CHEYENNE, Wyo. — On Friday, Feb. 28, Governor Mark Gordon allowed House Bill 116 “Driver’s licenses-unauthorized alien restrictions,” to go into law without his signature, and signed SF0033 – “Noncitizen driver’s license and ID card-revisions.” Both new laws place greater restrictions on undocumented immigrants’ driver’s licenses.
Senate File 33 requires that a license will state “Not U.S. citizen” if it was issued to a person who is not a U.S. citizen but has lawful status as defined by title 6, section 37.3 of the Code of Federal Regulations. The bill includes a reference Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color or national origin.
The new statute will apply to licenses and identification cards issued on and after Jan. 1, 2026.
House Bill 116 specifies that driver’s licenses and driving operating privilege cards issued by other jurisdictions to undocumented immigrants are invalid in Wyoming. The law will become effective July 1.
Gordon wrote in a letter to Speaker of the House Chip Neiman that he “carefully considered the impacts of this legislation” on Wyoming’s resident drivers and those traveling through the state for business or tourism.
“Roadway safety and the ability for Wyoming’s law enforcement agencies to function effectively are my focuses,” Gordon wrote.
In the letter, Gordon stressed that HB0116 could “impact Wyoming’s ability to work with other states.” According to Gordon, the bill could jeopardize Wyoming’s standing through the Non-Resident Violators Compact of 1977 (NRVC). Wyoming is a member of NRVC along with 43 other states and Washington D.C. The NRVC is a law that ensures non-residents are treated the same as residents when they receive a traffic citation in Wyoming, according to the National Center for Interstate Compacts.
“The compact is a reciprocity agreement, which enables Wyoming and other compact states to enforce violations in the driver’s home jurisdiction on the driver’s record,” Gordon wrote. “I am hopeful this legislation will not risk our membership due to invalidating another state’s credentials.”
Gordon emphasized that he allowed the bill to go into law without his signature to inform the legislature that “law enforcement officers should assist in illegal presence operations but not take lead in determining one’s status through credentials both issued dictated by other states’ laws.”
Gordon stressed that additional lawmaking is necessary to ensure that Wyoming’s NRVC remains intact, and that states should work together to verify a driver’s identity.
