Benefits of a Wyoming LLC: What the 1977 Statute, Charging Order and $60 Tax Give You, and What They Do Not

October 29, 2026

Wyoming gets more attention for LLC benefits than almost any other state, and part of that reputation is earned. The state enacted the first LLC statute in the nation, the filing fee is $100, the recurring state charge is $60, and Wyoming levies no corporate income, personal income or franchise tax. The catch is that most of these advantages concern cost and structure. They do not shield you from every claim or every tax. This guide separates what the statute provides from what it does not, so you can judge whether a Wyoming LLC fits your business.

Informational content, not legal or tax advice. Nothing here replaces advice from a Wyoming-licensed attorney or a CPA, especially if your owners live in several states, you hold real estate, or you have significant assets. Figures are as verified on October 29, 2026. Confirm current amounts with the Wyoming Secretary of State before you file.

Skip the paperwork

Let a pro file your Wyoming business for you

Filing in Wyoming means state registration, an EIN, and a registered agent. These two services handle all of it, and here's our honest take on when to use each.

Top pick · Best value

Northwest Registered Agent

$39 + state fee

Keeps your home address private
Free registered agent for year one
Real US-based support, no upsell maze

Best for: most Wyoming founders who want privacy and value without the markup.

Form my Wyoming LLC →

BetterLegal

Fastest setup · premium

Business filed in about 2 business days
Bundles your EIN + operating agreement
One streamlined, hands-off checkout

Best for: founders who need it done fast with everything bundled.

Set up with BetterLegal →

Affiliate partners: we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Pricing is set by each provider and may change.

The 1977 Statute That Started It

Wyoming enacted the first LLC statute in the nation in 1977, according to the Secretary of State's publication Choice Is Yours. That head start matters less than what it produced: decades of settled filings, an online system called WyoBiz that handles initial formations and annual reports, and a set of optional entity types that few states offer. The LLC provisions sit in W.S. 17-29.

The Benefits, Item by Item

Formation cost. Articles of Organization carry a $100 filing fee. Online filings are active as soon as the filing is completed on WyoBiz. Paper filings are processed in the order received and take up to 15 business days.
Recurring cost. The annual report license tax is $60 minimum, or two-tenths of one mill ($.0002) of all assets located and employed in Wyoming, whichever is greater. An entity with $300,000 or less in Wyoming assets pays $60. An entity with $1,210,000 in Wyoming assets pays $242.
No state income or franchise tax. Wyoming levies no corporate income tax, no personal income tax and no franchise tax. The annual license tax is the only recurring state entity charge.
Minimal Articles content. The statute requires little in the Articles (W.S. 17-29-201(b)). Read the current form on the Secretary of State site rather than assuming what it asks for.
Charging order as the exclusive remedy. Explained in the next section.
Series LLC. W.S. 17-29-211 allows a series LLC at $10 per series.
DAO LLC. Wyoming DAO LLCs are governed by W.S. 17-31. Wyoming was the first state to recognize a DAO.
Close LLC and L3C options. The statute also provides for close LLCs and L3Cs.
Free online good-standing certificate. Useful when a bank or an agency in another state asks you to prove your LLC is current.

The Charging Order: Real, Narrow and Not Unique

Wyoming's best-known protection is the charging order. Under W.S. 17-29-503(g), a charging order is the exclusive remedy a creditor of a member can use to reach that member's interest in the LLC. The rule applies even when the LLC has only one member. In practice, a creditor of one owner generally cannot take the LLC's assets directly. The creditor is limited to a court order directing that distributions otherwise payable to the member be paid to the creditor.

Three points keep this in perspective. First, the rule is not unique to Wyoming. Delaware has an equivalent provision at 6 Del. C. 18-703(d), so the charging order alone is not a reason to choose Wyoming over Delaware. Second, the statute preserves the exemption laws (W.S. 17-29-503(f)), so state and federal exemptions still matter to what a creditor can reach. Third, protection depends on how you run the entity. Keep separate bank accounts, contracts and records. Mixing personal and business money is the fastest way to weaken the separation the LLC provides.

How a court in another state treats the Wyoming rules, particularly when you live there or the claim arises there, is a question for a lawyer licensed in that state.

