How to Register a Livestock Brand in Wyoming: $150 First Species, $75 Each Added, and the $300 Ten-Year Renewal

October 29, 2026

If you raise cattle, horses, or other livestock in Wyoming and want a recorded mark that identifies them as yours, you need to record a brand with the Wyoming Livestock Board. Wyoming's brand law is found in W.S. 11-20. The most important rule is the order of operations: it is unlawful to use an unrecorded brand to claim ownership of livestock (W.S. 11-20-117). Record the brand first, then put it on animals.

This guide explains how to register a livestock brand in Wyoming, what you need to gather before you apply, what each fee covers, and the mistakes that cause delays. The fee figures here are statutory minimums. The Livestock Board can set higher amounts, so confirm the current schedule with the Board before you send payment.

What a Wyoming Livestock Brand Is (and Is Not)

A livestock brand is a mark placed on an animal to show who owns it. In Wyoming, brands are recorded with the Wyoming Livestock Board. They are not registered with the Wyoming Secretary of State, and they are not recorded with a county. Filing with the wrong office is one of the most common reasons people end up with a missed step.

A livestock brand is also different from a trademark or a trade name. A trademark protects a product or business identity. A trade name (a DBA) is a business name registered with the Secretary of State for $100 for a 10-year term. A livestock brand identifies animals, and it is recorded only through the Livestock Board. If you need both a brand and a trade name, you will handle two separate filings.

Materials and Information You Need Before You Apply

Gather everything below before you start the application. Missing information is the most common reason a form gets sent back.

• A drawing or facsimile of the brand, or a written description detailed enough to identify it.
• The list of species you plan to brand, such as cattle, horses, or other livestock.
• The place on the animal where the brand will be applied, for each species.
• The method you will use: hot iron, paint, tattoo, or another method.
• Your legal name and mailing address as the brand owner.
• The recording fee in the amount the Board currently requires.
• The current application form from the Livestock Board. Do not rely on an older copy you find online.

Step 1: Design the Brand and Prepare the Facsimile

The application must include a facsimile or description of the brand (W.S. 11-20-103(a)). Start with a simple design. Brands that are easy to read at a distance hold up better in the field, and simple shapes are easier to apply cleanly with a hot iron. Draw the design in ink on clean paper, and keep the lines bold enough to show on a photocopy or scan.

Before you commit to a design, ask the Livestock Board how it checks for brands that are already recorded or too similar to an existing one. Finding a conflict after you have paid for irons and signage is a costly way to learn the answer.

Step 2: Decide Which Species to Record

The application names the species the brand will be used on. The first species carries a fee of at least $150. Each additional species carries a fee of at least $75. Because the fees are per species, think about your next five years. If you record cattle today and want to brand horses later, you will pay the add-on fee at that time, so it is cheaper to list every species you truly expect to brand.

Be honest about the list. Recording species you will never use is a waste of money, and recording too few means paying again later.

Step 3: Choose the Placement on the Animal

The application asks where on the animal the brand will be placed. Choose a location that is visible, consistent, and practical for the species. For example, a shoulder or hip is a common location on cattle, while horses are often branded on the left shoulder or left hip. Your listed placement should match how you actually brand, so that the record and the animal agree.

If you later want to change the placement, ask the Livestock Board whether that requires a new filing before you change how you brand.

Step 4: Choose the Method

The application states the method you will use. The statute recognizes hot iron, paint, tattoo, and other methods. Each method has practical tradeoffs. Hot iron brands are the most traditional and are generally durable on cattle. Paint brands are temporary and typically used for short-term marking. Tattoo brands are used for identification on certain animals. Pick the method you will actually use, and list it accurately on the application.

Step 5: Complete and Sign the Application

Complete every field on the current Livestock Board form. Confirm that the species, placement, and method match what you intend to do on your animals. Attach the facsimile or written description. Sign the form and make a copy of everything you send. Confirm with the Board which submission methods it accepts, whether mail, in person, or another option, before you send the packet.

Step 6: Pay the Recording Fee

The fee depends on how many species you list. The statutory minimums are $150 for the first species and at least $75 for each additional species (W.S. 11-20-103(b)). A cattle and horse application, for example, would cost at least $225 at the minimum rate. Because the Board can set higher amounts, check its current schedule before you write the check.

