Third-party driver tests proposed for licensing

Summary#

SF-95, Driver’s and motor vehicle services—third party providers, creates a new section of Wyoming law and amends existing motor-vehicle provisions. It allows the department to use third-party providers for certain driver’s license and motor vehicle services; its stated goal is to establish a partner program. The law took effect July 1, 2026.

• The department may make agreements with third-party providers to give written, driving and skills tests for driver’s licenses and to provide motor vehicle services.
• The department may set up a motor vehicle division partner program. If it does, rules must define which services providers may perform under it.
• The department must make rules on provider qualifications and certification, training, background checks, bonding, legal compliance, monitoring and audits, agreement terms, fees and compensation, and suspension or revocation for noncompliance.
• The law says providers acting under it are not governmental entities. It also adds providers to the list of people or organizations the department may authorize to give a driver’s skills test.

What it means for you#

• Drivers and vehicle owners: Third-party providers may offer some tests or motor vehicle services, but the law does not require the department to establish the partner program or require you to use a provider.
• Third-party providers: You may provide services only under the department’s authority and subject to rules and any agreement. The rules must include requirements such as training, background checks and bonding.
• The department: It must make rules and establish procedures for monitoring and auditing providers, and for suspending or revoking their services if they do not comply.
• The public: The law does not itself create a right to a test or service from a third party, or set the services available at each location.

Money#

The law requires rules on fees and provider compensation, but the available material gives no cost estimate.

• The statute does not set fee amounts or say who would pay them.
• The department must make rules and set up monitoring and auditing procedures. Their cost is not stated.
• The text does not appropriate a specific amount of money.

What is unclear#

• “Motor vehicle services” is not defined in the supplied text, and the law leaves the program’s service list to rules.
• The law does not set provider fees or compensation, or explain how those amounts will be set.
• The bill does not set out how customers would access services, raise complaints, or appeal a provider-related decision.
• The supplied material does not include the full prior wording of the amended statutes, so the full change to existing law could not be verified.
• The text requires rules but the supplied material does not say what rules have been made.

Case for#

• A possible argument for the law is that the department can add providers for tests and services without being required to establish a program in every case.
• Rules on qualifications, training, background checks, bonding, audits and legal compliance could provide safeguards while allowing providers to take on some work.
• The department can suspend or revoke provider services for rule or agreement violations.

Case against#

• The law leaves important details—including the services providers may offer and the fees and compensation— to rules rather than setting them in the statute.
• The department must create monitoring and auditing procedures, but the law does not set out how often checks must happen or how results will be reported.
• Providers are not governmental entities, but the text does not explain how responsibility for errors or disputes would be divided between a provider and the department.