Wyoming Vehicle Carry

The Headline

Wyoming permits loaded, accessible, concealed or open carry of handguns and long guns in private vehicles by any person 18 or older legally eligible to possess a firearm. No permit, no concealment requirement, no separation of firearm and ammunition, no specific storage. The statutory basis is Wyo. Stat. Sec. 6-8-104(a)(ii) (private-conveyance exemption from the concealed-carry prohibition) and Wyo. Stat. Sec. 6-8-104(a)(iv) (permitless concealed carry for citizens 21+).

Statutory basis

Wyo. Stat. Sec. 6-8-104(a) lists the exemptions from the concealed-carry prohibition. Two are central for vehicle carry:

• (a)(ii) - persons "in a private automobile or other private means of conveyance" are exempt from the concealed-carry prohibition. This exemption applies to any legally-eligible person 18 or older; it does not require citizenship and predates constitutional carry.
• (a)(iv) - permitless concealed carry for United States citizens 21+ otherwise legally eligible. This covers carriage on the person inside or outside the vehicle.

Combined, the two exemptions allow any 18+ legally eligible person to have a loaded firearm in a private vehicle in Wyoming.

What is lawful inside a private vehicle

• Loaded handgun on the person (holster, pocket, belt).
• Loaded handgun in the console.
• Loaded handgun in the glove compartment.
• Loaded handgun under the seat.
• Loaded handgun in a closed bag on the seat.
• Loaded handgun openly displayed on the seat or dashboard.
• Loaded long gun in a rack, case, or unsecured (subject to the Game and Fish exception below).
• A separate magazine, loose ammunition, ammunition box in any location.
• More than one firearm.
• Carry by passengers as well as the driver, if each passenger is independently legally eligible.

Lawful for whom

• United States citizens 21+ legally eligible - any vehicle carry, with the permitless-carry framework applying to carriage on the person outside the vehicle as well.
• Lawful permanent residents 18+ legally eligible - vehicle carry under (a)(ii). On-person concealed carry outside the vehicle requires a permit (Wyoming CFP or recognized out-of-state permit) because permitless carry is citizens-only.
• Visitors with any state's valid concealed-carry permit - any vehicle carry; on-person concealed carry recognized under reciprocity.
• Visiting United States citizens 21+ without a permit - any vehicle carry; permitless concealed on the person under (a)(iv).
• Active-duty military 18 to 20 - same as citizens 21+ under the active-duty extension.

Game and Fish hunting overlay

Wyo. Stat. Sec. 23-3-112 prohibits having a loaded rifle or shotgun in or on a motor vehicle for the purpose of taking wildlife during a hunting season. This rule:

• Applies to rifles and shotguns only, not handguns.
• Applies only during open hunting seasons for the species being pursued.
• Targets hunting from a vehicle, not personal defensive carry.

A handgun carried for personal protection during a hunting trip is not affected by this rule. A loaded rifle in a hunting truck during deer season is a problem if Game and Fish concludes the rifle is for taking the deer.

Children in the vehicle

Wyoming has no separate vehicle-storage statute for households with children. The federal definition of a "juvenile" handgun possession violation (18 U.S.C. 922(x)) applies; a person under 18 may not possess a handgun except in narrow circumstances (parental supervision, hunting, employment, ranch work). Adults can carry; children should not have unsupervised access to a loaded firearm.

Parking lots and posted property

Pulling into a parking lot of a prohibited location does not change the legality of a firearm inside the vehicle:

• Federal property parking lots - in some cases (e.g., Veterans Affairs lots, U.S. Postal Service lots under 39 C.F.R. 232.1) the lot is also federal property and 18 U.S.C. 930 applies. Verify the specific facility.
• K-12 school parking lots - federal 18 U.S.C. 922(q) treats the firearm as in the school zone, but the statute exempts a firearm in a locked container in a vehicle. Lock the firearm if entering a K-12 school parking lot.
• Posted private property - some posted businesses include the parking lot in the prohibition. Many do not, and a firearm in your locked vehicle in the lot is generally treated as not entering the building. Read the posting language; when ambiguous, leave the firearm in the vehicle (locked) while inside the building.

Traffic stops

Wyoming has no duty-to-inform statute. Best practice during a traffic stop:

• Keep hands on the wheel; do not reach for the firearm or anything else.
• If asked whether you have a firearm, answer truthfully and indicate its location.
• If carrying under the CFP, hand the permit card with your driver's license unprompted - the CFP is not statutorily required to be presented but doing so reduces officer concern.
• Do not exit the vehicle unless instructed.
• Comply with any lawful request to step out, secure the firearm, or other officer-safety direction.

See DUTY_TO_INFORM.

Loaded vs. unloaded distinction

Wyoming makes no distinction between loaded and unloaded for vehicle carry. A pistol in the console with a round in the chamber is no different statutorily from one unloaded in a case in the trunk. The only meaningful loaded-vs-unloaded rules are:

• Federal FOPA safe-passage requires the firearm to be unloaded if invoked.
• Hunting overlay (above) targets loaded long guns during open seasons.

Common scenarios

• Routine commute with a holstered handgun: lawful for any citizen 21+ legally eligible; lawful for a 19-year-old active military member; lawful under permitless carry. A non-citizen passenger 18+ may also carry concealed in the vehicle under (a)(ii).
• Cross-country drive with multiple firearms and ammunition: lawful. Pack firearms unloaded in cases for ease of compliance with destination states; document your itinerary; consider FOPA if any leg crosses a strict jurisdiction.
• Picking up a child from school: lawful to drive to the lot with a handgun; entering the school grounds while carrying triggers federal 18 U.S.C. 922(q) - lock the firearm in the vehicle if you must enter or rely on the CFP (with district permission per HB 125 and district policy).
• Hunting trip with a rifle in the truck: during the season, the rifle must be unloaded in the vehicle. A handgun for defensive carry remains lawful.
• Parking at a federal courthouse: the parking lot may itself be federal property. Leave the firearm at home or in a non-federal lot off-site.

Penalties

• Concealed carry by ineligible person - Wyo. Stat. Sec. 6-8-104, misdemeanor first offense (up to 6 months and a fine up to $750), felony second.
• Federal felon-in-possession (18 U.S.C. 922(g)) - up to 15 years; up to 25 years under ACCA.
• Federal Gun-Free School Zone (18 U.S.C. 922(q)) - up to 5 years.
• Game and Fish loaded-long-gun violation - misdemeanor under Title 23, license forfeiture risk.

Current as of May 2026.