WYOMING SECURITY GUARD COMPANY LICENSING (LOCAL)

The license. No state license. Wyoming licenses contract security companies only at the municipal level, in cities whose ordinances require it. Cheyenne: 'Detective, Patrol or Guard Business/Agency' license (City Clerk; Cheyenne City Code Title 5, Chs. 5.04, 5.08, 5.48, Ord. No. 2996). Laramie: 'Private Security License' (City Clerk; Laramie Municipal Code Ch. 5.72, 'Private Security/Patrol'). No guard-business-specific license was found in Casper, Gillette, Rock Springs, Evanston or Sheridan. [11]

Who needs it. Cheyenne: anyone who engages in, establishes or conducts a detective business/agency, private detective, patrol or guard service business/agency, or works as a patrolman or guard, for compensation. Laramie: private security/patrol businesses. Elsewhere: no security-specific license found; a city general business/occupation license may apply (e.g., Rock Springs, Evanston). [11]

Local licensing. LICENSING IS MUNICIPAL. Wyoming has no state licensing for contract security companies, their managers, or individual guards (two independent full-text scans of all 41 W.S. titles, current through Laws 2026; Title 33 has no security/PI chapter). Cities may 'License, tax and regulate any business whatsoever' within city limits (W.S. 15-1-103(a)(xiii)). No county security registration was found; W.S. 18-2-101 lists no general county business-licensing power (W.S. 33-1-101 et seq. has sheriffs issue county licenses only for occupations 'hereinafter provided', none of which is security). The prototype hint 'County registration' is therefore not supported. Cities with a security-specific license: CHEYENNE - 'Detective, Patrol or Guard Business/Agency', $140 annual/nonrefundable, at least 5 business days to process, renews annually, one location per record, covers businesses AND individual patrolmen/guards (City Code Title 5 Chs. 5.04, 5.08, 5.48; Ord. 2996; portal record last updated 2026-08-31). LARAMIE - 'Private Security License' (City Clerk; LMC Ch. 5.72); Cities checked with NO security-specific license: CASPER (licenses only junk dealers, pawnshops, itinerant merchants, unsolicited salesmen, secondhand dealers, hotels/rooming houses, vehicles for hire); GILLETTE (City Code Ch. 10 rev. 6/3/2025: none); ROCK SPRINGS (general occupation-tax business license $75/calendar year for all businesses, separate license per branch; security personnel at adult cabarets need a Sexually Oriented Business license); EVANSTON (City Business & Occupational License $40; 2026 licenses expire 2/28/2027; separate license per location; applies also to out-of-city companies doing business in the city); SHERIDAN (issues no business licenses). Cheyenne also requires a $100 Burglar Alarm permit for premises with alarm systems (City Code Title 8, Ch. 8.08) - applies to alarm users, not guard companies.

Your guards. No state guard registration or guard card. In Cheyenne the same city license type expressly covers an individual 'patrolman or guard' working for compensation, so individual guards there apply under that record type. In Rock Springs, security personnel at adult cabarets must hold a Sexually Oriented Business license ($100, fingerprinting for first-time applicants). [11]

• Context, not a licensing requirement: a licensed public assembly (5,000+ people, 20+ consecutive hours) must furnish security guards (regularly employed or off-duty Wyoming peace officers) at a rate of at least 1 per 750 people. [8]
• Context for armed guards: for the optional Wyoming concealed-carry permit (issued by the attorney general through DCI), completion of a firearms course offered for security guards is accepted as proof of firearm familiarity. [9]
• Context for armed guards: concealed carry without a permit is lawful for a U.S. resident who meets the permit eligibility criteria in 6-8-104(b)(ii)-(vi), (viii), (ix) and is not otherwise prohibited. [9]

Branch offices

No state rule. Rock Springs requires a separate (general) business license for each branch; Evanston requires a separate license for each location within city limits. Cheyenne's portal allows one location per license record. [25]

• Detective, Patrol or Guard Business/Agency license: $140 [11]
• City Clerk fee list: Detective, Patrol and Guard Business: $140 [14]
• Payment processing surcharge (all city licenses) [13]
• General business license (occupation tax; all businesses, not security-specific): $75 [25]
• City Business & Occupational License (not security-specific; same fee for any employee count): $40 [27]
• License term [27]
• Private Security License fee [16]

1. Cheyenne: apply online through the City's OpenGov licensing portal (cheyennewy.viewpointcloud.com), record type 'Detective, Patrol or Guard Business/Agency' (Clerk / Licensing category); enter a Cheyenne address, or a point location if located outside Cheyenne; one location per application. [11]
2. Cheyenne: file at least 5 business days before you need the license; that is the minimum processing time. [11]
3. Laramie: apply for a new license or renew through the City's online self-service portal (Civic Access / Tyler EnerGov); questions to the City Clerk at 307-721-5220. [16]
4. Evanston (general license): contact Planning and Engineering before approval for any new business, change of ownership or change of location. [27]
5. Related (not a licensing step stated as required): Evanston's application lists the Wyoming Secretary of State and Wyoming State Sales/Use Tax among useful contacts for new businesses. [27]

Renewal

Cheyenne: annual license; the portal record type is flagged as renewing. (General city licenses: Rock Springs per calendar year; Evanston 2026 licenses expire Feb. 28, 2027 - see fees.) [11]

