Rock Springs Business License: $75 Occupation Tax Each Calendar Year, Mobile Vendor Permit $25 a Month, Contractor $125 and Six Bar and Grill Licenses Open

October 29, 2026

If you plan to open or run a business in Rock Springs, the rock springs wy business license question starts with one fact: Wyoming has no general state business license. Your entity registers with the Wyoming Secretary of State, and the local paperwork comes from the City of Rock Springs. The core city item is the occupation tax, $75 for each calendar year. Depending on your activity, you may also need a mobile vendor permit, a contractor registration, a liquor license, or a food permit.

Rock Springs has about 22,900 residents, and Sweetwater County has 41,267 (Census 2025). This guide follows the order most owners use. The figures were checked against official sources in October 2026, but fees and deadlines change, so confirm each one with the agency named before you pay.

What You Need Before You Start

• Your proposed business name, checked for availability on the WyoBiz filing search
• A physical Wyoming street address for your registered agent, including any suite number
• A federal Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the IRS, which is free to obtain
• A way to pay state and city fees (the city contractor registration is paid by cash or check, so confirm each office's accepted payment methods)
• For mobile vendors: a driver's license, vehicle insurance, vehicle registration, and a food permit if your product requires one
• For contractors: a certificate of insurance showing the required coverage amounts
• For home-based businesses: your property address and a Home Occupation Application

Step 1: Register Your Entity With the Secretary of State

Every business entity filed in Wyoming must register with the Secretary of State, Business Division, and must continuously maintain a registered agent. An LLC files Articles of Organization (LLC-ArticlesOrganization). A corporation files Articles of Incorporation (Profit Corporation, P-ArticlesIncorporation). Each carries a $100 filing fee. File through WyoBiz at wyobiz.wyo.gov. An online filing is active as soon as it is completed. A paper filing takes up to 15 business days.

Your LLC name must include “Limited Liability Company” or an accepted abbreviation such as “LLC,” “L.C.,” or “Ltd. Liability Company.” Names beginning with the letter A must be filed on paper. If you need time to decide, an LLC name reservation costs $60, is available by paper form only, and holds the name for 120 days.

Your registered agent must have a physical Wyoming street address. A drop box is not acceptable, and a PO box is accepted only in addition to a physical address. A commercial registered agent pays a $50 annual registration. Appointing a new registered agent and office costs $5.

Step 2: Calendar Your Annual Report

The annual report is the annual license tax, with a $60 minimum. It is due on the first day of your formation anniversary month every year, and you may file it up to 120 days early. If it is not paid within 60 days of the due date, an LLC faces administrative dissolution, and a corporation faces dissolution.

The $60 is a minimum. The charge is two-tenths of one mill ($.0002) on 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. Wyoming levies no corporate income tax, personal income tax, or franchise tax, so the annual report is the only recurring state entity charge.

Step 3: Get a Sales and Use Tax License If You Make Taxable Sales

If you sell taxable goods or services, register with the Wyoming Department of Revenue, Excise Tax Division, at the sales and use tax registration page. The application carries a $60 non-refundable fee.

The state sales tax rate is 4%. The Department of Revenue chart effective October 1, 2026, lists Sweetwater County’s sales and use rate at 6% and a combined lodging rate of 13%, which includes the 2% county lodging tax. Rock Springs has no city sales tax. County rates change quarterly, so check the Department of Revenue rate chart for the quarter in which you sell.

Sales tax applies to goods and to a short list of services. Meals and prepared food, lodging, admissions, telecommunications, utilities, alcohol, repair and alteration of personal property, and oil and gas well-site services are taxable. Intrastate freight is exempt, and so is food for home consumption, including most baked goods.

Contractors pay tax on the materials they install. Wyoming issues no resale certificate. Instead, your buyer gives you a signed certificate. The remote seller threshold is $100,000 of sales only.

Step 4: Pay the Rock Springs Occupation Tax

The occupation tax is required when you advertise a business in Rock Springs or hold a government license showing business activity there. You need one for each location. Charitable institutions are exempt.

The fee is $75 per calendar year, and it is not prorated. A business that starts in October pays the full $75 for that calendar year. This is a city fee, not a state fee. It does not cover mobile vending, so mobile vendors pay it in addition to the mobile vendor permit.

Step 5: Add a Home Occupation Application If You Work From Home

A business run from a residence files a Home Occupation Application with the city along with the occupation tax. Ask the city before you start if your activity involves customers visiting the property, employees, or signage.

