If an RV trip has you crossing Teton Pass this fall, there is a new step to plan around. Wyoming is rolling out a mandatory self-certification program for large vehicles on one of its most demanding mountain routes.
Photo: Sabrina Eickhoff
What’s Actually Changing
The Wyoming Department of Transportation’s WY22 SAFE PASS program officially launches October 1, 2026. Once it’s active, Teton Pass (Wyoming State Highway 22, connecting Jackson to Idaho) will be off-limits to RVs, trailer-towing vehicles, and any vehicle with a gross weight rating over 10,000 pounds — unless the driver has completed the certification.
The process itself is straightforward: enter basic information on a website, review safety material covering steep grades, brake fade, and vehicle weight, and receive a certificate valid for one year. WYDOT is encouraging drivers to get certified before the October 1 launch rather than waiting.
Why Now
Teton Pass sits at a 10 percent grade — twice as steep as the average mountain pass — and this summer exposed exactly how dangerous that gets with a heavy vehicle. A July 7 crash killed two people when a dump truck lost its brakes and overran the highway’s vehicle arrestor. Weeks later, an RV lost its brakes on the same descent toward Wilson, and on August 17, an RV pulling a trailer crossed the centerline and struck both an oncoming vehicle and a rock wall, sending seven people to medical facilities and closing the pass for more than six hours.
New brake-check stations and warning signs are also being installed on the pass starting the week of September 21.
What Stays the Same
This certification is in addition to existing rules, not a replacement for them. The 60,000-pound weight limit remains in effect at all times, and the seasonal ban on any trailers between November 15 and April 1 still applies regardless of certification status.
The Bottom Line
If your fall or winter travel plans involve an RV, a trailer, or anything over 10,000 pounds crossing Teton Pass, get the WY22 SAFE PASS certification before October 1 rather than finding out at the pass that you need it. If you’re not certified once the program is live, you’ll need to take an alternate route instead.
Related
- The Best Cabins Near Grand Teton, Wyoming
- Why Wyoming Is Having a Camping Moment in 2026
- Yellowstone and Grand Teton’s Fall Shutdown Is Already Underway
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