Wyoming Homestead Exemption: Amount, Deadline and How to Apply

Wyoming has two statewide property tax exemptions for owner-occupied homes. The Homeowner Exemption under W.S. 39-11-105(a)(xlvi) exempts 25% of the fair market value of a single family home and its improved land, applied only to the first $1,000,000 of value, and first applied in tax year 2025. The Long-Term Homeowner Exemption under W.S. 39-11-105(a)(xlv) exempts 50% of fair market value, applied only to the first $3,000,000, for owners 65 or older (or with a spouse that age) who have paid Wyoming residential property tax for 25 years, under 2026 HB0045 effective July 1, 2026.

Owners claim both through the Wyoming Department of Revenue's online portal, and the county assessor reviews each claim. The next deadline is March 1, 2027 for tax year 2027. To compare other states, see our guide to homestead exemptions by state.

Information last verified on October 8, 2026. This article has not been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.

Jurisdiction scope: This article covers Wyoming's statewide property tax exemptions for owner-occupied homes under W.S. 39-11-105(a)(xlv) and (xlvi), as enacted by 2025 SF0069 and amended by 2026 HB0045, along with the related assessment-growth exemption, the Veterans Property Tax Exemption, the Property Tax Refund Program, Teton County's tax deferral program and the 2026 ballot initiative. It does not cover the creditor or probate homestead rules in detail, business or agricultural property, or other states.

How much is the Wyoming homestead exemption?

Wyoming's relief for homeowners is a percentage of value, not a flat dollar amount. Which exemption applies depends mainly on the owner's age and how long the owner or spouse has paid Wyoming residential property tax.

The 25% exemption was created by 2025 SF0069, which the Legislature's bill summary lists as Enrolled Act 60, Chapter 106. The enrolled act sets the amount this way:

"The amount of the exemption under this paragraph shall be twentyfive percent (25%) of the fair market value of a single family residential structure and the associated improved land, provided that the exemption shall only apply to the first one million dollars ($1,000,000.00) of the fair market value of the single family residential structure and associated improved land."

The act also states: "The exemption provided by this act shall first apply to the tax year beginning January 1, 2025."

For the long-term exemption, 2026 HB0045 (Enrolled Act 23) changed the base of the 50% exemption from assessed value to fair market value and limited it to the first $3,000,000 of fair market value. The Department of Revenue's program summary lists both exemptions as applying against all taxing entities. This page does not estimate a dollar saving, because the result depends on your home's value and your local levies.

Who is eligible for the 25% Homeowner Exemption?

The Department of Revenue describes the eligible dwelling as a house, modular home, mobile home, townhouse or condominium that is a privately owned single family dwelling unit. From tax year 2026 on, the owner must also live there. SF0069 provides:

"Beginning with tax year 2026 and each tax year thereafter, "single family residential structure" shall mean a single family residential structure as defined in this subparagraph where the person claiming the exemption actually resides for not less than eight (8) months of the year."

If the owner or a member of the owner's immediate family is on active military duty and that service is the reason the owner cannot meet the 8-month requirement, SF0069 says the owner still qualifies if the home is the legal domicile of the service member. For tax year 2027, the Department's portal says that if the property was bought after January 1, 2027, residency at the owner's previous qualifying property may be considered.

The 25% exemption cannot be combined with the long-term exemption on the same home in the same year. SF0069 states that the exemption "shall not be available to any person who has applied for and received the tax exemption provided by paragraph (xlv) of this subsection for the same property in the same tax year."

Who is eligible for the 50% Long-Term Homeowner Exemption?

Under W.S. 39-11-105(a)(xlv) as amended by HB0045, the exemption applies when the owner or the owner's spouse is 65 or older and the owner or spouse has paid residential property tax in Wyoming for 25 years or more on any residential property. The Department of Revenue's portal says those years do not need to be consecutive.

The home must be the owner's primary residence, meaning a home lived in at least 8 months of the year. An owner who moves within the state does not lose the months already lived. HB0045 provides: "If a primary residence is sold and another property is purchased within the state of Wyoming, the months residing in both owner-occupied residences shall apply to the requirements of this exemption."

Only one exemption is allowed per property per year. A surviving spouse of an owner who qualified continues to qualify.

