Wyoming - WY Gun Laws

No state permit or license is required to buy a rifle, shotgun, or handgun in Wyoming. Every dealer purchase runs through the standard federal background check (NICS via Form 4473), with the usual federal age minimums — 18 for a long gun, 21 for a handgun. There's no state waiting period and no state-added purchase restrictions beyond what federal law already requires.

Wyoming does not require a background check for private firearm sales or transfers between Wyoming residents. Buying from a private party rather than a licensed dealer means no NICS check, no state permit, and no paperwork trail under state law. Federal law still applies — a private seller may not knowingly transfer to someone they believe is a prohibited possessor.

Wyoming follows the standard federal prohibited-persons categories: felony conviction, certain domestic violence convictions or active protective orders, unlawful drug users, individuals adjudicated mentally defective or committed to a mental institution, fugitives from justice, dishonorable military discharge, undocumented immigration status, and renunciation of U.S. citizenship. Wyoming does not layer significant additional state-specific categories on top of the federal list, and the state has no red-flag/extreme risk protective order law.

Legal without a permit for anyone 18 or older who can otherwise legally possess a firearm.

Permitless concealed carry is legal at 21 and older, no permit, background check at the point of carry, or training requirement needed. For 18 to 20 year olds, concealed carry still requires a permit, but HB 96 (effective July 1, 2026) made that permit easier to get by removing the old requirement for a sheriff's personal recommendation, so 18 to 20 year olds now apply through the same standard process as adults 21 and older. Wyoming's optional permit is also useful for residents 21 and older who want reciprocity when traveling to states that don't recognize Wyoming's permitless standard.

No permit or license is required to carry a firearm, loaded or unloaded, concealed or openly, in a vehicle in Wyoming — the state's permitless carry framework covers vehicle transport the same as carrying on foot. The main restrictions are the same sensitive-location rules that apply anywhere else (see Restricted Locations) and the standard prohibition on possession by someone legally disqualified.

Wyoming's restricted-location list is short: K-12 schools, courthouses, and federal buildings are the main categories carried into state and federal law. Beyond that, Wyoming leaves relatively little off-limits compared to most states, consistent with its overall permissive framework.

Wyoming does not set a comprehensive statewide minimum age for possessing a firearm beyond the federal purchase-age framework (18 for long guns, 21 for handguns through a dealer). Supervised possession and use by minors — for hunting, target shooting, or firearms safety instruction under adult supervision — is common practice and not separately restricted by a dedicated state age-floor statute.

None. Wyoming has no magazine capacity limit and no assault weapons ban, and state preemption law (W.S. § 6-8-401) blocks any city or county from creating one locally.

Wyoming is a stand-your-ground state — no duty to retreat before using deadly force in self-defense when lawfully present somewhere and not engaged in illegal activity, as long as you're not the initial aggressor. Castle Doctrine reinforces this specifically inside the home, removing any question of a duty to retreat there.

Wyoming has some of the most absolute state preemption in the country. Under W.S. § 6-8-401(c), the sale, transfer, purchase, delivery, taxation, manufacture, ownership, transportation, storage, use, and possession of firearms, weapons, and ammunition are all authorized, regulated, and prohibited exclusively by the state — cities, counties, and other local entities are barred from regulating the carrying or possession of weapons except where a state statute specifically allows it. Expect statewide consistency almost everywhere in Wyoming.

Wyoming Attorney General / Division of Criminal Investigation, firearms resources: wyomingdci.wyo.gov
Wyoming Statutes, Title 6, Chapter 8 (full text): wyoleg.gov
Your local Sheriff's Office: for optional concealed firearm permit applications
ATF: for federal NFA questions — Wyoming does not add state-level restrictions on suppressors beyond federal requirements, and specifically permits suppressor use while hunting big or trophy game (W.S. § 23-3-112)