HB0026 • 2026

Vehicle registration fees-tribal governments.

AN ACT relating to motor vehicles; exempting motor vehicles owned by tribal governments from paying county and state registration fees; requiring the department of transportation to issue distinctive license plates for vehicles owned by tribal governments; and providing for an effective date.

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor: Representative Posey
Last action: 2026-03-05
Official status: enrolled
Effective date: 3/5/2026

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not specify which exact tribes are exempted, but it is clear that it applies to the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho tribes on the Wind River Indian Reservation.

Vehicle Registration Fees for Tribal Governments

This law exempts motor vehicles owned by tribal governments from paying state and county registration fees and requires distinctive license plates indicating public ownership.

What This Bill Does

Exempts motor vehicles owned by the tribal governments of the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho tribes on the Wind River Indian Reservation from paying state and county registration fees.
Requires the Wyoming Department of Transportation to issue distinctive license plates for these tribal government vehicles, indicating public ownership.

Who It Names or Affects

Motor vehicles owned by the tribal governments of the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho tribes on the Wind River Indian Reservation
The Wyoming Department of Transportation

Terms To Know

Tribal governments: Governments established by Native American tribes to manage their affairs.
Distinctive license plates: Special plates that show the vehicle belongs to a specific group, like a government or organization.

Limits and Unknowns

The law only applies to vehicles owned by the tribal governments of the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho tribes on the Wind River Indian Reservation.
It does not specify how many vehicles will be affected or what the financial impact might be.

Bill History

2026-03-05 LSO
Assigned Chapter Number 38
2026-03-05 Governor
Governor Signed HEA No. 0009
2026-03-02 Senate
S President Signed HEA No. 0009
2026-02-27 House
H Speaker Signed HEA No. 0009
2026-02-27 LSO
Assigned Number HEA No. 0009
2026-02-27 Senate
S 3rd Reading:Passed 29-2-0-0-0
2026-02-26 Senate
S 2nd Reading:Passed
2026-02-25 Senate
S COW:Passed
2026-02-24 Senate
S Placed on General File
2026-02-24 Senate
S08 - Transportation:Recommend Do Pass 4-0-1-0-0
2026-02-23 Senate
S Introduced and Referred to S08 - Transportation
2026-02-23 Senate
S Received for Introduction
2026-02-21 House
H 3rd Reading:Passed 61-0-1-0-0
2026-02-20 House
H 2nd Reading:Passed
2026-02-19 House
H COW:Passed
2026-02-12 House
H Placed on General File
2026-02-12 House
H08 - Transportation:Recommend Amend and Do Pass 8-0-1-0-0
2026-02-10 House
H Introduced and Referred to H08 - Transportation 62-0-0-0-0
2026-01-09 House
H Received for Introduction
2025-12-19 LSO
Bill Number Assigned

Official Summary Text

Bill Summary - 26LSO-0257

Bill No.:

HB0026

Effective:

Immediately

LSO No.:

26LSO-0257

Enrolled Act No.:

HEA No. 0009

Chapter No.:

38

Prime Sponsor:

Posey

Catch Title:

Vehicle registration fees-tribal governments.

Has Report:

No

Subject:

Motor vehicles owned by tribal governments and motor vehicle registration fees.

Summary/Major Elements:

This act exempts motor vehicles owned by the tribal governments of the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho tribes of the Wind River Indian Reservation from paying county and state motor vehicle registration fees.

This act requires the Wyoming Department of Transportation to issue distinctive license plates that indicate public ownership for motor vehicles owned by the tribal governments of the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho tribes of the Wind River Indian Reservation.

The above summary is not an official publication of the Wyoming Legislature and is not an official statement of legislative intent.

While the Legislative Service Office endeavored to provide accurate information in this summary, it should not be relied upon as a comprehensive abstract of the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

26LSO-0257

ORIGINAL House

Bill No
.
HB0026

ENROLLED ACT NO. 9,

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

SIXTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING
2026 Budget Session

AN ACT relating to motor vehicles; exempting motor vehicles owned by tribal governments from paying county and state registration fees; requiring the department of transportation to issue distinctive license plates for vehicles owned by tribal governments; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1
.

W.S. 31
‑
2
‑
207 and 31
‑
3
‑
101(g)(i) are amended to read:

31
‑
2
‑
207.

Publicly owned vehicles.

Upon application the department shall issue distinctive license plates indicating public ownership for vehicles owned by the United States, state of Wyoming, a county, city, town or political subdivision of Wyoming
, the tribal governments of the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho tribes of the Wind River Indian Reservation
or a joint powers board under W.S. 16
‑
1
‑
101 through 16
‑
1
‑
109. A distinctive license plate under this section may be issued to any public entity specified in this section, provided that the public entity or another public entity specified in this section owns the vehicle and the public entity applying for the distinctive license plate has the authority to possess and operate the vehicle in fulfillment of its public purpose. Upon presentation of proper credentials and identification of the applicant the department shall issue license plates not disclosing public ownership of a vehicle to investigative agencies of Wyoming and the criminal investigative agencies of the department of justice, department of defense and department of the treasury of the United States and the records of the department shall not disclose the public ownership of the vehicles.

31
‑
3
‑
101.

Registration fees; exemptions.

(g)

Owners of the following vehicles are exempt from the payment of fees provided by subsections (a) and (b) of this section:

(i)

Vehicles owned by
:

(A)

T
he United States, state of Wyoming, county, city, town or political subdivision of Wyoming or a joint powers board created under W.S. 16
‑
1
‑
101 through 16
‑
1
‑
109
;
, or

(B)

V
ehicles owned by an irrigation district created under W.S. 41
‑
7
‑
201 through 41
‑
7
‑
210
;
or

(C)

V
ehicles owned by a weed and pest control district created under W.S. 11
‑
5
‑
101 et seq. provided the vehicles are essential to the operation and maintenance of the district and are used for no business or commercial activity unrelated to the operation and maintenance of the district
;
, or

(D)

V
ehicles owned by a senior citizen center that is providing services to senior citizens under W.S. 18
‑
2
‑
105;

(E)

Vehicles owned by the tribal governments of the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho tribes of the Wind River Indian Reservation.

Section 2
.

This act is effective immediately upon completion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constitution.

(END)

Speaker of the House

President of the Senate

Governor

TIME APPROVED: _________

DATE APPROVED: _________

I hereby certify that this act originated in the House.

Chief Clerk

1