MAY 6, 2025 |
Photo – Wyoming Concealed Carry permit example – Courtesy USACarry.com
In Cheyenne, state officials are moving closer to approving streamline rules to allow members of the public to carry concealed firearms in state-owned public buildings by a July 1 deadline.
In late February, after nearly a decade of trying to pass legislation to repeal the state’s gun-free zones, lawmakers passed Enrolled Act 24, “Wyoming Repeal Gun Free Zones Act.” The new law, which will go into effect this summer, repeals gun-free zones at public schools, community colleges, the University of Wyoming and state-owned government buildings.
Wyoming House passed HB 172 on January 23, 2025, with a decisive vote of 50-10. On February 21, 2025, the state Senate approved the bill by another large margin– 25-6. With these veto proof margins, the governor, who last session vetoed a similar bill, had no chance to stop the bill so he let it become law without his signature. Governor Mark Gordon expressed his displeasure by calling the bill a “legislative power grab.”
The new law will allow individuals with concealed handgun permits to carry firearms in government meetings and buildings, public K-12 schools, and college campuses. The bill does not allow concealed carry in those areas forbidden by federal law. It also doesn’t allow people who are currently students in K-12 schools to carry.
