Title 12, Title 12 — Alcoholic Beverages

Definitions. (a) As used in this title: (i) "Alcoholic liquor" means any spirituous or fermented fluid, substance or compound other than malt beverage intended for beverage purposes which contains at least one-half of one percent (.5%) of alcohol by volume. As used in this paragr…

Application of provisions. (a) The general control and regulatory provisions of this title apply to all licenses and permits authorized under this title, unless otherwise provided. (b) Nothing in this title prohibits a liquor supplier operating under a governmental permit or tax …

Wyoming liquor division; created; division administrator; duties. (a) As part of the reorganization of Wyoming state government, the Wyoming liquor division is created within the department of revenue. The division shall consist of the programs and functions specified under this …

Wholesale license for sale of malt beverages only; fee. (a) Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (ii) of this subsection a wholesale license authorizing the sale of malt beverages only may be granted by the division to microbreweries and malt beverage wholesalers resident wi…

Sales by railroads and chartered transportation services; limited transportation liquor license; fees; chartered transportation services defined. (a) The division may authorize sales by railroads and by any charter transportation service. Under the authority of a limited transpor…

Manufacturing and rectifying; importing and industry representatives; licensing; fees. (a) The division shall grant a manufacturer's license authorizing the manufacture or rectification of alcoholic liquor or an importer's license authorizing the importation of alcoholic liquor t…

Out-of-state shipment of manufactured wine; license; fees; restrictions; conditions. (a) Notwithstanding any law, rule or regulation to the contrary, any person currently licensed in its state of domicile as an alcoholic liquor or malt beverage manufacturer, importer, wholesaler …

Generally. (a) Except as provided in W.S. 12-2-203(g), the division is the exclusive wholesale distributor and seller of alcoholic liquor within Wyoming. It is granted the sole right to sell alcoholic liquors at wholesale, and no licensee or permittee who is granted the right to …

Collection of excise taxes; disposition of revenue and fees. (a) The division shall collect all excise taxes provided by this title relating to alcoholic and malt beverages for deposit into the general fund. (b) All other revenue and fees collected by the division shall be deposi…

Purchase and sale of alcoholic liquors; shortages. (a) The Wyoming liquor division shall purchase and sell alcoholic liquors to qualified licensees within the state including, at the discretion of the division, any retail distributors or permittees operating within any military p…

Inspections and examinations; failure to permit entry. (a) The division, through its employees or agents, may enter and inspect at any time every place of business wherein malt or alcoholic beverages are being sold, stored or kept by any licensee or permittee. (b) The division, t…

Sales to violators prohibited; hearing and review. Whenever any licensee is convicted of willfully violating any provision of this title, upon satisfactory proof of the conviction, the division may, after notice and hearing, refuse to sell alcoholic beverages to the licensee. The…

Sales to licensees failing to pay sales tax prohibited; hearing and review. Upon certification by the department of revenue that any licensee is sixty (60) or more days delinquent in paying sales taxes, the division shall not sell alcoholic beverages to the licensee or its operat…

Definitions. (a) As used in this article: (i) "Department" means the department of revenue; (ii) "Program" means an alcohol server training program and examination administered to servers by providers under the provisions of this article; (iii) "Provider" means an individual, ind…

Powers and duties of the department. (a) Not later than December 31, 2003, the department shall promulgate rules establishing an alcohol server training program to train servers to help promote safe and responsible consumption of alcoholic liquor. (b) The rules shall provide for …

Excise tax to be paid; limitation on liquor or malt beverage importation; penalties. (a) An excise tax is assessed and shall be collected by the division equal to three-fourths of one cent ($.0075) per one hundred (100) milliliters (3.4 ounces) or fraction thereof on wine, two an…

Confiscation authorized; disposition; when seizure permitted. (a) When an authorized inspector discovers alcoholic liquors or malt beverages upon which excise taxes have not been paid in the possession of a licensee, he shall take possession of and hold the alcoholic liquors or m…

Authority of cities, towns and counties; population figures; number of available licenses and permits; assessment of fees. (a) Incorporated cities, towns and counties within Wyoming shall license and regulate or prohibit the retail sale of alcoholic and malt beverages under this …

Application for licenses and permits; contents; signature and verification. (a) Any person desiring a license or permit authorized by this title shall apply to the appropriate licensing authority. The application shall be made under oath upon a form to be prepared by the attorney…

Restrictions upon license or permit applicants and holders; license limitation per person. (a) A license or permit authorized by this title shall not be held by, issued or transferred to: (i) Repealed by Laws 2017, ch. 50, § 2. (ii) Repealed by Laws 2017, ch. 50, § 2. (iii) Any p…

Publication of notice; grant or denial; renewal preference; copy of application and notice to division; judicial review. (a) When an application for a license, permit, renewal or any transfer of location or ownership thereof has been filed with a licensing authority, the clerk sh…

Disposition of license fees; refunds prohibited. All fees for licenses and permits issued by a licensing authority paid under this title shall be deposited into the treasury of the licensing authority. No refund of all or any part of a license fee shall be made at any time follow…

Term of license and permit; exception. (a) A license or permit is considered a personal privilege to the holder and the term of the license or permit is for one (1) year unless sooner revoked. When a valid license or permit is determined to be part of the estate of a deceased hol…

Retail liquor licenses and malt beverage permits; population formulas; fees. (a) A retail liquor license is the authority under which a licensee is permitted to sell alcoholic liquor or malt beverages for use or consumption but not for resale, except as otherwise provided for by …

Sales by clubs; license fees; petition; license restrictions. (a) Bona fide clubs as defined by W.S. 12-1-101(a)(iii) may be licensed by the appropriate licensing authority under a limited retail liquor license for which the licensee shall pay a license fee of not less than one h…

