December 9, 2024 |
Photo – Bigfoot file photo
Saratoga officials will make it illegal to drive in town without a valid driver’s license.
Wyoming state law requires all individuals to have a valid driver’s license to legally drive on public roads. However, the town of Saratoga does not have a similar law on the books, meaning that local police officers are unable to cite violators under a municipal ordinance. As a result, the Saratoga Police Department must rely on state law, which limits their ability to handle such cases within the municipal court system.
During the December 3rd Saratoga town council meeting, Acting Police Chief Lieutenant John Moore informed the governing body that he is working on an ordinance amendment to make it illegal to operate a motor vehicle in town without a valid driver’s license. Lieutenant Moore noted that there has never been a similar law in the town’s 147-year history.
Saratoga’s new license requirement states that all persons who steer or exercise any degree of physical control of any motor vehicle in town must possess a driver’s license for the class and type of motor vehicle being operated.
State law requires that all persons must have their valid driver’s license with them when operating a motor vehicle and present it to any judicial officer, municipal court judge, or police officer upon request. However, a person charged with violating this ordinance will not be convicted if they produce a driver’s license, valid at the time of their arrest, in court.
A person convicted under the new municipal ordinance is considered guilty of a misdemeanor and may receive up to a $750 fine, be jailed for no more than 90 days, or both. If convicted again for the same crime, the person may be fined another $750, imprisoned for up to six months, or both.
The Saratoga town council voted to pass the ordinance on the first reading. Like all ordinance amendments, three readings during three separate public meetings are required before it can be adopted into law.
Once passed, the ordinance will allow violators to be tried in municipal court. The town can then use revenue generated from these citations to help fund public service and infrastructure projects.