Step 6: Add Permits for Your Activity

Mobile vendors

Food trucks, groomers, and mobile salons need the business license plus a Mobile Vendor Permit. The permit costs $25 per month or $100 for the calendar year. You may also need a driver's license, insurance, vehicle registration, and a food permit from the Wyoming Department of Agriculture or the Sweetwater County Environmental Health office, depending on your product. Submit a paper application in person or by mail to Planning and Zoning, 212 D Street, Rock Springs.

Contractors

Wyoming has no state contractor, plumber, or HVAC license. The state licenses electrical trades. Cities license contractors, so Rock Springs requires a $125 contractor registration. You must also provide a certificate of insurance with $100,000 for property damage, $100,000 for bodily injury, and $250,000 for multiple persons. Vehicles must display your contractor name and phone number in 2-inch letters (Ord. 2006-12).

Liquor licenses

Retail liquor licenses are population-quota licenses issued by cities, towns, and counties. The city lists all retail licenses as issued except six bar and grill licenses, which are listed as available. Under W.S. 12-4-413, the bar and grill cap is 14 since July 1, 2023, rising to 18 on July 1, 2028. Restaurant and resort licenses are not limited by quota. For the fee on a 24-hour catering permit, check with the Rock Springs City Clerk.

Other Rock Springs fees

A peddler who sells door to door pays $750 per year. A sexually oriented business license carries a $100 fee at application. Confirm both with the City Clerk before you apply.

Home food producers

Wyoming’s Food Freedom Act (W.S. 11-49) lets home producers sell homemade food directly to informed end consumers without a state license, up to annual caps. Confirm the current caps with the Department of Agriculture, Consumer Health Services, before you sell.

Step 7: Check Workers’ Compensation

Wyoming’s workers’ compensation is a monopolistic state fund run by the Department of Workforce Services. Coverage is compulsory only in listed extrahazardous industries. Sole proprietors, partners, officers, and LLC members are excluded unless they elect coverage. Confirm with the Department of Workforce Services whether your industry is on the list.

Step 8: Register a Trade Name If You Need One

Registering a trade name is optional in Wyoming. The Application for Registration of Trade Name costs $100 for a 10-year term, $50 to renew, $25 to assign, and $10 to cancel. File it with the Secretary of State, Business Division, not the county clerk. Trade name filings are mail-only and must be notarized. A trade name reservation costs $30 for 120 days.

Fee Summary

Item	Cost	Agency
LLC Articles of Organization	$100 filing fee	Secretary of State (WyoBiz)
LLC name reservation	$60, 120 days, paper only	Secretary of State
Annual report	$60 minimum	Secretary of State
Trade name registration	$100 for a 10-year term	Secretary of State
Sales and use tax license	$60 non-refundable application fee	Department of Revenue
Rock Springs occupation tax	$75 per calendar year, not prorated	City of Rock Springs
Mobile vendor permit	$25 monthly or $100 per calendar year	City, Planning and Zoning
Contractor registration	$125	City of Rock Springs
Peddler (door to door)	$750 per year	City of Rock Springs
Sexually oriented business license	$100 at application	City of Rock Springs
24-hour catering permit	Confirm with City Clerk	City of Rock Springs

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Calling the $75 occupation tax a state fee, or expecting it to be prorated for a partial year.
• Assuming the occupation tax covers mobile vending. It does not, so mobile vendors also need the Mobile Vendor Permit.
• Using a drop box as your registered agent address, or relying on a PO box alone.
• Filing a trade name with the county clerk. Wyoming trade names go to the Secretary of State.
• Looking for a Wyoming resale certificate. Wyoming issues none, so your buyer signs one for you.
• Searching for a state contractor license. Your first contractor step in Rock Springs is the city registration.
• Missing the 60-day window after your annual report due date.
• Starting contract work before your certificate of insurance is on file with the city.

What Results to Expect

Completing these steps may help you operate in Rock Springs with the right paperwork in place. That can reduce delays when a bank, landlord, or customer asks for proof of registration. Results depend on your business type, your location, and how quickly each agency processes your applications, so treat the timelines above as estimates to confirm with the agency.

Where to Get Help

The Wyoming SBDC Network offers free advising. Rob Condie is the regional director for Lincoln, Sublette, Sweetwater, and Uinta counties. Start at wyomingsbdc.org. For federal small business resources in Wyoming, see the SBA Wyoming district page. Official state information is at sos.wyo.gov, and city information is at rswy.net.

Disclaimer: This article is informational only. It is not legal, tax, or licensing advice. Consult a qualified attorney or CPA for complex situations, such as choosing an entity structure, handling multistate sales tax, or structuring a liquor license transaction.