What are Wyoming Public Traffic Records?
In Wyoming, a public traffic record is a document that details a person’s driving history and traffic offenses in the state. This record typically contains identifying information on the record owner, like a name, sex, address, etc. It also contains license information, such as the person’s license number, driving status (whether suspended or not), classification, expiring date, etc.
A traffic record also contains a history of offenses recorded against the record owner. Wyoming motorists may commit two traffic violations that may appear on the record, moving and non-moving violations. A moving traffic violation concerns a vehicle in motion. Examples are speeding, reckless driving, fleeing a police officer, and not stopping at a red light. These offenses may require the offender to show up on a court date to answer charges related to the violations.
Different government agencies and courts manage public traffic records in the state. Interested persons may access these records from these agencies.
Are Traffic Records Public in Wyoming?
Yes. Traffic records are public, and the Wyoming Public Records Act ensures this. The Public Records Act is provided in §16-4-201to 16-4-205 of the Wyoming Statutes, enacted by the Wyoming State Legislature.
The statute guarantees interested persons access to public records and files of state agencies, subject to certain exceptions. It exempts records that are tagged confidential or privileged.
Any interested party, such as an individual, business entity, or media, may request copies of a public record. The request may be made in writing to the specific record custodian, such being a person in custody and control of the record. As a general rule, the requestor may inspect the record at any reasonable time. If the records sought are unavailable, the record custodian must notify the requestor within seven working days.
There are three situations where a record would generally be exempt from public viewing. These are:
- Situations where inspection of the record would be contrary to state statutes
- Where the inspection would go against a federal regulation
- If a court ruling or court order prohibits the inspection of the record
What do Wyoming Traffic Records Contain?
A typical Wyoming traffic record contains basic identifying information on the record owner, like the person’s name, mailing address, height, sex, eye color, date of birth, etc. It also contains other information such as:
- A summary of the person’s license information, such as the license class and expiration date
- Information on present or past suspensions and revocations (if any)
- A summary of accidents the person has been involved in
- Violations that the motorist has committed, including the date of the violation, location, and date of conviction
- Points incurred for traffic violations in the state
Does a Citation Go on Your Record in Wyoming?
Generally, the type of traffic violation determines if it will appear on a person’s record or not. Most states use a point system that attaches demerit points on the driving record of an offending motorist. However, Wyoming does not use a point system for traffic violations in the state; it does not place digits next to a citation.
However, if a person commits a traffic violation, the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) will add the violation to the person’s driving record. Typically, the consequences of a violation will depend on the severity of the violation.
Minor violations like speeding, improper lane changes, and following too closely may accumulate on a person’s record for a while and negatively affect the person’s driving privileges. Major traffic violations like DUIs and accidents leading to death or serious injury may lead to jail time, or community service, depending on the severity of the offense.
It may also lead to a license suspension, revocation, cancellation, court penalties, defensive driving course requirements, etc. In Wyoming, getting four moving violations in twelve months leads to a 90-day license suspension by the Department of Transportation. An additional violation during those twelve months will incur an extra 90 days suspension.
The Department of Transportation also imposes fines on defaulting drivers, ranging between $200 to $500. Fines for speeding offenses depend on how many miles above the limit the motorist drove and start from $5.
Penalties for major offenses like evading a police officer and driving without insurance attract higher fines up to $750. Fleeing the scene of an accident may lead to automatic license revocation and even the arrest of the offending motorist. On the other hand, driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics will lead to an immediate license suspension.
Types of Traffic Citations in Wyoming
Law enforcement officers in Wyoming may issue traffic citations for various traffic offenses in the state. The most common type of traffic citation is the parking ticket or citation, which is usually attached to the vehicle of a motorist that commits a parking offense, like parking in the wrong place.
Another type is traffic infraction citations given for less serious traffic offenses like speeding and running a red light. Law enforcement officers may also issue misdemeanor traffic citations for serious traffic offenses like reckless driving and Driving Under the Influence.
Wyoming Traffic Citation Lookup
Interested persons may lookup Wyoming traffic citations by visiting the specific Circuit or Municipal Court that handled the traffic violation. The court will need the applicant to provide personal information like a full name, date of birth, and driver’s license number before releasing details on the citation.
Wyoming municipal courts handle traffic citations issued by city police officers, while Circuit Courts handle tickets issued by Wyoming Highway Patrol officers or officers from the sheriff’s department. If the searcher knows the officer that issued the ticket, it will go a long way in determining which court to begin the search.
The Wyoming online payment system is another way to find information on lost traffic citations. The portal provides certain parts of traffic ticket information if the searcher can provide a driver’s license number. Alternatively, the interested person may contact the Wyoming Highway Patrol directly and ask for a copy of the citation. The searcher will need to provide information on the ticket, like the ticket date and county, to make this search possible.
How to Lookup my Wyoming Traffic Records
The best way to look up traffic records in Wyoming is to request a Wyoming driving record. The record typically contains a person’s driving history, including traffic tickets and convictions. In Wyoming, there are three types of driving records, depending on the duration of the required information. These records are:
The 3-year Driving Record: This type of driving record shows a three-year history of a person’s moving violations, insurance violations, uninsured accidents, etc.
