Which Wyoming Cities Require a Business License: Jackson $136 to $891, Rock Springs $75, Evanston $40, and No License From Counties

October 29, 2026

Wyoming has no general state business license, and counties do not issue business licenses at all. If you need a wyoming city business license, the answer depends on the incorporated city or town where you will operate. Jackson licenses nearly every business inside its limits. Rock Springs and Evanston charge annual general licenses, each with its own rules. Casper, Laramie and Gillette license only specific trades, and Sheridan issues no business licenses. This guide shows how to find out which rule applies to you and what to do next. Fees were checked in October 2026, but cities change fees by resolution, so confirm each figure before you pay.

Informational only: This article is not legal or tax advice. Cities amend their codes and fee schedules, so verify every figure with the city clerk. For complex situations involving entity structure, multistate operations or payroll, consult a qualified Wyoming attorney or CPA.

What You Need Before You Start

• Your entity's legal name and proof of its Secretary of State registration, which you can confirm through the WyoBiz filing search.
• The exact street address where you will operate, including any suite number.
• Your current number of employees, because Jackson and Evanston fees depend on it.
• A written description of what you sell, how customers buy it, and whether you run the business from home.
• Your sales tax status: whether you make taxable sales (see Step 6).
• Government-issued photo ID. Rock Springs requires applications to be made in person.
• Payment for the city fee. In Rock Springs, budget for the $75 license plus a $100 non-refundable application fee.
• Your registered agent's Wyoming street address, if you use a commercial registered agent.

Step 1: Confirm Your Entity Is Registered With the Secretary of State

A city license does not replace state registration. Your LLC or corporation must be filed with the Wyoming Secretary of State, Business Division, through WyoBiz. Articles of Organization (LLC) and Articles of Incorporation (profit corporation) each carry a $100 filing fee. Check that your name is available and distinguishable on the filing search first. An LLC name must include the words Limited Liability Company or an approved abbreviation such as LLC. If you need time to decide, an LLC name can be reserved for 120 days for $60, but only on paper, since there is no online reservation.

Every entity must continuously maintain a registered agent with a physical Wyoming street address. A drop box does not qualify, and a PO box is accepted only in addition to a physical address. The annual report license tax is $60, due the first day of the anniversary month of formation each year. 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. Wyoming levies no corporate income tax, no personal income tax and no franchise tax, so this $60 is the only recurring state entity charge for most owners.

Step 2: Ask the City or Town Clerk Where You Will Operate

The Secretary of State's FAQ directs applicants to the city clerk in the place where they will operate. That is the right starting point because only cities and towns can license businesses. Under W.S. 15-1-103(a)(xiii), a city or town may license, tax and regulate businesses within its limits for revenue, as long as the rules are uniform within a class of business. Counties cannot issue business licenses. They handle zoning, building, septic, subdivision and liquor matters, and in a limited number of cases, contractor permits.

Wyoming has 19 cities and 80 towns. Those 99 incorporated places hold 403,626 of the state's 588,753 residents (Census 2025 estimates), and 45 of them have fewer than 500 people. Small towns often have their own clerks and rules, so do not assume a town has no license because it is small. Call and ask three questions: Is there a general license for my business type? Which specific licenses cover my activity? Does my home-based business need a separate permit?

Step 3: Compare Fees and Record the Date You Checked

City	What Applies	Fee (checked October 2026)	Renewal
Jackson	General license for every business inside town limits	$136 to $891 by employee tier and sales tax status	Annual, not prorated
Rock Springs	General license, except contractor registrations	$75 per calendar year, plus $100 non-refundable application fee	Confirm with clerk (city pages conflict)
Evanston	General license, one per location	$40 a year for every size tier	Due March 1, expires February 28
Green River	License required of all businesses before operating	Confirm with clerk	Confirm with clerk
Cheyenne	About 50 specific license types	$65 to $300 per city fee list	Confirm with clerk
Casper	Seven specific license types	$25 to $100 each	Confirm with clerk
Gillette	Specific license types only	Confirm with clerk	Confirm with clerk
Laramie	No general license; specific licenses only	Confirm with clerk	Confirm with clerk
Sheridan	No business licenses issued	Not applicable	Not applicable
Riverton	No general license found	Confirm with clerk	Confirm with clerk

Jackson: Tiered Fees Under Resolution 26-19

Jackson's license comes from Title 5 and Resolution 26-19, effective October 1, 2026. It applies to every business inside town limits, including home-based businesses and nonresidents who work in town. Businesses that collect sales tax pay $136 (1 to 10 employees), $274 (11 to 49), $410 (50 to 99) or $684 (100 or more). Businesses that do not collect sales tax pay $179, $397, $535 or $891 by the same tiers. Independent contractors and agents pay $136. Licenses are annual and not prorated, and approval can take up to 30 days, so apply well before your planned opening.

Rock Springs: Flat Fee, In-Person Application, Fingerprinting

Rock Springs charges $75 per calendar year for all businesses except contractor registrations. The fee is not prorated, and a $100 non-refundable fee is due at application. Applications are made in person with photo ID, and first-time applicants are fingerprinted. Religious, charitable and educational organizations are exempt. Home businesses also need a Home Occupation Permit. The city's pages disagree on whether licenses expire December 31 or one year after approval, so ask the clerk which rule applies to you.

