Wyo. Stat. § 23-2-101 (2026)

nonresident licenses; verification of residency required;
donation of refunded application fees.

     (a) Any qualified person may purchase a hunting license
from the department or its authorized selling agents except as
otherwise provided. Purchase of a license entitles the licensee
to take any animal, bird or fish provided on the license within
Wyoming at the time, in a place, in a manner and in an amount as
provided by law and the orders of the commission. At the time
of application for a resident license under this section, the
applicant shall provide a valid Wyoming driver's license or a
copy thereof, or other proof of residency. The commission shall
promulgate reasonable rules and regulations stating what proof
of residency is required so that only bona fide Wyoming
residents, as defined in W.S. 23-1-102(a)(ix), receive resident
licenses. For purposes of purchasing a lifetime resident license
under subsection (j) of this section, an applicant shall have
been a resident as defined in W.S. 23-1-102(a)(ix) continuously
for a ten (10) year period immediately preceding the application
date.

    (b)   Repealed by Laws 1999, ch. 92, § 2.

     (c) The resident's or nonresident's license must bear the
signature of the landowner, lessee, or agent of the owner on
whose private property he is hunting or the legitimate proof as
evidence that permission to hunt has been granted.

     (d) The commission may issue big or trophy game licenses
in areas in which all licenses initially authorized were not
purchased or in which additional harvest is desired, allowing a
licensee to take a big or trophy game animal of such sex or age
as designated by the commission. The fee for the license may be
reduced by the commission to the level necessary to achieve the
desired management objectives, but in no case shall a resident
or nonresident license fee be less than the landowner's coupon
fee.

     (e) Resident and nonresident license applicants shall pay
an application fee in an amount specified by this subsection
upon submission of an application for purchase of any limited
quota drawing for big or trophy game license or wild bison
license. The resident application fee shall be five dollars
($5.00) and the nonresident application fee shall be fifteen
dollars ($15.00). The application fee is in addition to the
fees prescribed by subsections (f) and (j) of this section and
by W.S. 23-2-107 and shall be payable to the department either
directly or through an authorized selling agent of the
department. At the beginning of each month, the commission shall
set aside all of the fees collected during calendar year 1980
and not to exceed twenty-five percent (25%) of the fees
collected thereafter pursuant to this subsection to establish
and maintain a working balance of five hundred thousand dollars
($500,000.00), to compensate owners or lessees of property
damaged by game animals and game birds.
     (f) Forty percent (40%) of available nonresident elk
licenses, forty percent (40%) of available nonresident deer
licenses and forty percent (40%) of available nonresident
antelope licenses for any one (1) calendar year shall as
established by the commission, be offered to nonresident
applicants upon receipt of the fee prescribed by this
subsection. Seventy-five (75) of the nonresident deer licenses
set aside pursuant to this subsection shall be used for a
national bow hunt for deer. The licenses authorized by this
subsection shall be offered by drawing to nonresident applicants
prior to the drawing for the remaining nonresident licenses
issued. The licenses offered under this subsection shall be
issued in a manner prescribed by rules and regulations
promulgated by the commission. Nothing in this subsection shall
prohibit any unsuccessful applicant for a nonresident license
pursuant to this subsection from submitting an application for
any licenses remaining after the drawing during the calendar
year in which the application under this subsection was
submitted. The following fees shall be collected by the
department and are in addition to the nonresident license fee
for the appropriate big game species imposed under subsection
(j) of this section and the application fee imposed under
subsection (e) of this section:

          (i) Nonresident elk license ...... $1,258.00 in
addition to the license fee imposed under paragraph (j)(xix) of
this section;

          (ii) Nonresident deer license .... $826.00 in
addition to the license fee imposed under paragraph (j)(xv) of
this section;

          (iii) Nonresident antelope license ..... $874.00 in
addition to the license fee imposed under paragraph (j)(xxxi) of
this section.

     (g) In promulgating rules and regulations for the taking
of bighorn sheep and moose, the commission shall not
discriminate between residents and nonresidents regarding the
maturity and horn size of the animals which may be taken.
Nothing in this subsection shall be construed as prohibiting the
commission from issuing a different number of licenses for
residents and nonresidents, from requiring a preference point
fee from nonresidents only pursuant to subsection (m) of this
section or from issuing reduced price ewe and lamb bighorn sheep
licenses as provided in subsection (d) of this section.
     (h) In addition to other fees under this section, persons
applying for a license or tag under this section may pay a
voluntary fee of two dollars ($2.00) or any greater amount to
fund search and rescue activities in the state. The department
shall provide information on the license or tag application form
that the applicant may pay the fee under this subsection. Any
voluntary fees collected under this subsection shall be
deposited in the search and rescue account created by W.S.
19-13-301.

