Since Sunday, Nov. 15, two different rules decide which vehicles can climb WY-22 out of Wilson. One is new this year. The Wyoming Department of Transportation's WY22 SAFE PASS self-certification became mandatory on Oct. 1, 2026. It applies to drivers of RVs, drivers towing trailers, and vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating or combined rating over 10,000 pounds. The other is the yearly winter restriction. The Wyoming Highway Patrol says that from November 15 through April 1, no trailers of any kind are allowed on the pass.
The second rule changes what the first one does. Trailers made up a large share of what Safe Pass covered in October, and the trailer ban takes them off the pass for the winter whether or not the driver is certified. Through April 1, 2027, the certificate mostly matters for RVs and heavy single vehicles. Those are the vehicles that come down the steepest part of the highway into Wilson, and that part of the highway now gets daily sheriff's patrols.
Which rule covers which vehicle this winter
Both rules sit on top of a third rule that never changes with the season. The Highway Patrol lists a 60,000-pound maximum weight that is "in effect at all times" on WY-22 between Wilson and the Idaho state line. WYDOT's launch announcement says the new program does not replace any of that, and "all other current legal restrictions will still apply," including seasonal closures.
| Rule | Applies to | When | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| WY22 SAFE PASS certification | RVs, vehicles towing trailers, vehicles rated or weighing more than 10,000 lbs | Year-round since Oct. 1, 2026; each certificate lasts one year | WYDOT release |
| Seasonal trailer ban | Trailers of any kind | Nov. 15, 2026 through April 1, 2027 | Wyoming Highway Patrol |
| Weight limit | Anything over 60,000 lbs | At all times, Wilson to the state line | Wyoming Highway Patrol |
WYDOT's release is clear about a vehicle that falls into a Safe Pass category without a certificate: "you are not permitted to drive the pass and must take an alternative route." The Highway Patrol names the most common alternate between Jackson and Driggs. It goes south through Hoback Junction toward Alpine, then west into Idaho's Swan Valley. The release also says drivers who don't comply can be cited under W.S. 24-1-109, Wyoming's law on ignoring official closure or restriction signs. The Jackson Hole News&Guide reported that officers would not pull drivers over just to check for a certificate, but could check it after stopping a vehicle for another reason, such as speeding.
Why the program is aimed at the descent into Wilson
The highway gains about 2,400 feet from its base near Wilson before it drops toward the Idaho line. WYDOT describes WY-22's 10 percent grades as twice as steep as the average mountain pass. WyoFile reported that WYDOT presented Safe Pass as a quick response to a summer of brake failures and other crashes on the 10 percent descent near Wilson. The worst was July 7, when a dump truck loaded with asphalt overheated its brakes and lost its ability to stop. According to the News&Guide, that runaway truck killed two people on Highway 22 just west of Wilson. WyoFile also reported two more incidents on the same descent later in the summer, an RV that lost its brakes and a motor home whose brakes overheated.
The response was organized in Wilson. The News&Guide reported that nearly 200 people filled the Old Wilson Schoolhouse on Aug. 3 to call for immediate changes. They proposed dedicated patrols, portable truck scales, more brake-check areas, better warning signs and closer coordination between Wyoming and Idaho. Those requests matched the federal Teton Pass Corridor Study, completed in January 2024, which found major safety, access and capacity problems on the two-lane road.
Safe Pass is meant to teach drivers before they climb. Applicants go through WYDOT's materials on steep grades, braking, weight and load limits, and current legal restrictions before they receive a certification letter. Teton Valley News reported that WYDOT's sign plan included "Must Stop Brake Check" signs at the summit and "No Parking" signs at the gravel escape ramp and the vehicle-arrestor system. The plan also called for reinforcing about 50 signs between the state line and Wilson so they address all vehicles and not only truckers.
The first month, measured against the traffic
Certification counts grew quickly once the program started:
- Sept. 21: WYDOT opened online certification ahead of the deadline.