Benefits Versus Limits

Benefit	What it gives you	What it does not do
Charging order (W.S. 17-29-503(g))	Limits a personal creditor of a member to a charging order, including for a single-member LLC	Not unique to Wyoming (Delaware has an equivalent rule). Exemption laws still apply (503(f)). Depends on separate records and operating discipline.
No state income or franchise tax	No Wyoming corporate, personal or franchise tax on the entity	Does not change where you are taxed. Other states may tax you or the business based on activity there.
$60 minimum annual license tax	The lowest recurring state charge, due every year	The asset-based amount counts only Wyoming-located assets, and the $60 minimum applies even when you have none.
Series LLC at $10 per series (W.S. 17-29-211)	Allows separate series within one LLC	Adds structural complexity. Confirm the setup with counsel before relying on it.
Free online good-standing certificate	Quick proof of status for banks and other agencies	Shows status at the time it is issued, not future compliance.
Working in another state	Nothing in this list	Does not change where you are taxed or must register when you work in another state (generally; check with the other state).
Ownership	Nothing in this list	Owners are visible to banks, the IRS and any foreign-state registration.

What a Wyoming LLC Does Not Give You

Relief from sales tax. The Wyoming state sales tax rate is 4%, with county option taxes and resort district taxes on top. There is no city sales tax. County rates change quarterly, so check the Department of Revenue rate chart for the current quarter before you quote a rate. Taxable items include meals and prepared food, lodging, admissions, telecom, utilities, alcohol, repair and alteration of personal property, and oil and gas well-site services. Intrastate freight is exempt, and most food for home consumption, including most baked goods, is exempt. Contractors pay tax on the materials they install.
A general state business license. Wyoming has no general statewide business license. Cities and towns may issue local business licenses, and counties issue none. The city clerk where you operate is the next stop. If you make taxable sales, you also need a sales and use tax license from the Department of Revenue, which carries a $60 non-refundable application fee.
A pass on trade licensing. Wyoming has no state contractor, plumber or HVAC license. The state licenses electrical trades, and contractors are licensed city by city.
Protection from every claim. The charging order and entity separation are not guarantees. Exemption laws, your own personal liability for your own acts, and the rules of other states can all limit what the LLC does for you.
A change to federal tax treatment. Federal tax treatment follows IRS classification rules, not the state where the LLC was formed. Ask a CPA how the classification applies to your ownership.

Two more sales tax rules matter for many businesses. Wyoming issues no resale certificate, so the buyer gives the seller a signed certificate instead. Out-of-state sellers face a remote seller threshold of $100,000 in sales, and the test uses sales alone.

Formation Steps and the Fees That Apply

Check the name. Search the WyoBiz filing search for availability and distinguishability before you file. The name must include “Limited Liability Company” or an accepted abbreviation such as LLC or L.L.C. (W.S. 17-29-108). Names beginning with the letter A must be filed on paper.
Reserve the name if needed. An LLC name reservation costs $60 and lasts 120 days. It is available only on paper, not online.
Appoint a registered agent. The agent needs a physical Wyoming street address, including any suite number. A drop box does not qualify, and a PO box is accepted only in addition to a physical address. Commercial registered agents pay a $50 annual registration.
File the Articles of Organization. The filing fee is $100. Expedited processing ($1,400 for same business day service received by 12:00 noon MT, or $700 for next business day service received by 5:00 p.m. MT) does not apply to initial formations that can be completed online.
Calendar the annual report. It is due the first day of the anniversary month of formation each year, and you may file it up to 120 days early. If it is not paid within 60 days of the due date, the entity is subject to administrative dissolution.

Official Resources

Wyoming Secretary of State: https://sos.wyo.gov/
WyoBiz business filing search: https://wyobiz.wyo.gov/Business/FilingSearch.aspx
WyoBiz registration instructions: https://wyobiz.wyo.gov/Business/RegistrationInstr.aspx
Department of Revenue, Excise Tax Division: https://excise-tax-div.wyo.gov/
Sales and use tax registration: https://excise-tax-div.wyo.gov/salesuselodging-tax/salesuselodging-registration
Wyoming SBDC Network: https://www.wyomingsbdc.org/

The Bottom Line

A Wyoming LLC is inexpensive to form, inexpensive to keep in good standing, and free of state income and franchise tax. Its protections are real but narrower than the marketing suggests, and they depend on how you operate. Before you file, confirm your sales tax obligations, local licenses and multistate filing duties, and have a Wyoming attorney and a CPA review the structure against your facts.