HB0045 also repealed the exemption's former sunset date (2024 Session Laws, Chapter 106, Section 2). The compiled statute on the Legislature's website still prints a note that the paragraph is repealed effective July 1, 2027, but HB0045 removed that sunset.

How and when to apply

Both exemptions are claimed through the Department of Revenue Property Tax Division's online Wyoming Homeowner and Long Term Homeowner Claim portal. For the 25% exemption the owner completes the Wyoming Residential Owner-Occupied Affidavit there. The portal states: "Each application will be reviewed by the taxpayer's local County Assessor to determine eligibility." Land carried on a separate tax account needs its own application.

25% Homeowner Exemption deadline. The Department of Revenue's program summary states: "Notification that the residential property is owner-occupied is required for the 2027 tax year." It lists the deadline to apply as March 1, 2027. For tax year 2026, emergency rules that Governor Gordon signed on February 4, 2026 set a deadline of March 1, 2026 to notify the county assessor of owner-occupied status. The Governor's announcement stated: "To receive the exemption for the 2026 tax year, eligible homeowners must submit an affidavit to their county assessor attesting that they reside in the home they are claiming the exemption for." An owner who did not file by that date should ask the county assessor about tax year 2026. The sources we checked do not say whether the notification must be filed again every year after tax year 2027; ask your county assessor.

50% Long-Term Homeowner Exemption deadline. HB0045 requires the owner to submit a claim to the county assessor by March 1 each year on forms provided by the Department of Revenue. That replaced the former deadline of the fourth Monday in May, so older county materials that show a May date predate the change, which took effect July 1, 2026.

Renewing the long-term exemption. After the first sworn claim, the owner stays qualified in later years by contacting the assessor's office by telephone, mail or another method on or before March 1 and confirming that the owner still meets the requirements. The Department's program summary also says the claim can be renewed on the Department's website.

The assessment-growth exemption (no application)

The Department of Revenue's program summary also lists an exemption for single family residential structures and their associated improved land under W.S. 39-11-105(a)(xliii) and (xliv). The summary states that no application is required and that it applies against all taxing entities.

Under W.S. 39-11-105(a)(xliii) and (xliv), any assessed value of a single family home, and of its associated improved land, above the prior year's assessed value plus 4% is exempt, so taxable assessed value grows by no more than 4% a year. The limit does not apply, and the property is valued at full value, if the owner acquired the property during the prior calendar year. For the house, it also does not apply if the increase comes from new construction or an addition. Certain transfers do not count as an acquisition, including a transfer between spouses, a transfer under a court order or divorce decree, and a transfer to a trust for the prior owner or to a company the prior owner owns. The parcel's assessment record can help; see our guide to Wyoming property records.

Veterans Property Tax Exemption

Wyoming has a Veterans Property Tax Exemption under W.S. 39-13-105. The Department of Revenue's program summary says the application is "Available at local County Assessor's and/or County Treasurer's office, and at Department of Revenue website."

Under W.S. 39-13-105, a veteran who has been a bona fide Wyoming resident for at least 3 years qualifies if the veteran was honorably discharged after serving in a listed war period (from the Indian Wars through the Vietnam War), was honorably discharged and received the armed forces expeditionary medal or another authorized service or campaign medal for service in an armed conflict in a foreign country, or has a compensable service-connected disability certified by the Veterans Administration or a branch of the armed forces. The exemption is limited to $6,000 of assessed value a year, and on real property it applies only to the principal residence. The Department's summary says it may be applied to the property tax on a primary residence or to motor vehicle registration.

A surviving spouse, during widowhood, of a qualifying veteran or of a person who died while serving honorably in a listed period may qualify, as may the surviving parents if there is no surviving spouse. The claimant files a sworn claim with the county assessor by the fourth Monday in May, which is a different date from the March 1 deadline for the homeowner exemptions. In later years, the claimant stays qualified by contacting the assessor's office by the fourth Monday in May to confirm continued eligibility.

Property Tax Refund Program (income-based, when funded)

The Property Tax Refund Program under W.S. 39-13-109(c)(v) refunds part of a homeowner's property tax, but only when the Legislature appropriates money for it. The Department of Revenue describes the refund as "75% of the property tax paid, up to one-half of the median residential property tax amount for the county where the property is located."

