Wyoming state statutes are the permanent laws passed by the Wyoming Legislature, published for free at wyoleg.gov in both a plain text edition and a quarterly-updated annotated edition hosted through LexisNexis.1Wyoming Legislature. State Statutes and Constitution Each law has a three-part number (Title-Chapter-Section) and is cited as “W.S.” in Wyoming practice or “Wyo. Stat. Ann.” under Bluebook rules.
Where to Find Wyoming Statutes Online
Start at wyoleg.gov. The Wyoming Legislature’s site offers two free versions of the code side by side: a text-only edition of the statutes, Constitution, and non-codified water laws, and an annotated edition published through a contract with LexisNexis that is updated quarterly.1Wyoming Legislature. State Statutes and Constitution
The text-only version loads quickly and gives you the current statutory language without extras. The annotated version adds historical notes and summaries of court decisions interpreting each section, which helps when you need to know not just what the law says but how judges have read it.
On the LexisNexis portal you can browse the table of contents by clicking through Titles, Chapters, and Sections, or run a keyword search. The search bar supports Boolean operators for exact phrases or combined terms. Before you rely on anything you read, check the “Current through” date on the landing page. That date tells you the most recent legislative session reflected in the text, which matters whenever a statute has been amended recently.
Paid Databases
Attorneys often use Westlaw or the full LexisNexis platform for deeper statutory research. Both include annotated statutes, editorial case summaries linked to code sections, and citator tools (KeyCite on Westlaw, Shepard’s on LexisNexis) that verify whether a statute remains good law. For most people looking up a Wyoming statute, the free version on wyoleg.gov is enough.
How to Read a Wyoming Statute Number
Wyoming statute citations are three numbers separated by hyphens. The first number is the Title, the second is the Chapter, and the third is the Section. A reference to 1-1-101 points to Title 1, Chapter 1, Section 101.2Justia Law. Wyoming Code 1-1-101 – Provisions to Be Liberally Construed That numerical address is unique to every individual provision.
Titles are the broadest grouping and cover major areas of law. Title 6 is crimes and offenses; Title 31 is motor vehicles.3Wyoming Legislature. Wyoming Code Title 6 – Crimes and Offenses4Wyoming Legislature. Wyoming Code Title 31 – Motor Vehicles Numbering runs from Title 1 (Code of Civil Procedure) through Title 42 (Welfare), with an extra Title 34.1 for the Uniform Commercial Code sitting between the standard Title 34 and Title 35.5Justia Law. 2022 Wyoming Statutes Chapters subdivide each Title, and Sections sit inside Chapters as the smallest unit of the code, containing the actual rule.
Once you know the three-part number, you can type it into the search bar on wyoleg.gov or click through the table of contents to land on the exact provision.
How to Cite a Wyoming Statute
Inside Wyoming, the standard shorthand is “W.S.” followed by the section number. Wyoming’s own rules of construction define “W.S.” as the Wyoming Statutes in their most recently published form, including amendments.6Wyoming Legislature. Wyoming Code Title 8 – General Provisions 8-1-103
For formal legal writing governed by the Bluebook, the preferred form is “Wyo. Stat. Ann.” followed by the section number and the year of the volume. The Bluebook’s Table 1 lists the preferred statutory code and abbreviations for each state.
In court filings and legal memoranda, use the most current annotated version. The annotations show when a section was last amended or repealed, which protects you from quoting language that no longer applies.
Session Laws Are Not the Same as the Code
Session laws are the bills as the legislature enacted them, published in chronological order by session. The compiled code (the Wyoming Statutes) takes those same laws and files them by topic. If you want the current rule on a subject, use the code. If you need the exact text of a bill as originally passed, including any preamble or temporary provisions, pull the session law.
The difference matters because a single bill often amends sections scattered across multiple Titles. The session law shows the bill as one document; the compiled code breaks the changes apart and slots each one into its proper topical home. Wyoming enrolled acts are published in the Wyoming Session Laws, available through the Legislative Service Office. For day-to-day questions about rights, obligations, or compliance, the compiled code is what you want.
Statutes vs. Administrative Rules
Statutes are not the only source of binding law in Wyoming. State agencies issue administrative rules that fill in the procedural and technical details statutes leave open: application forms, deadlines, licensing standards, and the like. Those rules carry the force of law, but they cannot exceed, conflict with, or modify the statute that authorizes them. If a court finds an agency rule goes beyond the authority the legislature delegated, the court will void it.7Wyoming Legislature. Administrative Rule Review Handbook
Rules are adopted under the Wyoming Administrative Procedure Act, which requires at least 45 days’ notice of a proposed rule and at least 45 days for public comment. The Governor must approve and sign every rule, and once adopted, rules are filed with the Secretary of State, who publishes them in the administrative code.7Wyoming Legislature. Administrative Rule Review Handbook
Think of statutes as the “what” and administrative rules as the “how.” If a statute requires a permit, agency rules spell out the application process. When you research a regulated activity, check both.
How a Bill Becomes a Wyoming Statute
A proposed law starts as a bill introduced in either the House or the Senate. It passes through committees, which often hold public hearings, before coming up for a floor vote. A bill that clears its chamber of origin goes to the second chamber for the same process, and any differences get reconciled before the final version reaches the Governor.
The Governor can sign the bill, let it become law without a signature, or veto it. A veto can be overridden by a two-thirds vote of the elected members in both chambers.8Wyoming Legislative Service Office. Wyoming State Legislative Process Unless the bill contains an emergency clause or specifies a different date, Wyoming legislation commonly takes effect on July 1 of the year it passes. That delay is why the “Current through” date on the online code matters: a statute amended in a spring session usually will not change on the site until it takes effect, so always confirm you are reading the version in force on the date you need.