- Oct. 2: Buckrail reported more than 1,840 drivers certified.
- Oct. 27: KHOL reported more than 3,000 certifications since the Oct. 1 launch, citing the state.
Compare those numbers with the road itself. In the same KHOL story, WYDOT Director Darin Westby put daily traffic on the pass at about 8,000 vehicles. Four weeks of certifications add up to fewer than half of one day's traffic. Most of the cars on WY-22 at 7 a.m. never needed a certificate, and the program was not written for them.
WYDOT still asks everyone to take it. District 3 Engineer Peter Stinchcomb said in the launch release:
"Although the pre-certification is mandatory for certain users, we recommend all drivers complete the self-certification process. It's a great opportunity to learn more about safe mountain pass driving and the inherent dangers on Teton Pass."
October's first storm showed why that advice applies to everyday cars too. KHOL reported that on Tuesday, Oct. 27, the pass closed in both directions for about an hour because of winter conditions and several crashes westbound from Wilson. Teton County Sheriff Matt Carr said cars were sliding off the road in soft snow and that no major collisions had been reported. The Highway Patrol's guidance for the pass includes using lower gears on steep downgrades and being prepared for tire-chain requirements on all vehicles in some conditions.
A deputy assigned to the Wilson-to-state-line stretch
Patrols changed this fall too. The News&Guide reported that Teton County commissioners unanimously approved $140,000 for two equipped patrol vehicles, at $70,000 each. That lets Sheriff Carr move existing staff into dedicated Teton Pass patrols seven days a week. The deputies cover Highway 22 between Wilson and the Idaho line, separate from the usual countywide call rotation. Before this, deputies already patrolled the pass, especially at commuter hours, but they had to leave for other calls. On a well-staffed day, four deputies cover the whole county.
The same report explains why the county stepped in on a state highway. A staff report says most Wyoming Highway Patrol troopers assigned to the local division live in Pinedale. Sheriff's Lt. Mark Priest said deputies would start with education, explaining the regulatory signs and helping drivers get certified. He said the patrols would also address unsafe driving and the seasonal restrictions that begin Nov. 15. In KHOL's September coverage, Carr called the program preventive rather than punitive. County Commissioner Len Carlman, speaking at the funding vote, summed up the fall: "lots of incremental steps are coming together pretty quickly."
The bottom of the grade, set for winter
The pass's steepest descent ends at downtown Wilson, where the highway project is stopping for the winter. Buckrail reported on Nov. 6 that, according to a Teton BUILD Grant release, fall work was scheduled to wrap up within two to three weeks, weather permitting, with remaining concrete and paving expected the following week. No construction is planned for the winter. During the pause, the plan is:
- WY-22 travel lanes repaved to full width and striped, with paved or concrete surfaces on the highway and access driveways.
- Traffic cones and barricades removed, with about the same number of lanes as before construction.
- Any north-side pathway that isn't paved left as graded gravel.
- Work resuming in April 2027, as weather allows, with the extended three-lane section finished next summer before crews move to the south side.
During the work season this past summer and fall, crews finished the stormwater and underground utility work, the retaining wall north of Edmiston Springs, nearly all of the curb and gutter, and the concrete driveway approaches on the north side. For the next four and a half months, a heavy truck finishing the descent from the summit reaches a cleared, striped highway through Wilson. Trailers won't be coming down the pass again until April 1.
This post is general information about published highway rules. It is not legal advice. Whether a particular truck, RV or trailer needs certification is a question for WYDOT's Safe Pass site and the Wyoming Highway Patrol.
If you own in Wilson, the pass shapes your winter in practical ways, from when a contractor's heavy truck can get up the road to when a horse trailer can cross to Teton Valley again. Jake Kilgrow follows those details closely for owners on the west bank. If you'd like to talk through how the corridor affects a property you own or are considering, Work with Jake.
