Dementia and Driving in Wyoming: WYDOT Medical Evaluation Process

Wyoming's Legal Framework for Unsafe Drivers

Wyoming Statute § 31-7-122 gives the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) the authority to require any licensed driver to undergo a re-examination when there's good cause to believe they're unsafe or medically unqualified to drive. That authority is the legal backbone for pulling a parent with dementia off the road — even when they refuse to stop driving voluntarily.

WYDOT's Driver Compliance division handles these cases. Referrals come from three sources: physicians, law enforcement officers, and concerned family members. Once WYDOT receives a referral and determines good cause exists, they send the driver a letter requiring them to submit a Driver Medical Evaluation (Form FSDI-915) completed by a licensed medical professional within a specified timeframe.

If the driver doesn't submit the completed form by the deadline, WYDOT cancels their license. If the physician's evaluation documents cognitive impairment that affects driving safety, WYDOT can impose restrictions or cancel the license based on the medical findings.

The evaluations are free through WYDOT. The family's only cost is the physician visit to complete the FSDI-915.

How to Report an Unsafe Driver With Dementia

You can submit a referral to WYDOT Driver Services by contacting Driver Compliance at (307) 777-4839 or mailing a written concern to 5300 Bishop Blvd, Cheyenne, WY 82009.

Your referral should include:

• The driver's full name and date of birth
• Their license number (if you have it)
• Specific incidents that demonstrate unsafe driving — running red lights, getting lost on familiar routes, drifting between lanes, confusion at intersections
• Whether they have a documented cognitive diagnosis

Family referrals are accepted. If your parent's doctor shares your concerns about driving safety, ask them to submit a parallel referral so WYDOT receives the medical concern directly.

Law enforcement can also initiate the process. If your parent has been involved in a traffic incident or pulled over for erratic driving, the responding officer can file a report directly with WYDOT that triggers the medical evaluation requirement.

The FSDI-915 Medical Evaluation

Once WYDOT sends the re-examination letter, your parent's physician completes Form FSDI-915. This is a clinical assessment — not a road test. The physician evaluates:

• Cognitive function (memory, judgment, orientation, processing speed)
• Vision and hearing
• Motor coordination and reaction time
• Current medications and their effects on alertness
• Any progressive neurological condition, including dementia staging

The physician can recommend unrestricted driving, restricted driving (daylight only, limited radius), or that the license be revoked. WYDOT makes the final determination based on the physician's findings.

The relevant question is whether cognitive impairment affects driving safety; the physician evaluation supplies medical findings for WYDOT's determination. Research consistently shows that moderate-to-severe cognitive impairment correlates with dramatically elevated accident risk.

When Your Parent Refuses to Stop Driving

This is the hardest part for most families. Your parent may not believe they're impaired. They may see losing their license as losing their independence — and in rural Wyoming, where the nearest grocery store can be 30 miles away, that fear is grounded in real logistics.

Strategies that work better than confrontation:

The physician conversation. Many people will accept a driving restriction from their doctor that they'd reject from a child. Ask your parent's physician to bring up driving safety at the next appointment and frame it as a medical recommendation, not a family decision.

The WYDOT letter. If your parent won't listen to you or their doctor, the formal WYDOT re-examination process removes you from the middle. WYDOT sends the letter. WYDOT requires the evaluation. The state makes the call. You're not the one taking the keys — the state is.

Practical alternatives. Before taking the keys, line up transportation. Wyoming's options are limited compared to urban states, but they exist:

• County senior centers coordinate transportation in many areas
• Wyoming 211 can connect you with local ride services
• The Community Choices Waiver (CCW) includes non-medical transportation for eligible participants
• Adult day programs often provide transportation to and from the facility
• Some churches and community organizations run volunteer driver programs in rural counties

The keys conversation. If you need to physically take the keys, do it with compassion and a backup plan. "Dad, the doctor says it's not safe anymore. I've set up rides to the senior center on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and I'll take you to the grocery store Saturday morning." Offering a structured alternative reduces the feeling of sudden, total isolation.

The Emotional Weight of This Decision

Taking a parent's driving privileges feels like taking their autonomy. In Wyoming — where driving isn't just convenient but often essential — the loss hits harder than in places with public transit.

But the statistics are unambiguous. Drivers with moderate dementia are involved in at-fault accidents at rates multiple times higher than cognitively intact drivers of the same age. A crash can injure or kill your parent, another driver, or a pedestrian. If you have questions about potential legal responsibility, consult a Wyoming attorney.

If you're coordinating your parent's care across driving safety, legal authority, Medicaid planning, and facility selection, the Wyoming Dementia & Memory Care Guide walks through the full sequence — from the WYDOT medical evaluation to power of attorney to long-term care financing — in the order these decisions actually arise.

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