Wyoming Contractor License

For many who venture into the contractor industry in Wyoming, navigating the rules and regulations of licensing can feel confusing. Because the state lacks a universal contractor license, each municipality must decide on its own guidelines while the state retains oversight of some specialty contractor licenses.

This article explains who needs a Wyoming contractor license, how to complete the application process, and if your business will need to meet any additional licensing requirements.

Do You Need a Contractor License

There are almost no statewide licensing regulations that’ll apply to you as a contractor in Wyoming because individual municipalities typically handle licensing requirements in this state. This means you may be able to offer services as a building contractor, roofer, or plumber in Wyoming without the need for a statewide license.

However, possessing a license in one municipality doesn’t guarantee you the ability to operate in another. You may need separate licenses for each city or county you plan to serve, depending on each municipality’s specific regulations.

If your contracting business plans to offer any electrical work to clients (e.g., wiring new buildings or setting up electrical outlets), it’ll also need to carry a specific state-issued professional license from the Wyoming Department of Fire Prevention and Electrical Safety.

This Department offers many electrical safety licenses with a number of them, such as the master and journeyman electrician licenses, having strict experience and examination requirements. In order to avoid disappointment, many contractors use online study resources to help them prepare for the licensing exams.

How to Get a Contractor License in Wyoming

Becoming a general contractor in Wyoming is relatively straightforward because the state doesn’t mandate contractors hold any trade licenses. The only exception to this general rule is for electrical contractors, who need to apply for a specific statewide license in Wyoming in order to operate legally.

Below, you’ll learn how to get licensed as an electrical contractor in Wyoming. While the specifics of each of these steps will vary based on the precise electrical license your business needs, you will generally need to take the following steps.

Step 1: Choose Your Business Structure

Before starting the application process for a contractor license, you’ll first need to decide on the structure of your business. Since this decision will impact your liability, tax obligations, and how you run your business, it’s vital you’re informed about the details of each structure so that you can effectively determine which one is best suited to your needs.

Many contracting businesses in Wyoming, particularly smaller ones, decide to structure themselves as a limited liability company (LLC) because it grants them tax flexibility, limited liability protection, and credibility in the eyes of their clients.

Step 2: Meet the Basic Requirements

After forming your business, you’ll need to confirm that you meet the minimum basic requirements. While the specifics of these requirements will vary depending on the license you are trying to obtain, you’ll generally need to:

• Be at least 18 years of age
• Be a US citizen or legally reside in the country
• Have no convictions of a disqualifying offense
• Demonstrate a certain number of hours of on-the-job training, and experience. For example, applicants for the journeyman license must demonstrate evidence of 8,000 hours of work experience in the area of electrical wiring

Note: Some licenses (e.g., a master electrician license) will require you to have held a more junior qualification in that industry for a certain amount of time. In this state, applicants must have held a journeyman’s license for at least two years before applying to become a master electrician.

Step 3: Submit an Application

Once you’ve confirmed that you meet the basic requirements of the license your business needs, the next step is to complete and submit the appropriate application form to the Wyoming Department of Fire Prevention and Electrical Safety along with any associated fees.

You have four different electrical certification options in Wyoming, including:

• Apprenticeship License: This is the license for a brand new contractor with anything from no experience to two years of experience in the electrical wiring industry
• Low-Voltage/Limited Technician License: This license is for a person with two years (4,000 hours) of experience in the electrical wiring industry
• Journeyman Electrician License: To qualify for this license, you must have four years (8,000 hours) of experience in the electrical wiring industry and complete a Department of Labor-approved apprenticeship training program
• Master Electrician License: These licensed professionals must have eight years (16,000 hours) of experience in the electrical wiring industry — of which half of that time must be as a documented journeyman electrician

Note: You can find more information about the specific licensing process for each of these certifications on the Department of Fire Prevention and Electrical Safety website.

Step 4: Pass a Licensing Exam

While not required for all electrician licenses, many licenses in Wyoming do require applicants to pass a licensing exam in order to qualify. While there’s no exam requirement for apprentice electricians, for example, limited technicians, journeymen, and master electricians all must take an exam after the Department of Fire Prevention and Electrical Safety approves their application.

Many candidates struggle with these exams because they’ll often test both their knowledge of the trade and their understanding of Wyoming’s specific regulations and laws.

To avoid this, many applicants take advantage of online study guides and preparatory courses in order to get ready for these exams.

Step 5: Satisfy Insurance Requirements

In order to protect both your business and the client in case of accidents and damages, most contractors in Wyoming will need to obtain insurance coverage before they get licensed. Wyoming Workforce Services is a department of the state government that provides various insurance programs to Wyoming contractors and contracting businesses, such as unemployment insurance and workers’ compensation.

Obtaining a surety bond is another great way to protect your business from the financial harm of its liabilities. While it’s not a requirement for contractors in Wyoming, it’s a wise investment as it can enable you to work as a contractor in states where this requirement is present, such as California, Nevada, and Oregon.

Step 6: Keep Your Contractor License Valid

Once you obtain your electrical contractor license, it’s essential to keep it active in order to continue offering your services without interruption. This will involve renewing it every three years by July 1 and paying the associated renewal fees through the Wyoming State Fire Marshal’s online portal.

Congratulations! You’ve now successfully obtained the professional license needed to work as a contractor in Wyoming. However, your licensing journey doesn’t end here, as there are additional licensing requirements your business will need to satisfy in order to operate legally.

Other Licenses You May Need

Below, we’ve explored the various additional licenses and permits that your Wyoming contractor business may need in more detail.

State Business Licenses

While general contractor licenses aren’t required at a state level in Wyoming, there are certain state business licenses you may need to obtain before you can get up and running.

First, all businesses in Wyoming — regardless of their entity type — must register with the Secretary of State’s office through its online portal. This involves confirming that your business’s chosen name is available and paying an application fee that ranges from $50 to $100.

Because the building materials and services your general contractor business will provide to its clients as part of a construction project are generally taxable, you’ll likely also need a sales tax license.

To better understand your general contractor business’s licensing requirements, check out our Wyoming Business License guide for a more detailed explanation.

Note: This overview only covers the most common statewide business licenses you may need. Your specific business licensing requirements may vary, depending on the city and county in which you’re based.

City and Municipal Licenses

Many local municipalities often impose their own additional requirements that you may be required to satisfy for your business to operate legally in that area.

In Cheyenne, for example, most contractors must possess a license granted by the city’s Compliance Department. Both general and specialty contractors need to obtain this license as well as either be or employ a “qualified supervisor” — an individual who’s passed an exam and obtained a specific amount of qualifying experience.

While some cities do share reciprocity in their contracting licenses, you shouldn’t rely on this when looking to get your business licensed. If your contracting business will operate in a number of different Wyoming cities, it may need to submit contractor license applications for each municipality.

Note: Visit the Wyoming Association of Municipalities website to find your city’s government website and read more about its specific licensing requirements.