• n/aNo 2025 or 2026 bill on private security, guard or patrol licensing was introduced or enacted (full LSO bill lists: 556 bills in 2025, 335 in 2026). The only security-guard-related bill, 2026 SF0003 (armed nuclear-facility security guards' authority to detain), failed introduction 0-31. Nothing is enacted with a 2027 effective date. 2026 SF0003 (failed) [10]
• exact date not captured in saved sources (in compilation by 2026)Context for armed guards (not licensing): 2025 HB0172 'Repeal gun free zones and preemption amendments' enacted as Laws 2025 ch. 61; repealed several W.S. 6-8-104(t) no-carry locations and created an offense for prohibiting entry to a person carrying a concealed weapon (relevant to client post orders). Already reflected in the LSO compilation. Laws 2025, ch. 61 (HB0172); W.S. 6-8-104 [10]
• exact date not captured in saved sources (in compilation by 2026)Context for armed guards (not licensing): 2026 HB0096 amended the age requirement for a concealed-carry permit (Laws 2026 ch. 87); current 6-8-104(b)(ii) reads 'at least eighteen (18) years of age'. Laws 2026, ch. 87 (HB0096); W.S. 6-8-104(b)(ii) [9]
• 2025-06-03Gillette City Code Chapter 10 (Licenses and Permits) revised; still no security/guard license. Gillette Ord. No. 4062 [23]

• W.S. 15-1-103(a)(xiii) — General powers of city/town governing bodies: 'License, tax and regulate any business whatsoever conducted or trafficked in within the limits of the city or town for the purpose of raising revenue' (source of municipal licensing power) [5]
• W.S. Title 33 (Professions and Occupations), chapter list — No security guard, private patrol or private investigator chapter (absence; chapters 1-49 listed) [3]
• W.S. 18-2-101 — County general powers (lists no general business-licensing power; context for why no county security licensing was found) [7]
• W.S. 35-15-104; 35-15-107(a)(ii)(J) — Public assemblies of 5,000+ people for 20+ consecutive hours need a Department of Health license; licensee must furnish security guards at 1 per 750 people (event requirement, not a company license) [8]
• W.S. 6-8-104 — Concealed weapons; permits (permitless carry for qualifying persons; security-guard firearms course accepted as proof of familiarity) - context for armed guards [9]
• Cheyenne City Code Title 5, Chapters 5.04, 5.08, 5.48 (Ordinance No. 2996) — Cheyenne business licensing; detective, patrol and guard business [11]
• Laramie Municipal Code Title 5, Chapter 5.72 — Private Security / Patrol business [18]
• Gillette City Code Chapter 10 (rev. Ord. No. 4062, 06-03-2025) — Licenses and Permits - contains no security/guard license [23]

1. Laws 2026) for security-business terms. · retrieved 2026-11-09
2. wy-v-statutes-scan · retrieved 2026-11-09
3. W.S. Title 33 Professions and Occupations - chapter list and Chapter 1 Licensing Generally · retrieved 2026-11-09
4. W.S. Title 33 Chapter 1 Licensing Generally · retrieved 2026-11-09
5. W.S. 15-1-103 General powers of governing bodies (cities and towns) · retrieved 2026-11-09
6. W.S. 15-1-103 General powers of governing bodies · retrieved 2026-11-09
7. W.S. 18-2-101 General powers (counties) · retrieved 2026-11-09
8. W.S. 35-15-101 to 35-15-112 Public assemblies · retrieved 2026-11-09
9. W.S. 6-8-104 Wearing or carrying concealed weapons; penalties; exceptions; permits · retrieved 2026-11-09
10. Wyoming LSO bill-information API: all 2025 and 2026 session bills · retrieved 2026-11-09
11. City of Cheyenne OpenGov licensing portal - record type 6506 'Detective, Patrol or Guard Business/Agency' (plus category list and 6495 Burglar Alarm) · retrieved 2026-11-09
12. City of Cheyenne OpenGov portal record type 6506 · retrieved 2026-11-09
13. City of Cheyenne City Clerk - Business Licensing Applications fee list (WebFetch model extract; curl blocked by Akamai) · retrieved 2026-11-09
14. City of Cheyenne City Clerk - Business Licensing Applications · retrieved 2026-11-09
15. City of Laramie City Clerk - Business Licenses · retrieved 2026-11-09
16. City of Laramie - Business Licenses · retrieved 2026-11-09
17. City of Laramie - Licenses & Permits · retrieved 2026-11-09
18. City of Laramie - Laramie Municipal Code Regarding Licenses (links to LMC chapters incl. Ch. 5.72) · retrieved 2026-11-09
19. City of Laramie - Laramie Municipal Code Regarding Licenses · retrieved 2026-11-09
20. City of Laramie - Business License Info Sheet (8-9-19) · retrieved 2026-11-09
21. City of Casper - Business Licenses · retrieved 2026-11-09
22. City of Casper - Business Licenses · retrieved 2026-11-09
23. City of Gillette City Code Chapter Ten Licenses and Permits (rev. Ord. 4062, 06-03-2025) · retrieved 2026-11-09
24. City of Rock Springs - Business Licenses · retrieved 2026-11-09
25. City of Rock Springs - Business Licenses · retrieved 2026-11-09
26. City of Evanston - Application for City Business & Occupational License 2026 · retrieved 2026-11-09
27. City of Evanston - Application for City Business & Occupational License 2026 · retrieved 2026-11-09
28. City of Sheridan - City Clerk's Office · retrieved 2026-11-09

Compiled from the primary government sources above, retrieved on the dates shown. This page is a research summary, not legal advice. Confirm current requirements with the issuing authority before you file.