For property taxes billed in 2025, the Department's application set the filing deadline as Monday, June 1, 2026, with refund checks to be mailed by September 30, 2026. The program summary lists these eligibility requirements, using 2025 figures:

• The applicant owned and lived in the home at least 9 months of the tax year.
• The applicant has been a Wyoming resident for 5 years.
• The property tax was paid on time.
• Household income is at or below 145% of the median household income for the county or the state, whichever is greater. For 2025, the statewide limit (145% of the statewide median) was $114,043, and some counties have higher limits.
• Other assets are under $169,866 per adult (2025), and the asset test is waived if the tax bill is more than 10% of income.

The refund is scaled by income. Under W.S. 39-13-109(c)(v)(C), the applicant receives 100% of the maximum refund if household income is 125% or less of the applicable median, and 65% of the maximum refund if income is above 125% but not more than 145% of the median.

The Department had not published the forms, deadline or funding for the next cycle (taxes billed in 2026) in the materials we checked. Watch the Department's Property Tax Refund Program page for the next announcement.

A county may also run its own County Optional Property Tax Refund Program under W.S. 39-13-109(c)(vi), in addition to the state program. Applications go to the county treasurer by the second Monday in October, and the county sets the income limit (no more than 145% of the county median) and the asset limit. The Department's summary says the program is active only if the county commissioners appropriate funds, so ask your county treasurer whether it runs in your county.

Teton County tax deferral (local only)

A county may offer a program to defer, not refund or credit, property taxes on a qualifying residence, and interest does not accrue on deferred taxes. The Department of Revenue's summary states: "Currently, only Teton County authorizes the program for residents of Teton County."

The Department lists the Teton County requirements as a principal residence on under 40 acres, limited income, age over 62 or a disability, and 10 years of ownership, with applications due to the county assessor by November 10. This program is not available in other Wyoming counties.

Losing the exemption and false claims

The long-term exemption continues only while the owner confirms eligibility with the assessor by March 1 each year, and the 25% exemption depends on the 8-month residency rule. For the long-term exemption, HB0045 states: "False claims are punishable as provided by W.S. 6-5-303." Under W.S. 6-5-303, knowingly making a false affidavit under oath, or knowingly submitting a false claim with intent to defraud, is a felony punishable by up to 2 years in prison, a fine of up to $2,000, or both. The 25% exemption is also claimed by a sworn affidavit. We did not review any back-tax rule for this update.

The November 3, 2026 ballot: Proposed Initiative Proposition Number One

Proposed Initiative Proposition Number One is on the November 3, 2026 general election ballot. It is not law unless voters approve it. The Secretary of State's ballot language describes it as "Establishing a property tax exemption for qualified homeowners' primary residence in the amount of fifty percent (50%) of the assessed value of the dwelling."

As described by the Secretary of State, the initiative would require one year of Wyoming residency, six months in the home in the prior tax year, a sworn claim by the fourth Monday in May, and annual confirmation. The Secretary of State's fiscal estimate projects a state revenue decrease of $92,614,266 in fiscal year 2028 and $95,855,766 in fiscal year 2029, and notes that "if passed in 2026 the earliest applicable tax year would be 2027, with impact to the state beginning in 2028."

The Legislature has already addressed overlap. HB0045 provides: "If the secretary of state certifies to the department of revenue that the voters have approved an initiative implementing a homeowner's property tax exemption and the exemption is enacted into law, an owner who qualifies and applies for an exemption under this paragraph shall not qualify for the exemption under the initiative."

Homestead protection from creditors is a different law

The 25% and 50% exemptions reduce property tax only. Protection of home equity from creditors or in bankruptcy is a different law with its own rules, and it does not lower a tax bill.

Under W.S. 1-20-101, every Wyoming resident is entitled to a homestead worth up to $100,000 that is exempt from execution and attachment for any debt, contract or civil obligation. The protection applies only while the owner or the owner's family occupies the home, and when two or more people jointly own and occupy the same residence, each is entitled to the exemption (W.S. 1-20-102). The homestead can be a house on land of any number of acres, or a house trailer or other movable home (W.S. 1-20-104).

Wyoming's exemption chapter (W.S. 1-20-101 to 1-20-111) has no requirement to file or record a homestead declaration. The exemption does not protect the home against a debt for its own purchase money, and the person claiming it must be a bona fide Wyoming resident (W.S. 1-20-108). W.S. 1-20-109 provides that the federal bankruptcy exemptions in 11 U.S.C. 522(d) are not available where Wyoming law applies and the debtor's domicile has been in Wyoming for the 180 days before the petition, or for longer than anywhere else in that period. For more, see our Wyoming bankruptcy guide.

