Wyoming House Votes For Increased License, Registration Fees

The Wyoming House of Representatives has given final approval to a pair of bills that raise the state fees for registering a car as well as the driver's license fees.

House Bill 218 increases the state fees for registering a car in Wyoming from $15 to $25 for most vehicles. While registering a car in Wyoming can cost several hundred dollars, the bulk of those fees is imposed by county governments rather than the state.

Supporters of House Bill 218 said it would raise $18 million for WYDOT, with that money being used to replace general fund money the agency currently receives. If the proposal becomes law it would be the first increase in state car registration fees since 1975.

The fee increase would not apply to commercial vehicles, which have their own separate fee schedule in Wyoming. The vote in favor of House Bill 218 Tuesday was 44-16.

The house also on third and final reading Tuesday approved a doubling of the fees for all state driver's licenses, including Commercial Driver's Licenses.

Supporters of House Bill 219 said it costs the state $54 to issue a standard driver's license, while even with the fee increase motorists will only pay $40 to get a license. House Bill 219 passed by a vote of 45-15.

The measures come as Wyoming struggles to deal with declining revenues caused by a downturn in energy prices. Supporters of the two bills say they would eventually like to see WYDOT function as an enterprise fund which pays for itself without getting any general fund revenues.