     (j) Subject to W.S. 23-2-101(f), 23-1-705(e) and the
applicable fee under W.S. 23-1-701, the following hunting
licenses and tags may be purchased for the fee indicated and
subject to the limitations provided:

         (i)   Resident black bear license; one (1) black bear
    $45.00

          (ii) Nonresident black bear license; one (1) black
bear..........................................$371.00

          (iii) Resident mountain lion license; one (1)
mountain lion........................................$30.00

          (iv) Nonresident mountain lion license; one (1)
mountain lion.......................................$371.00

          (v) Resident daily game bird/small game license; all
game birds except wild turkey.....................$7.00

          (vi) Nonresident daily game bird/small game license;
all game birds except wild turkey...........$20.00

          (vii) Resident lifetime game bird and small game
license; all game birds except wild turkey..........$309.00

          (viii) Resident lifetime game bird/small game and
fishing license; all game birds except wild turkey.
....................................................$494.00

          (ix) Resident game bird/small game license; all game
birds except wild turkey........................$25.00

          (x) Nonresident game bird/small game license; all
game birds except wild turkey....................$72.00
          (xi) Nonresident youth game bird/small game license;
all game birds except wild turkey...........$40.00

         (xii)    Resident archery license............$14.00

         (xiii)    Nonresident archery license........$70.00

         (xiv)    Resident deer license; one (1) deer.$40.00

          (xv) Nonresident deer license; one (1)
deer................................................$372.00

          (xvi) Resident youth deer license; one (1)
deer.................................................$15.00

          (xvii) Nonresident youth deer license; one (1)
deer................................................$110.00

         (xviii)    Resident elk license; one (1) elk.$55.00

          (xix) Nonresident elk license; one (1) elk, fishing
privileges..................................$690.00

          (xx) Resident youth elk license; one (1)
elk..................................................$25.00

          (xxi) Nonresident youth elk license; one (1) elk,
fishing privileges.............................$275.00

          (xxii) Resident bighorn sheep license; one (1)
bighorn sheep.......................................$150.00

          (xxiii) Nonresident bighorn sheep license; one (1)
bighorn sheep.......................$3,000.00

          (xxiv) Resident mountain goat license; one (1)
mountain goat.......................................$150.00

          (xxv) Nonresident mountain goat license; one (1)
mountain goat...........................$2,750.00

          (xxvi) Resident moose license; one (1)
moose...............................................$150.00

          (xxvii) Nonresident moose license; one (1)
moose...................................$2,750.00
          (xxviii) Resident grizzly bear license; one (1)
grizzly bear........................................$600.00

          (xxix) Nonresident grizzly bear license; one (1)
grizzly bear............................$7,500.00

          (xxx) Resident antelope license; one (1)
antelope.............................................$35.00

          (xxxi) Nonresident antelope license; one (1)
antelope............................................$324.00

          (xxxii) Resident youth antelope license; one (1)
antelope.............................................$15.00

          (xxxiii) Nonresident youth antelope license; one (1)
antelope........................................$110.00

          (xxxiv) Resident license to capture falcons for
falconry purposes....................................$37.00

          (xxxv) Nonresident license to capture falcons for
falconry purposes...............................$247.00

         (xxxvi)      Repealed by Laws 2003, Ch. 144, § 2.

          (xxxvii) License to hunt with falcon; game birds,
small game animals............................$14.00

         (xxxviii)      Resident turkey license.........$14.00

         (xxxix)      Nonresident turkey license........$72.00

         (xl)   Wyoming interstate game tag...........$6.00

          (xli) Resident game bird license; all game birds
except turkey........................................$14.00

         (xlii)       Resident small game license........$14.00

          (xliii) From and after the date gray wolves are
removed from the list of experimental nonessential population,
endangered species or threatened species in Wyoming as provided
by W.S. 23-1-108:

                (A)    Resident gray wolf license.......$19.00
              (B)    Nonresident gray wolf license...$185.00

         (xliv)     Resident youth archery license......$6.00

         (xlv)    Nonresident youth archery license...$12.00

         (xlvi)     Resident lifetime archery license.$206.00

     (k) Any resident qualified to purchase a moose or ram
bighorn sheep hunting license under subsection (j) of this
section may pay a fee of seven dollars ($7.00) in lieu of
applying for a moose or ram bighorn sheep hunting license.
Payment of the fee for a particular species under this
subsection shall authorize the person to accumulate points under
W.S. 23-1-703(b) for that year in the same manner as if he had
unsuccessfully applied for a hunting license for that species.
Payment of the fee shall be made in compliance with application
dates.