A different figure, $30,000 under W.S. 2-7-508, applies only inside the Probate Code, when a court sets the homestead apart for a surviving spouse or minor children after a death. For a surviving spouse's rights in the family home after a death, see our Wyoming probate guide.

Related

• Homestead exemptions by state
• Wyoming bankruptcy laws
• Wyoming probate laws
• Wyoming property records

This article provides general legal information about Wyoming property tax exemptions under W.S. 39-11-105 and related Wyoming law, verified on October 8, 2026. It is not tax or legal advice. For your specific situation, contact your county assessor, the Wyoming Department of Revenue, or a lawyer licensed in Wyoming.

Last updated: October 8, 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is the homestead exemption in Wyoming?

Wyoming has two statewide exemptions for owner-occupied homes. The Homeowner Exemption, W.S. 39-11-105(a)(xlvi), exempts 25% of fair market value on the first $1,000,000 of value (first applied tax year 2025). The Long-Term Homeowner Exemption, W.S. 39-11-105(a)(xlv) as amended by 2026 HB0045, exempts 50% of fair market value on the first $3,000,000 for owners 65 or older with 25 years of Wyoming residential property tax paid.

When is the deadline to file for the homestead exemption in Wyoming?

For the 25% Homeowner Exemption, the Department of Revenue lists a deadline of March 1, 2027 for tax year 2027 (for tax year 2026, emergency rules set the deadline at March 1, 2026). For the 50% Long-Term Homeowner Exemption, HB0045 (effective July 1, 2026) sets the claim deadline at March 1 each year.

Is the Wyoming 25% homeowner exemption automatic?

Not from tax year 2026 on. Beginning with tax year 2026 the owner must live in the home at least 8 months of the year. Emergency rules signed by the Governor required an affidavit to the county assessor by March 1, 2026 for tax year 2026, and the Department of Revenue says owner-occupied notification is required for tax year 2027, due March 1, 2027, through its online portal.

Do I have to reapply for the homestead exemption every year in Wyoming?

For the long-term exemption, after the first sworn claim the owner must contact the county assessor by March 1 each year to confirm continued eligibility (W.S. 39-11-105(a)(xlv) as amended by HB0045). For the 25% exemption, notification was required by March 1, 2026 for tax year 2026 under emergency rules, and the Department of Revenue states the notification requirement for tax year 2027; the sources we checked do not say whether it must be refiled every year after that, so ask your county assessor.

Who is eligible for the Wyoming long-term homeowner exemption?

An owner whose primary residence is in Wyoming, who is 65 or older or whose spouse is, when the owner or spouse has paid Wyoming residential property tax for 25 years or more on any residential property. The Department of Revenue says the years do not have to be consecutive.

Can I get both the 25% and the 50% exemption in Wyoming?

No, not on the same property in the same tax year. Under W.S. 39-11-105(a)(xlvi), the 25% exemption is not available to anyone who applied for and received the long-term exemption under paragraph (xlv) for the same property in the same tax year.

Is the 50% Wyoming property tax initiative law?

No. Proposed Initiative Proposition Number One is on the November 3, 2026 general election ballot and is not law unless voters approve it. The Secretary of State says that if it passes in 2026, the earliest applicable tax year would be 2027.

Does Wyoming have a property tax exemption for veterans?

Yes. Wyoming has a Veterans Property Tax Exemption (W.S. 39-13-105). The Department of Revenue says the application is available at the county assessor's or treasurer's office and on its website; it exempts up to $6,000 of assessed value a year for qualifying veterans who have been Wyoming residents for at least 3 years, applies on real property only to the principal residence, and requires a sworn claim with the county assessor by the fourth Monday in May.

Does the Wyoming homestead exemption protect my house from creditors?

The 25% and 50% property tax exemptions do not protect a home from creditors. A separate law, W.S. 1-20-101, protects a Wyoming resident's homestead up to $100,000 in value from execution and attachment while the owner or the owner's family occupies it, with no acreage limit. It does not apply against a debt for the home's purchase money (W.S. 1-20-108). For bankruptcy, see our Wyoming bankruptcy guide or talk with a Wyoming lawyer.