle theft rate is 237 per 100,000 inhabitants. The theft rate in Casper is 192 thefts per 100,000 inhabitants⁸.

Overall, Wyoming is a safe state for drivers, with few uninsured drivers and a small number of motor vehicle thefts. In addition, car insurance is very inexpensive compared to the national average. However, it’s still important to understand the car insurance requirements and driving laws, especially if you are new to Wyoming.