WY statute on interstate highway parking

CdnHunter · Jan 31, 2019

I have seen plenty of opinion and discussion regarding parking along the interstate. I asked WY Highway Patrol for the actual law. Below is their response. As we all know, law officers have some latitude when interpreting and enforcing any law. I hope this helps your decision making this season.

The Wyoming state statute prohibiting parking along the interstate is 31-5-504 (a)(i)(J):
(a) Except when necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic or in compliance with law or the directions of a police officer or traffic-control device, no person shall: (i) Stop, stand or park a vehicle: (J) On any controlled-access highway; https://wyoleg.gov/statutes/compress/title31.pdf

The fine is $235.

Wyoming Highway Patrol
Safety and Training Division
January 2019

mhungerford · Jan 31, 2019

We do it often. I just pull all the way over to the fence and have never had a problem. So much land is accessible from the interstate and I take advantage of it.

shootbrownelk · Jan 31, 2019

mhungerford said:
We do it often. I just pull all the way over to the fence and have never had a problem. So much land is accessible from the interstate and I take advantage of it.

After reading the OP and the current law, if you do park off the interstate you do so at your own peril. I guess you can just hope that a Co. Sheriff deputy or a Highway patrolman isn't having a bad day and decides to ticket your vehicle. $230.00 is a pretty steep access fee to hunt public land. The law is the law.

Topgun 30-06 · Jan 31, 2019

I've commented numerous times regarding this law and all I get is that we do it because it's not enforced. FYI that law doesn't allow you to park anywhere inside the fences because that's all considered "right-of way" even if you think it's safe and have never had a problem. I have two resident friends that live up in northern Wyoming that did it and troopers warned them verbally not to do it again or risk a citation. More and more "Emergency Parking Only" signs seem to be up on I-25 and I-90 each year when I go out there. I hope this thread doesn't go to heck in a hand basket, but it probably will based on past ones with guys who don't care what the law says!

Brittany Chukarman · Jan 31, 2019

Sometimes the best way to ruin a good thing is to keep talking about it.

Topgun 30-06 · Jan 31, 2019

Brittany Chukarman said:
Sometimes the best way to ruin a good thing is to keep talking about it.

How in the world can you make that comment about intentionally violating a law that's on the books just because it might be a good thing for you to do it?!

LCH · Jan 31, 2019

Yup.. A truck here and there, I can see the troopers letting it slide. 20 Rigs parked at a single section access point, maybe a different story.

OhHeyThereBen · Jan 31, 2019

We parked along the interstate with no issues. It was actually advised that we do it by the region's head biologist... so that's the only reason we did. I think if you pull off far enough and park like you're just there accessing the public land nobody will ticket you. There was actually a fairly well used access gate there, so I know we weren't the only ones.

But yeah, always at your own risk.

BuzzH · Jan 31, 2019

I just hope I can complete the Wyoming interstate pronghorn tri-fecta this year. If point creep doesn't happen and there's a few more tags in the leftover drawing, I'll probably have number 1 on the WIPT club.

I should copyright and found the WIPT club...

WildWill · Jan 31, 2019

BuzzH said:
I just hope I can complete the Wyoming interstate pronghorn tri-fecta this year. If point creep doesn't happen and there's a few more tags in the leftover drawing, I'll probably have number 1 on the WIPT club.

I should copyright and found the WIPT club...

You could make plaques and hand them out at the annual WIPT banquet. I've got my I-25 one down just 2 more to go.

BuzzH · Jan 31, 2019

WildWill said:
You could make plaques and hand them out at the annual WIPT banquet. I've got my I-25 one down just 2 more to go.

I have 2 legs of the slam....need I-90.

Would you consider I-90 the desert sheep of the WIPT club, I-25 the Dall Sheep of the WIPT, and I-80 the Rocky Mountain Bighorn of the WIPT Club?

We need some way to rank the difficulty of each...

Doublecluck · Jan 31, 2019

Someone has always gotta mess up someone else’s good time. This is Wyoming we are talking about, vast expanses of nothingness, plenty of prarie on both sides of the highway.. As long as my freedom is not screwing with your freedom why you gotta screw with my freedom. I suppose some people just want to be governed.. like cattle in a pen.

bobbydean · Jan 31, 2019

Kinda heading like the last thread on this topic. It is entertaining.

Thanks all.

Washington Hunter · Jan 31, 2019

I guess the biggest thing that might concern me is the person who owns land adjacent to the public land, and has the only legal access, other than the interstate. I could see that person complaining to the authorities over the fact that someone is accessing what he considers his land, even though it's public. Maybe it's even part of an outfitter's lease.

CdnHunter · Jan 31, 2019

Some people are here to share information. Some people (buzzh) just want to make the same tired joke over and over. Each to his own I guess.

Bambistew · Jan 31, 2019

WildWill said:
You could make plaques and hand them out at the annual WIPT banquet. I've got my I-25 one down just 2 more to go.

Plaques? I would petition the state to get license plates made. Seems like every group has their own plate these days, if anyone deserves it it would be the WIPT crowd.

OhHeyThereBen · Jan 31, 2019

I have to say guys, we still had to hike in three miles in order to find any antelope. This was the only access point. Just because you're accessing off of a certain type of road doesn't mean it's any easier. If you drive on 10 miles of 4WD trails and still shoot one from the road, I'd say that there's really no difference than someone accessing off of the interstate.

Topgun 30-06 · Jan 31, 2019

CdnHunter said:
Some people are here to share information. Some people (buzzh) just want to make the same tired joke over and over. Each to his own I guess.

Yep, it would be ironic if any of them that are violating the law get a ticket in the future, but I'm sure that would never be mentioned anywhere, especially by our top instigator/violator!
It's very depressing to me to see that people are on the net stating openly that they violate the law, especially in a joking manner, regardless of whether it's enforced strictly or seldom. To top it off, the worst is the one you mentioned who is highly thought of on several big hunting websites like this one and is a top dog in WYBHA. Even though he's not speaking for them it tends to make a person wonder what other BS is spoken in other places that members or nonmembers of that organization don't hear about.

Topgun 30-06 · Jan 31, 2019

OhHeyThereBen said:
I have to say guys, we still had to hike in three miles in order to find any antelope. This was the only access point. Just because you're accessing off of a certain type of road doesn't mean it's any easier. If you drive on 10 miles of 4WD trails and still shoot one from the road, I'd say that there's really no difference than someone accessing off of the interstate.

Baloney! One way is legal and the other isn't under the Wyoming Statute and what you did WAS NOT a legal access point, so distances traveled have no bearing on this matter and to think there's no difference in them is preposterous!

Dinkshooter · Jan 31, 2019

How big of a stick is imbed.....................................

ah never mind

WY statute on interstate highway parking

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