Resort retail liquor licenses; authorized; qualifications; provision for licenses issued prior to January 1, 1980. (a) The appropriate licensing authority in a county, city or town may issue resort retail liquor licenses to applicants who are owners or lessees of a resort complex…

Population formula not applicable; contracting for services. (a) The provisions authorizing resort liquor licenses and resort hotel liquor licenses shall have no application to the population formula limiting retail liquor licenses as provided by W.S. 12-4-201. (b) A resort liquo…

Sale of beverages for off-premises consumption prohibited. Resort liquor licensees and resort hotel liquor licensees shall not sell alcoholic or malt beverages for consumption off the premises owned or leased by the licensee, except pursuant to a catering permit. The dispensing o…

Annual fee. The annual fee for a resort liquor license and a resort hotel liquor license shall be not less than five hundred dollars ($500.00) nor more than three thousand dollars ($3,000.00).

Restaurant liquor license; authorized. (a) Restaurants as defined by W.S. 12-1-101(a)(xiv) may be licensed by the appropriate licensing authority in counties, cities and towns under a restaurant liquor license. In addition to the application requirements required by this title, t…

Revenues of licensee to be derived primarily from food services and not the sale of alcoholic beverages; annual report. (a) An applicant for a restaurant liquor license shall satisfy the appropriate licensing authority that the primary source of revenue from the operation of the …

Sale of alcoholic beverages for off-premises consumption prohibited; location, regulation and restrictions on dispensing of liquor; prohibiting certain activities. (a) Except as provided in subsection (e) of this section, restaurant liquor licensees shall not sell alcoholic or ma…

License fee. The annual fee for a restaurant liquor license shall be no more than three thousand dollars ($3,000.00) and no less than five hundred dollars ($500.00).

Bar and grill liquor license; authorized; requirements. (a) Restaurants as defined by W.S. 12-1-101(a)(xiv) may be licensed by the appropriate licensing authority in counties, cities and towns under a bar and grill liquor license. In addition to the application requirements requi…

Winery permits; authorized; conditions; satellite winery permits; direct shipment of wine; fees; off- premises permits. (a) Subject to restrictions imposed under W.S. 12-4-103 excluding W.S. 12-4-103(a)(vi), a local licensing authority may issue a winery permit authorizing a perm…

Microbrewery permits; authorized; conditions; fees. (a) Subject to restrictions imposed under W.S. 12-4-103 excluding W.S. 12-4-103(a)(vi), a local licensing authority may issue a microbrewery permit authorizing a permit holder to brew a malt beverage and dispense the brewed malt…

Resort hotel liquor licenses; authorized; requirements. (a) The appropriate licensing authority in a county, city or town may issue resort hotel liquor licenses to applicants who are owners or lessees of a resort hotel that satisfies all requirements specified in subsection (b) o…

Malt beverage permit for University of Wyoming; fee; rules and regulations. (a) Upon an application to the city of Laramie for a malt beverage permit, the city shall issue a special malt beverage permit to the board of trustees of the University of Wyoming for sale of malt bevera…

Twenty-four hour malt beverage permit and catering permit; restrictions; application procedure; fees. (a) A malt beverage permit authorizing the sale of malt beverages only may be issued by the appropriate licensing authority to any responsible person or organization for sales at…

Special malt beverage permit for public auditoriums, civic centers or events centers. (a) The appropriate licensing authority in a county, city or town may issue a special malt beverage permit to any responsible person or organization for sales of malt beverages at public auditor…

Malt beverage permit for annual state fair. (a) Repealed by Laws 2021, ch. 22, § 3. (b) Repealed by Laws 2021, ch. 22, § 3. (c) Repealed by Laws 2017, ch. 63, § 2.

Malt beverage permit for events conducted at rodeo arenas. (a) Upon application and upon submission of a reasonable malt beverage sales and control plan mutually agreeable to the applicant and the licensing authority, the appropriate licensing authority shall issue a special malt…

Transfer of license location; transfer of ownership; fee. (a) After public hearing and with the approval of the licensing authority, a license or permit may be transferred to or renewed on different premises on the same basis as the original application. An additional license fee…

Annexations; transfer of licensing jurisdiction; licenses transferred exempt from population formula. (a) The licensed premises of a license issued by a county which is located within an area annexed into the corporate limits of a city or town shall be transferred to the licensin…

Annexation of retail liquor license or malt beverage permit into 5-mile zone; renewal. (a) A county retail liquor license having licensed premises located within a five (5) mile zone around an incorporated city or town because of annexation of property shall not be denied an appl…

Transfer or sale of license or permit; attachment, garnishment or execution. No license or permit shall be transferred or sold except as provided by W.S. 12-4-601 and 12-4-602, used for any place not described in the license or permit at the time of issuance or subject to attachm…

Duty to prepare and furnish. The Wyoming attorney general shall prepare and furnish to each city, town and county a form for liquor licenses and malt beverage permits. A license on a form other than as prescribed by the attorney general is invalid.

Signature and attestation; contents; display required. (a) Each license issued by a city or town shall be signed by the mayor and attested by the clerk. Each license issued by a county shall be signed by the chairman of the board of county commissioners and attested by the county…

Hours of sale generally. (a) Repealed by Laws 2017, ch. 50, § 2. (b) Repealed by Laws 2017, ch. 50, § 2. (c) Repealed by Laws 2017, ch. 50, § 2. (d) Local licensing authorities may set hours of operation for alcohol sales provided that the hours of operation are uniformly applied…

Location, regulation and restrictions as to place of sale; inspections. (a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, the principal place in which alcoholic liquor and malt beverages are sold under a license shall be located in the licensed building for which the license is i…