If the brand cannot be recorded, the Board keeps 25% of the fee and refunds the rest. Build that into your planning if your design might not clear review.

Step 7: Wait for Recording and Then Begin Use

Once the Board records the brand, you may begin using it. Keep the recording paperwork with your ranch records. Ask the Board how long recording takes, since processing times can change. Do not brand animals while your application is still pending. Using an unrecorded brand to claim ownership is unlawful under W.S. 11-20-117, even if you have already filed.

Current Fee Summary

The amounts below are statutory minimums under Wyoming law. Current actual fees are set by the Wyoming Livestock Board. Check with the Wyoming Livestock Board for its current fee schedule before you file or pay.

Action	Minimum Amount	What It Covers
Recording, first species	$150	Initial recording for one species
Recording, each additional species	$75	Each species added to the same brand
Renewal, per ten-year period	$300	Covers all species already recorded
Renewal, after 50 years	$100 per ten years	Applies to brands beyond 50 years
Transfer of a recorded brand	$100	Separate from renewal
Partial refund if not recorded	Board keeps 25%	Remainder of the fee is refunded

Renewal, Transfer, and Bills of Sale

A recorded brand must be renewed every ten years. The renewal fee is at least $300 per ten-year period, and it covers the species already recorded under that brand. If you recorded cattle and horses, one renewal at the minimum rate covers both. Ask the Board for your exact renewal date and what happens if a renewal is late.

Transfers cost at least $100 for a recorded brand. Recording a bill of sale during a renewal period does not renew the brand. Transfer and renewal are separate fees, so a bill of sale does not replace either one. If you buy a brand or sell one, plan for both the transfer fee and any renewal due on the same brand.

Expected Results

Once the Livestock Board records your brand, you generally have a state record of the mark you use. That record can help you show that the brand belongs to you when ownership of an animal is questioned. Results depend on the facts of each situation, so the recording is best viewed as one part of your ownership records, not a guarantee of how any dispute will turn out.

Expect the recording to be your first step rather than your last. Renewals, transfers, and inspection or movement requirements are separate tasks, and brand inspection and movement permits are covered separately from this guide.

Tips for a Smoother Filing

• Call or write the Board before you buy branding irons. Confirm the design is available and that your method is acceptable.
• List every species you expect to brand within the next several years, since each additional species carries its own fee.
• Keep copies of the application, the payment, and every Board response in one folder.
• Put your renewal date on a calendar as soon as the brand is recorded, and confirm the exact date with the Board.
• Brand the animals in the same placement and by the same method you listed on the application.
• Ask the Board whether any state or county rules apply to branding activity beyond recording.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Branding before recording. Using an unrecorded brand to claim ownership is unlawful (W.S. 11-20-117). Record first.
2. Recording one species and assuming it covers others. Each additional species carries an add-on fee of at least $75.
3. Relying on old fee amounts. The $150, $75, $300, and $100 figures are statutory minimums. The Board may charge more, so check its current schedule.
4. Filing with the wrong office. Livestock brands are recorded with the Wyoming Livestock Board, not the Secretary of State or a county. The Secretary of State handles entity and trade name filings at sos.wyo.gov, which is a different process.
5. Treating a bill of sale as a renewal. Recording a bill of sale during a renewal period does not renew the brand. Renewal and transfer are separate fees.
6. Submitting a vague facsimile. A unclear drawing or thin description can delay review. Use clean, bold lines.
7. Changing the method or placement without asking. The application states both, so confirm with the Board before you change how you brand.
8. Mixing up a brand with a trademark or trade name. These are separate filings with separate offices and fees.

Important Information

This article is informational content, not legal or tax advice. Wyoming's brand laws, fees, and procedures can change, and the Wyoming Livestock Board sets its current schedule. Confirm all figures with the Board before you file. If your situation involves a disputed ownership claim, a transfer of a ranch or herd, an estate, or a business structure decision, consult a qualified attorney or certified public accountant licensed in Wyoming.

Where to Get Official Information

For brand recording, renewal, transfer, and current fees, contact the Wyoming Livestock Board directly. If you can't locate its contact details, find the Livestock Board through the state agency directory. The Secretary of State site at sos.wyo.gov handles entity filings, not livestock brands. Ask the Board for written confirmation of any fee, deadline, or procedure that matters to your operation before you rely on it.