Wyoming Constitutional (Permitless) Carry

The Headline

Wyoming has been a constitutional-carry state since July 1, 2011 (SF 117/2011). The original framework limited permitless concealed carry to Wyoming residents. Effective July 1, 2021 (HB 21/2021), the legislature expanded eligibility to any United States citizen, regardless of state of residency. A qualifying person 21 or older (18+ for active military) who can legally possess a firearm may carry a handgun concealed in Wyoming without a permit. Open carry has always been permissionless in Wyoming.

Operative statute

Wyo. Stat. Sec. 6-8-104(a)(iv) authorizes permitless concealed carry. The relevant language exempts from the concealed-carry prohibition:

"A person who is a United States citizen at least twenty-one (21) years of age who is otherwise legally allowed to possess a firearm."

The 2021 amendment changed "a resident of Wyoming" to "a United States citizen," which is the operative expansion. Active duty members of the United States Armed Forces 18 to 20 who are otherwise eligible are also exempt.

Eligibility checklist

To carry concealed without a permit in Wyoming, every box must be checked:

1. United States citizen. Lawful permanent residents (green-card holders) are not covered by the 2021 expansion. They may still open carry if otherwise eligible, or apply for the CFP.
2. At least 21 (or 18+ active military with credentials).
3. Not prohibited under federal law (18 U.S.C. 922(g)) - no felony conviction, no domestic-violence misdemeanor conviction, no qualifying protection order, no involuntary mental commitment, no unlawful drug use, no illegal-alien status, no dishonorable discharge, no renounced citizenship.
4. Not prohibited under Wyoming law - no Wyoming felony conviction without rights restoration under Wyo. Stat. Sec. 7-13-105; no qualifying domestic-violence misdemeanor.
5. Not in a place where carry is otherwise prohibited (see PROHIBITED_PLACES).

Open carry

Wyoming has no permitless-vs-permit distinction for open carry. Any person 18 or older who is legally eligible to possess a firearm may carry openly, in or out of a vehicle, on public streets, or on their own property. There is no statute requiring a permit for open carry, and there never has been. See OPEN_CARRY.

What permitless carry does NOT give you

• No reciprocity. Permitless carry is a Wyoming-internal status. The moment you cross into a state that requires a permit, your permitless status confers nothing. If you travel, get the Wyoming CFP (or another state's permit).
• No NICS exemption. Only a permit issued under a program ATF has approved as a NICS alternative qualifies for the 18 U.S.C. 922(t)(3) exemption. Permitless status does not.
• No exemption from federal Gun-Free School Zones. The federal 1,000-foot zone (18 U.S.C. 922(q)) exempts permit holders only.
• No exemption from federal facilities. 18 U.S.C. 930 still applies on federal property in Wyoming.
• No exemption from prohibited places under state law. Court order zones, penal institutions, posted private property, and the remaining state-law-defined zones still apply to permitless carriers.

Why people still get the CFP

Despite constitutional carry, Wyoming continues to issue the CFP because the CFP provides:

• Recognition in roughly 36+ reciprocating states.
• NICS-alternative status for handgun purchases (skip the federal background check at the dealer).
• Exemption from the federal Gun-Free School Zones Act (18 U.S.C. 922(q)(2)(B)(ii)).
• Easier identification during traffic stops.

See PERMIT_BASICS, APPLICATION_PROCESS, and FEES_COSTS for the optional CFP track.

Common pitfalls under permitless carry

• Green-card holders cannot rely on permitless carry. They were eligible for open carry but never for permitless concealed carry; the 2021 amendment did not change this.
• Non-Wyoming visitors aged 18 to 20 who are not active military cannot use permitless carry. A visiting 20-year-old with a valid out-of-state permit can carry under reciprocity; a 20-year-old without one cannot.
• Federal preemption still applies. The Lautenberg misdemeanor, qualifying protection orders, and the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act juvenile delinquency provisions all disqualify a person regardless of Wyoming permitless carry.
• Out-of-state convictions still count. A felony conviction in any state disqualifies you under both Wyoming and federal law.

Statute timeline

• 1994 - Wyoming CFP framework established.
• 2010 - HB 95 expanded permit options.
• 2011 - SF 117 enacted permitless concealed carry for Wyoming residents 21+, effective July 1, 2011.
• 2018 - HB 168 codified Stand Your Ground at Wyo. Stat. Sec. 6-2-602.
• 2021 - HB 21 expanded permitless concealed carry to all United States citizens 21+, effective July 1, 2021. This is the change that distinguishes Wyoming from most other constitutional-carry states: in many, only residents qualify.
• 2024 - HB 125 (Repeal Gun Free Zones Act) narrowed prohibited-places statutes effective July 1, 2024.

Where to read the primary text

• Wyoming Statutes online: wyoleg.gov - search Title 6, Chapter 8.
• Attorney General's CFP page: attorneygeneral.state.wy.us - includes the AG's interpretive guidance on permitless carry.
• Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation CFP portal: wyomingdci.wyo.gov.

Current as of May 2026.