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The Business Division of the Secretary of State registers the entity. Its business FAQ addresses licenses in a few short answers, and those answers are the base for this page.
Does Wyoming issue a general business license?
We found none. The FAQ question "Do I need specific license or business permit in Wyoming?" gets this answer: other than registration with the Secretary of State, a company may need a specific business license or permit based on its business purpose. For more, contact the City Clerk's Office in the city where you do business. So the answer to "do I need one" depends on your trade and your address.
Which offices handle which question?
The FAQ routes the most common questions:
- Sales and use tax license: the Department of Revenue.
- General contractor license: the local jurisdiction where the construction takes place.
- Electrical contractors: the Department of Fire Prevention and Electrical Safety.
- Contractor financial and bond rules: the Department of Revenue.
- Unemployment and employer questions: the Department of Workforce Services, Unemployment Tax Division.
We did not read those agencies' pages, so we quote no fees or forms from them.
What is the annual license tax?
It is a tax, not a business license. LLCs and profit corporations pay an annual license tax with the annual report. It is $60 or two-tenths of one mill ($0.0002) on all assets located and employed in Wyoming, whichever is greater. A company with $300,000 or less in Wyoming assets pays $60. Wyoming has no separate franchise tax.
The report is due on the first day of the month the company was formed or registered. The FAQ says there is no late fee as such, but a delinquent company is dissolved after 60 days. Our Wyoming LLC cost guide breaks down the filing fees.
What should you do before you open?
- Register the company with the Secretary of State and keep the annual report date in your calendar.
- Ask the Department of Revenue whether you need a sales and use tax license.
- Ask the City Clerk's Office in your city what your trade requires.
- If you build or do electrical work, ask the contractor offices listed above.
Write down who you asked and when. Each office speaks only for itself.
What about a trade name?
Registering a DBA name is not mandatory in Wyoming. The Secretary of State's fee schedule lists $100 for a trade name registration, $50 for renewal, $10 for cancellation and $30 for a trade name reservation. The section of our Wyoming guide on DBAs has the details. A trade name is a name record, not a license.
What if you are out of state?
A company doing business in Wyoming without authority from the Secretary of State can be liable for a $5,000 penalty, fees and license taxes, interest at 18% for the years involved, and reasonable audit expenses and attorney fees. If you formed elsewhere, register as a foreign entity first. Our foreign LLC registration guide explains that route.
Where do you check a license?
We did not read a Wyoming tool for checking a city or state license. Ask the office that issued it. To check the company itself, use WyoBiz as explained in our Wyoming guide. For methods, see the business license lookup guide and state tax ID lookup.
To compare neighbors, see Montana and Utah. This page does not cover city license fees, professional boards or the sales tax rates.