Evanston: $40 With a March Renewal

Evanston charges $40 a year for every size tier, whether you have 1 to 5, 6 to 15 or 16 or more employees. You need one license per location. Renewals are due March 1 and expire February 28. If you start on or after September 1, you pay half the fee. Home occupations also file a form each year.

Cities With Specific Licenses Only

Casper has seven city clerk license types at $25 to $100 each. Junk dealers pay $50, pawnshops pay $100 plus a bond, and taxicab companies pay $65. Health and contractor licenses are separate. Laramie does not require a general business license. It issues specific licenses for mobile vending, pawnbrokers, junk dealers, vehicle-for-hire and rental housing registration. Gillette licenses only specific types under Chapter 10 of its city code. Sheridan's clerk states that the city does not issue business licenses, and the clerk's office handles liquor matters.

Cities You Must Confirm Directly

Green River requires a license of all businesses before they operate, but you need to confirm the fee with the city clerk. Cheyenne lists about 50 specific license types with fees from $65 to $300 per its city fee list, and you should ask whether a general license applies to you. Riverton did not show a general license in our review, so confirm with its clerk. Cody, Rawlins, Lander, Powell, Douglas, Torrington, Buffalo and Worland should be checked with the city or town clerk before you open.

Step 4: Apply and Pay

1. Request the current application from the clerk or the city website. Old forms may carry outdated fees.
2. Gather your documents: entity registration, employee count, business address and a written description of your activity.
3. Submit the application in person where required, such as in Rock Springs. Ask whether mail or online submission is accepted in your city.
4. Pay the fee and keep the receipt. Ask for a copy of the approved license for your records.
5. Calendar the renewal date the day you receive the license, using the date the clerk gives you.

Step 5: Check Zoning, Home-Based Rules and Trade Licenses

A city business license does not settle zoning. Home-based businesses face rules in both places. Jackson's license covers home-based businesses, Rock Springs requires a Home Occupation Permit, and Evanston requires a yearly home occupation form. If your business sits outside city limits, the county handles zoning, building and septic permits. A county permit is not a business license, and counties issue no business licenses.

Wyoming has no state contractor, plumber or HVAC license. The state licenses electrical trades, and contractors are licensed city by city, so check the clerk in every city where you work. Retail liquor licenses are population-quota licenses issued by cities, towns and counties.

Step 6: Register for Sales Tax if You Make Taxable Sales

Wyoming's state sales tax rate is 4%. County option taxes and resort district taxes are added on top, and Wyoming cities have no city sales tax of their own. Combined rates change quarterly, so check the Department of Revenue rate chart at excise-tax-div.wyo.gov and record the date you checked. Register through the sales and use tax registration page. A sales and use tax license carries a $60 non-refundable application fee. A vendor that holds this state license needs no additional license for county and resort option taxes, but a city's own occupation license is separate.

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, as 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 signs a certificate and gives it to you. The remote seller threshold is $100,000 in sales only.

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

Step 7: Address Workers' Compensation

Wyoming's workers' compensation system 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 your industry's status with the Department of Workforce Services before you hire.

Step 8: Build a Renewal Calendar

• Wyoming annual report ($60): first day of your formation anniversary month, every year.
• Evanston license ($40): renews March 1 and expires February 28.
• Rock Springs license ($75): confirm with the clerk whether it expires December 31 or one year after approval.
• Jackson license: annual and not prorated, so a late-year start pays the full fee.
• Every other city: record the renewal date the clerk gives you.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Looking for a county business license. Counties issue none. Only cities and towns can license businesses.
• Assuming every Wyoming city works the same. Jackson's tiered license, Rock Springs' flat fee and Sheridan's no-license rule are very different.
• Quoting old fees. Cities change rates by resolution. Write down the date you checked.
• Skipping home-based rules. A home office can trigger a city license, a home occupation permit and a zoning check at once.
• Treating the Rock Springs $100 fee as refundable. It is non-refundable at application, so budget for it.
• Missing Evanston's dates. Renewals are due March 1, and a business starting September 1 or later pays half the fee.
• Confusing a trade name with an entity. A trade name is optional. It is registered statewide with the Secretary of State, not the county clerk, costs $100 for a 10 year term, and is filed by mail with a notarized application. Use the trade name application.

Expected Results

If you work through these steps in order, you should know which city licenses apply to you, what they are likely to cost, and when they will need renewal. Timing varies by city. Jackson approvals can take up to 30 days. Secretary of State online filings are generally active as soon as they are completed, while paper filings are processed in the order received and can take up to 15 business days. Your results will depend on local rules, your entity's status and whether your application is complete, so treat these outcomes as likely rather than guaranteed.

Next Steps

Start by calling the clerk in the city where you will operate, then confirm your entity filing and sales tax status. The Wyoming Secretary of State site is the starting point for state filings, and the Wyoming SBDC Network can help you plan. For questions about entity structure, taxes or operating in several locations, consult a qualified Wyoming attorney or CPA. This article is informational only and is not legal or tax advice.