Wyoming Private Investigator License Requirements

Wyoming has no state PI license. The Division of Criminal Investigation’s FAQ answers “No, but some municipalities may regulate private investigators and security alarm companies via city ordinance.” Check each city where you plan to work.

Wyoming PI license FAQ

Does Wyoming require a state PI license?

No.

Can cities regulate investigators?

Yes, some municipalities do through city ordinance.

Verified against: Wyoming DCI PI FAQs. Reviewed October 13, 2026.

What a private investigator in Wyoming can and can’t do

A PI license or local permit is a business license, not police authority. In Wyoming, as everywhere in the U.S., private investigators generally cannot:

• Impersonate law enforcement or claim official authority.
• Trespass on private property to watch or photograph someone.
• Obtain bank, phone or other protected records by pretexting, which federal law prohibits.
• Hack accounts, read someone else’s email or install spyware.
• Place a tracking device on a vehicle where state law forbids it.
• Detain or arrest anyone beyond the citizen’s arrest rights every person has.

On recording, Wyoming is not on the list of all-party consent states in a 2024 legal summary by the law firm Kilpatrick, which generally means one party to a conversation can record it. That does not allow recording conversations you are not part of, and other privacy laws still apply.

Cheyenne and other local licenses

Wyoming leaves the regulation of investigators to its cities, and the one most investigators run into is Cheyenne. Surety providers that write the city’s bond report that Chapter 5.48 of the Cheyenne Municipal Code requires detective, patrol and guard businesses operating in the city to hold a city business license and to file a $10,000 surety bond with the application. We could not open the city code itself, so confirm the current requirements, fees and renewal date with the Cheyenne City Clerk before you take work inside city limits.

Outside Cheyenne, ask the clerk in each town where you plan to work; ordinances change and are rarely publicized. A PI business is still a business everywhere in the state: the Division of Criminal Investigation notes that firms may need to register with the Secretary of State and, if they are subject to state revenue laws, with the Department of Revenue.

Carrying a firearm in Wyoming

Wyoming has allowed concealed carry without a permit since July 1, 2011, for adults who would otherwise qualify for a state permit (W.S. 6-8-104(a)(iv)). House Bill 116, effective July 1, 2021, removed the Wyoming residency requirement, so qualifying U.S. residents from other states can now carry concealed without a permit as well.

Because Wyoming has no state PI license, it has no “armed investigator” credential either. An investigator who carries does so under the same rules as any other adult, including the locations the statute places off-limits even to permit holders. A Wyoming concealed firearm permit is still worth considering if your cases cross state lines: the fee is $50, other states that recognize Wyoming permits will honor it, and the NRA’s legal summary notes that a valid Wyoming permit exempts the holder from the federal NICS check when buying a firearm. Clients, insurers and property owners can also set their own rules for armed contractors, so ask before you carry on an assignment.

GPS trackers and electronic surveillance in Wyoming

Since July 1, 2022, Wyoming’s stalking law has expressly covered electronic tracking. Senate File 100 added W.S. 6-2-506(b)(iv), under which stalking can include using an electronic, digital or GPS device, or other electronic means, to place someone under surveillance or to monitor their internet or wireless activity without their authorization, when it is done with intent to harass.

Before that change, Wyoming Public Media reported that prosecutors had told one police chief GPS tracking devices were not illegal under Wyoming law, even when used to harass. The amendment closed that gap for stalking cases. The practical rule for investigators: don’t put a tracker on a vehicle or device your client doesn’t own, get the owner’s written consent when you do use one, and never track someone who is, or may become, the target of harassment. Civil invasion-of-privacy claims and federal law still apply.

Getting public records in Wyoming

Much of a Wyoming investigator’s research runs through the Public Records Act, W.S. 16-4-201 through 16-4-205. Requests go to each agency’s designated public records person, and the act requires release within 30 calendar days unless there is good cause for delay. Agencies may charge reasonable production costs, and records the law makes confidential, including many investigative files, will be withheld or redacted.

Working cases in neighboring states

Wyoming sits in an unusual neighborhood. Three of its six neighbors, Colorado, Idaho and South Dakota, also have no statewide PI license. The other three do: Montana measures experience in hours (5,400), Nebraska runs its exam through the Secretary of State, and Utah moved licensing to its Division of Professional Licensing in September 2026. If a surveillance follows a subject across one of those lines, or a client asks you to work there, check that state’s rules before you do.

Building a career as a Wyoming investigator

Knowing the rules in Wyoming is only the first step. Our guide to becoming a private investigator covers what comes after: building qualifying experience, choosing a niche, a realistic first year, writing reports clients trust, and the most common reasons license applications get delayed. For earnings, see our private investigator salary guide.

Starter gear. A practical starting point for surveillance work is a long-zoom camera such as the Nikon Coolpix P1000 and a pair of binoculars like the Vortex Diamondback HD 10×42. Our private investigator equipment list covers the rest of a starter kit.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a license to be a private investigator in Wyoming?

Not at the state level. Wyoming has no state PI license, but some cities regulate investigators by ordinance.

How long does it take to become a PI in Wyoming?

Setup can take days or weeks; building experience and clients takes longer.

Do security firms need a Wyoming license?

No state license, according to DCI, though they may need to register with the Secretary of State or Department of Revenue, and some cities regulate them.

Can a private investigator carry a gun in Wyoming?

Yes, under the same rules as any other adult. Wyoming allows permitless concealed carry for people who would qualify for a permit, and there is no separate armed-PI license.

Is it legal to put a GPS tracker on a car in Wyoming?

Tracking someone without authorization can be stalking under W.S. 6-2-506 if done to harass. Investigators should track only vehicles their client owns, with written consent.