The 5-year Driving Record: This driving record contains a five-year history of a person’s DUIs, reckless driving, vehicular homicide, fleeing the scene of an accident, etc. It also includes felony charges for a driver’s way of driving and instances of transporting alcohol to minors.
The 10-year Driving Record: The ten-year record is typically issued where an employer or other third party requests a person’s driving record for the past ten years. The record holder must consent before the department can issue this type of record.
Interested persons may get Wyoming driving records in person or via mail. To request the record in person, the applicant must visit any driver examination station in the state with a means of identification, like an ID card or Wyoming driver's license. The clerk will then verify the information provided and make the applicant fill a Release of Driving Record and Personal Information form.
The form ensures that the driving record goes only to the applicant or third party authorized by the applicant to receive the information. Each request must include a $5 fee for each record, and the department accepts a check or money order made payable to the WYDOT.
Alternatively, the applicant may send a written request to the Wyoming Department of Transportation, Driver Services, 5300 Bishop Boulevard, Cheyenne, WY 82009-3340. It takes about seven to ten business days to process both in-person requests and applications sent by mail.
Currently, there is no provision for online requests for driving records in Wyoming. However, interested persons may obtain the necessary forms online, print and send them to the provided mail address; or take the form in-person to a driving examination office.
Wyoming Traffic Violations
Wyoming traffic violations are offenses committed by road users within state limits. Traffic violations can be either moving or non-moving violations. Moving violations occur while the vehicle is in motion, such as speeding or running a red light. Non-moving violations occur when the car is not in motion, such as parking illegally or having an expired registration.
Violations can result in points being added to the offender's driver's license, leading to increased insurance rates or even a suspension of their license. In some cases, the offender may be required to attend traffic school or pay a fine. However, more serious offenses can result in jail time.
Wyoming License Plate Lookup
License plate information and related data contained in Wyoming traffic records are helpful for identifying vehicles their owners and tracking down traffic offenders. To lookup Wyoming license plates, interested members of the public may utilize third-party services online or contact the Wyoming Department of Transportation. The Department of Transportation keeps a database of all license plates in Wyoming. The requesting party may be required to provide information to facilitate their request. In most cases, requestors will also be required to pay a nominal fee to cover the cost of research and duplication of the required information.
How to View Traffic Case Records for Free in Wyoming
To access traffic case records for free in Wyoming, interested persons may visit the court that presided over the matter. These courts keep copies of the case files for the public to access for free. There may be a requirement to pay small fees for copying or reproducing the record.
Some third-party sites also offer Wyoming traffic case information for free. However, these services are not very reliable, and there is no way to verify the accuracy of records obtained from these sites.
How Long do Traffic Offenses Remain on a Public Record in Wyoming
Even though Wyoming does not attach points to a driver’s license for traffic violations, the violations form part of the person’s public record. Public records are accessible to interested persons unless pulled down.
Section 9-2-410 of the Wyoming Statutes provides that public records belong to the state and must be preserved and stored, even if government officials and employees change.
As such, the Wyoming State Archives provides a record retention schedule for all public records in the state. The retention schedule mandates state agencies to maintain records related to traffic violations and citations for ten years before destroying them.
How to Remove Traffic Records from Public Websites in Wyoming
There is no formal procedure for removing traffic record information from the public domain. The Public Records Act allows anyone to access these records and information. So, it is legal for third-party websites to gather, store, and publish this information on the internet.
However, this kind of exposure can cause harm to the owner, like identity theft, privacy breach, etc. One way to delete these records from the internet is to manually access the third-party site and opt-out or modify personal information. This method will only work for a website that allows such modification to be done.
Another way is to get an attorney and petition the website to bring down the information. However, doing this is totally at the discretion of the site administrators, who are under no legal obligation to comply, as such publications have broken no laws.
Do Motoring Offenses Affect Criminal Records in Wyoming?
Definitely, motoring offenses will impact a person’s criminal record in Wyoming. Each offense is recorded on the person’s driving record, which is accessible on request for interested parties to view. It may make it difficult for the record holder to get a good job.
Employers typically run checks on prospective employees, and a criminal record lowers the chances of getting the job. If the job involves driving, such as truck driving, commercial driving, or delivery services, a traffic violation or a license restriction will make it difficult for the employee to deliver effectively.
For instance, commercial and truck drivers have a special license, and a restriction on that record often makes it impossible for the driver to pass certain state lines. This will slow down or halt work deliverables, and it is not favorable to any employer.
Traffic violations in Wyoming can also negatively impact a motorist’s vehicle insurance rates. Having multiple traffic violations on record can raise red flags for insurance companies, who often want to reduce the risk of covering drivers designated as high risk.
However, some insurance companies allow motorists to undertake driver improvement, defensive driving, or traffic school programs to reduce the high insurance rate. The course will typically cover safe driving behaviors and attitudes, Wyoming traffic laws and violations, how to prevent and avoid accidents, defensive driving techniques, etc.
