Wyoming: Where can you buy liquor?
Wyoming's Liquor Division is the only liquor wholesaler, but private businesses with local retail licenses sell liquor to the public.
Retail licensees must buy liquor from the state Liquor Division, with narrow exceptions written into the law. Cities, towns, and counties issue the retail liquor licenses and can limit or prohibit retail sales. No statute found sets up state retail stores, so liquor is sold to the public by privately licensed retailers.
What the law says
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 sell, distribute or receive alcoholic liquors at retail shall purchase any alcoholic liquors from any source other than the division, unless as authorized pursuant to W.S. 12-4-201(j) or as otherwise expressly authorized by state law.
Sources
- Wyo. Stat. § 12-2-301 (FindLaw) Mirror of official text · codes.findlaw.com
- Wyo. Stat. § 12-4-101 (FindLaw) Mirror of official text · codes.findlaw.com
- Wyoming Liquor Division: Contact Official · liquor365.wyo.gov
Confirm with the state
- Agency
- Wyoming Department of Revenue, Liquor Division
- Phone
- 307-777-7231
- Website
- liquor365.wyo.gov
How bordering states compare
- Colorado Private licensed storesColorado licenses private retail liquor stores to sell spirits in sealed containers; the state does not buy or sell liquor.
- Idaho Government-run storesIdaho sells liquor only through state-run liquor stores and state-authorized contract stores supplied by the Idaho State Liquor Division.
- Montana Private agency storesMontana sells liquor through privately owned agency liquor stores under contract with the state, supplied from the state liquor warehouse.
- Nebraska Private licensed storesNebraska licenses privately owned retailers to sell liquor in original packages for off-premises drinking; the state does not sell liquor.
- South Dakota Private licensed storesSouth Dakota licenses private wholesalers and off-sale liquor stores; the state does not sell liquor itself.
- Utah Government-run storesUtah sells liquor in state-run stores staffed by state employees, plus contract package agencies in smaller towns and resorts.