     (m) Subject to the provisions of this subsection, as part
of any preference point program for nonresident antelope,
nonresident ram bighorn sheep, nonresident moose, nonresident
deer or nonresident elk, the commission may establish a
nonrefundable fee to be either withheld from the license fee
remitted or submitted separately when application for a license
or preference point is made through electronic licensing, and
may also establish a fee to be paid in lieu of applying for
licenses that are limited in quota. Retention of the
established fee or payment of the fee in lieu of applying shall
authorize the person to accumulate a preference point for future
drawings for licenses that are limited in quota for the
applicable species in accordance with rules of the commission.
The rules may provide for the loss of all accumulated points for
persons failing to apply or to pay the in lieu fee in two (2)
consecutive calendar years. The fee for any program under this
subsection for antelope, deer or elk shall be established by
rule and shall not exceed seventy-five dollars ($75.00) per
species. Payment of the fee shall be made in compliance with
application dates. Nothing in this subsection authorizes the
commission to establish or retain a fee for resident moose or
resident ram bighorn sheep license preference points in addition
to the fee established by subsection (k) of this section or to
establish rules for ram bighorn sheep or moose preference point
drawings in conflict with the provisions of W.S. 23-1-703(b).
For nonresident ram bighorn sheep and nonresident moose
licenses, the commission may establish by rule a nonrefundable
preference point fee to be withheld from either the license fee
remitted or submitted separately when application for a license
or preference point is made through electronic licensing and may
establish a fee in lieu of making application in an amount
greater than that established under subsection (k) of this
section, but neither fee shall exceed one hundred fifty dollars
($150.00). Fees established under this subsection may be set at
lower amounts for youth license applicants.

     (n) In addition to other fees under this section, persons
applying for a license or tag under this section may pay any
whole dollar amount to fund the purchase of access easements by
the commission to provide access to public and private lands.

     (o) For issuing each harvest information permit required
under federal law license selling agents and commission
employees shall charge the fee authorized by W.S.
23-1-701(b)(iii).

     (p) In addition to other fees under this section, persons
applying for a license or tag under this section may pay any
whole dollar amount to support wildlife conservation efforts
related to the transportation system. The department shall
provide information on the application form that the applicant
may pay the contribution under this subsection. Funds collected
under this subsection shall be transmitted to the state
treasurer to be credited to the wildlife conservation account
created by W.S. 31-2-231(b). The department shall deduct and
retain an amount equal to the administrative costs incurred in
complying with this subsection.

     (q) In addition to other fees under this section, persons
applying for a license or tag under this section may pay a
voluntary fee of two dollars ($2.00) or any greater amount to
fund predator control activities in the state. The department
shall provide information on the license or tag application form
that the applicant may pay the fee under this subsection. Any
voluntary fees collected pursuant to this subsection shall be
deposited in a separate account within the game and fish fund
and shall only be expended as determined by the commission for
management and control of predator populations and depredating
animals. The commission may consider projects that mitigate
damage caused to livestock, wildlife and crops by predatory
animals, predacious birds and depredating animals or for the
protection of human health and safety and may also use these
funds for the purposes specified in W.S. 11-6-307 and 23-1-901.
As used in this subsection, "depredating animal" means any
trophy game animal or furbearing animal that causes damage.
     (r) An applicant may elect to provide that any fee paid
under this section that is refundable if the applicant is
unsuccessful, or portions of the fee as provided in this
subsection, be retained and deposited by the department in the
Wyoming wildlife and natural resource trust income account
created by W.S. 9-15-103(b) or the game and fish access account
created by W.S. 23-1-501(h), as determined by the applicant. The
department shall provide information on the application form
that the applicant may elect at the time of application to make
a contribution to one (1) or both of the accounts specified
under this subsection if the applicant is unsuccessful. The
department shall allow the applicant to contribute the entire
amount of the fee or select a portion of the fee to contribute
as specified by the department, not to exceed the amount of the
fee. Any administrative expenses incurred by the department for
donations into the account created by W.S. 9-15-103(b) shall be
reimbursed to the department by the Wyoming wildlife and natural
resource trust income account.