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Wyoming’s 2025 DUI Law Changes: What Drivers in Gillette Need to Know

By Steven Titus & Associates, P.C. on July 3, 2025

Driving under the influence (DUI) has always carried serious consequences in Wyoming. But starting in 2025, drivers in Gillette will face even stricter laws, expanded ignition interlock requirements, and more aggressive enforcement.

Whether you are a first-time offender or someone with prior convictions, understanding these changes in the law is crucial to protecting your license, your freedom, and your future.

Wyoming’s Updated DUI Statute

Effective January 1, 2025, the Wyoming Legislature approved sweeping changes to the state’s DUI statute (W.S. § 31-5-233). The reforms affect several critical areas:

• Increased minimum penalties for first and repeat offenses
• Expanded ignition interlock device requirements
• Enhanced tracking and punishment for high BAC arrests
• Mandatory jail time for multiple offenses within 10 years
• New police enforcement authority for roadside sobriety checkpoints

The updated statute places additional pressure on individuals with no prior criminal record who make a single mistake.

New DUI Penalties

First-Time Offenders

Under the Wyoming DUI penalties update, a first-time DUI is still a misdemeanor but now carries more significant mandatory consequences:

• Increased minimum jail time: 10 days (previously could be suspended)
• Higher fines: Up to $1,250 (previously $750)
• Ignition interlock: Mandatory installation for 6 months with BAC of 0.15% or higher
• Mandatory substance abuse screening

First-time offenders can still request probation or deferred sentencing, but those options now require full compliance with treatment programs and interlock use.

Second and Third DUI Offenses

The new law tightens the window for repeat offenses. A second DUI within 10 years now results in:

• 30 days minimum jail time
• License suspension: 1 year
• Ignition interlock: Required for 2 years regardless of BAC
• No eligibility for early reinstatement without interlock

A third offense now carries a minimum of 90 days in jail, with higher fines and a mandatory 3-year interlock period.

Further, under repeat DUI laws, all sentencing judges must now consider out-of-state convictions, including reckless driving pleas reduced from DUI charges.

Felony DUI: Fourth or Subsequent Offenses

A fourth DUI within 10 years remains a felony, but the legal reform increases the minimum sentence to:

• 2 years in prison
• Permanent license revocation reviewable after 5 years
• Mandatory participation in DUI court or inpatient treatment

Felony DUIs will now also be reported to federal background databases used in firearms checks and security clearances, making long-term consequences even more severe.

Ignition Interlock Changes

One of the biggest shifts in the 2025 DUI law is the expansion of ignition interlock changes for both first-time and repeat offenders.

What Is an Ignition Interlock Device?

An ignition interlock is a breathalyzer installed in your vehicle that prevents the engine from starting unless the driver provides a clean breath sample. In 2025, the law mandates the following:

• First offense with BAC ≥ 0.15%: Mandatory 6-month interlock
• Second offense: 2 years
• Third offense: 3 years
• Refusal to submit to testing: 1-year interlock required upon license reinstatement

Any interlock violation (e.g., failing a test or missed calibration) will now reset the installation period and trigger a probation violation review.

Enforcement Strategies Under the New Law

Police have been granted broader authority to detect and deter drunk driving, especially in known high-risk areas like Gillette, which sees increased traffic during rodeo weekends, holidays, and energy industry shift changes.

Key enforcement tactics include:

• Sobriety checkpoints: Authorized at state discretion and subject to random scheduling
• Expanded use of body cams to document DUI investigations
• Data-sharing between counties to flag high-risk drivers and previous arrests
• Mobile blood draw units available for on-the-spot chemical testing

Drivers should know that roadside testing refusals will now carry harsher administrative penalties, including automatic license suspension and mandatory ignition interlock, regardless of the outcome in court.

How These Changes Affect Drivers

Because Gillette sees higher rates of vehicle use and long-distance commuting than urban areas, the risk of DUI arrest increases with more law enforcement presence on highways and rural routes.

The Campbell County Sheriff’s Office and Gillette Police Department will have additional resources to set up checkpoints and carry out DUI saturation patrols.

If you are arrested, you will face immediate administrative consequences, including license suspension, before your case even reaches trial. These include:

• 10-day deadline to request a license hearing
• Automatic ignition interlock orders
• Mandatory substance evaluation within 30 days

What To Do If You Are Arrested for DUI

Being arrested under the new law does not mean you are automatically guilty. But the expanded penalties and enforcement tools mean you need legal representation immediately.

Here are critical steps to protect your rights:

1. Do not speak to police beyond providing ID and insurance
2. Refuse field sobriety tests politely
3. Request a lawyer immediately before answering questions or consenting to a blood test
4. Request a DMV hearing within 10 days to challenge license suspension
5. Do not drive until your driving privileges are restored

An Experienced DUI Trial Attorney Can Make a Big Difference

When facing DUI charges under the new law, you need more than just any attorney. You need a skilled trial attorney with deep local experience and a track record of challenging flawed DUI arrests.

At Steven Titus & Associates, P.C., we do not just file paperwork and hope for a plea deal. We dig into the arrest, the stop, the breath test procedure, and police conduct.

Our law firm knows what to look for and how to exploit errors in testing equipment, officer training, and procedural violations that can lead to dismissal or reduction of charges.

We also know Gillette law enforcement, the judges, and prosecutors in Campbell County—and we fight hard to give our clients the best outcome possible.

Whether you are a first-time offender or facing felony DUI charges, our aggressive and results-driven approach has helped hundreds of clients avoid jail and save their licenses.

Speak With a Trusted Gillette DUI Attorney Today

If you are facing DUI charges, you cannot afford to wait. Every moment counts. The clock is ticking on license hearings, court deadlines, and ignition interlock orders. Let us fight for your future, protect your record, and give you the defense you deserve.

Find out why our law firm is the go-to when your license is on the line. Call Steven Titus & Associates, P.C., today at (307) 257-7800 for a free consultation with our Gillette DUI defense lawyer.