Wyoming
Wyoming has no state private investigator license, though some cities, including Cheyenne, license detective businesses. Since 2023 the State has made photographing critical infrastructure with a drone a crime unless the flight complies with FAA authorization, barred government agencies from selling personal data, made stalking a minor a felony, and lowered the concealed carry age to 18.
At a glance
- Authority
- None statewide. The Division of Criminal Investigation says no state license is required but some municipalities regulate investigators by ordinance.
- Statute
- None; cities license businesses under W.S. 15-1-103(a)(xiii)
- Local licensing
- Cheyenne licenses detective, patrol, and guard service businesses (Cheyenne Code ch. 5.48). As of the code reviewed October 16, 2026: age of majority, no felony or misdemeanor involving moral turpitude, a police investigation, a $140 annual fee, and a $10,000 bond.
- Continuing education
- None
- Firearms
- No investigator permit. Concealed carry without a permit is allowed for a U.S. resident who meets the permit qualifications other than Wyoming residency and firearms training (W.S. 6-8-104(a)(iv)).
Changes, 2023 to 2026
Concealed carry age lowered to 18
Lowers the age in W.S. 6-8-104(b)(ii) from 21 to 18. Because permitless carry requires meeting that qualification, the permitless concealed carry age also falls to 18.
For licensees: Otherwise qualified investigators aged 18 to 20 may carry concealed.
Felony to distribute nonconsensual AI-generated sexual images
Makes it a felony, punishable by up to 10 years, to knowingly distribute synthetic sexual material realistically depicting an identifiable person without consent where the distribution causes or is intended to cause harm, or to threaten to distribute it to obtain a benefit (W.S. 6-4-307).
For licensees: Never use or share such material as leverage.
Stalking a minor becomes felony stalking
Makes stalking a felony punishable by up to 10 years when committed against a minor by someone at least 18 (W.S. 6-2-506(e)(v)). The existing electronic surveillance prong of stalking, added in 2022, is unchanged.
For licensees: In custody and runaway cases, get documented authorization from a parent or guardian with legal authority.
Government agencies barred from selling personal data
Bars state and local government entities, other than the courts and law enforcement, from buying, selling, trading, or transferring personal data without the person’s written consent, except as provided by law and for listed transfers (W.S. 9-21-201 to -203). Disclosure under the Wyoming Public Records Act is preserved.
For licensees: Public records requests still work; bulk data deals with agencies need consent or an approved exception.
Gun-free zones repealed
Allows lawful concealed carriers, including permitless carriers, in government meetings, the legislature, non-secured airport areas, and public buildings, and limits carry at public schools and colleges to permit holders (W.S. 6-8-105).
For licensees: A permit is still needed for school and campus carry.
Drone photography of critical infrastructure made a crime
Bars operating a drone over or near critical infrastructure, including utilities, rail lines, courts, public safety buildings, and hospitals that receive air ambulance services, to intentionally photograph it or loiter (W.S. 19-13-503). Operators whose use complies with FAA authorization or rules are exempt. A first offense is a misdemeanor and a repeat offense a felony.
For licensees: Fly only in compliance with FAA rules near such sites.
Voyeurism covers viewing within a private area
Extends misdemeanor voyeurism to secretive viewing within, not only into, an area where the person viewed has a reasonable expectation of privacy (W.S. 6-4-304).
For licensees: Being lawfully inside a private space is not a defense to covert viewing.
Drone surveillance over prisons made a crime
Bars using a drone over a penal institution or correctional facility or its grounds to photograph, surveil, or record it without authorization (W.S. 6-5-214), a misdemeanor punishable by up to 1 year.
For licensees: Plan drone routes away from correctional facilities.
Checked and unchanged
- No investigator licensing bill was filed from 2023 through 2026, and no consumer data privacy or data broker law was enacted.
- The one-party consent interception statute (W.S. 7-3-702(b)(iv)) was not changed.
Last updated October 18, 2026Source: United States Council for Law & InvestigationCite as: United States Council for Law & Investigation, “Wyoming private investigators: Licensing Law Tracker,” uscli.org/licensing-tracker/wyoming (last updated October 18, 2026). Text licensed CC BY 4.0.