Wyoming
Weird Laws in Wyoming: Which Are Still on the Books?
Independently fact-checked against primary sources (last audited October 21, 2026). · 5 primary sources cited on this page. How we verify our legal content
Four of the five Wyoming claims checked here come from mines, ranches, rivers and scrap yards. We checked five claims from popular lists against the Wyoming Statutes as of October 21, 2026. Four are on the books, though one is worded more narrowly than the lists suggest, and one was not found. For other states, see our guide to weird laws by state.
Weird laws in Wyoming: the verdicts
Each claim below was checked against the Wyoming code and, where it names a town, the local code. 5 claims checked.
The claim: It is illegal to shoot fish (fishing with a firearm).
What the law says: Wyoming bars taking, wounding or destroying any fish with a firearm of any kind. A violation is a low misdemeanor (up to $1,000 and six months).
“No person shall take, wound or destroy any fish of Wyoming with a firearm of any kind or nature.”
Penalty: Low misdemeanor under W.S. 23-6-202(a)(v): up to $1,000 fine and up to six months imprisonment (23-3-201(f)).
No court opinion in our database cites this section.
Primary source · Checked October 21, 2026.
The claim: Wearing a hat that blocks the view in a theater is illegal.
What the law says: No Wyoming state statute found about hats in theaters or places of amusement. Listicles repeat the claim with no citation, and a city ordinance cannot be ruled out.
No state law found in the Wyoming code as of October 21, 2026.
How we searched
We searched the full text of the Wyoming Statutes for any rule on hats in theaters or places of amusement, and read the public order article and the public accommodations chapter of the criminal code.
Parts of the code read
- Wyoming Statutes Title 6, Chapter 6, Article 1 (disturbances of public order, including breach of the peace)
- Wyoming Statutes Title 6, Chapter 9 (public accommodations)
No town code was checked for this claim.
Primary source · Checked October 21, 2026.
The claim: Getting drunk in a mine can mean a year in prison.
What the law says: Entering a mine, smelter, metallurgical works, machine shop or sawmill (or a connected building where miners or workers are employed) while under the influence of intoxicating liquor, or carrying liquor into one or into a logging or grading camp, is a misdemeanor: a fine of up to $500, to which up to one year in county jail may be added. The text covers entering while intoxicated, not getting drunk inside a mine.
“Whoever shall, while under the influence of intoxicating liquor, enter any mine, smelter, metallurgical works, machine shops or sawmills ... shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction shall be fined in any sum not exceeding five hundred dollars ($500.00) to which may be added imprisonment in the county jail for a term not exceeding one (1) year.”
Penalty: Misdemeanor: "fined in any sum not exceeding five hundred dollars ($500.00) to which may be added imprisonment in the county jail for a term not exceeding one (1) year."
No court opinion in our database cites this section.
Primary source · Checked October 21, 2026.
The claim: Junk dealers may not do business with drunk people.
What the law says: A person or business buying or selling junk metals, rubber, rags or paper may not purchase articles from anyone who appears intoxicated or is known to have a larceny or theft conviction. Violating junk dealers face fines of $50 to $200 or up to 60 days in county jail for a first offense.
“No person, firm or corporation engaged in the buying or selling of junk metals, rubber, rags or paper, shall purchase any articles from any person appearing to be intoxicated, nor from any person known to have been convicted of larceny or theft ...”
Penalty: 33-18-106: first offense fine $50-$200 or county jail up to 60 days or both; later offenses $100-$300 or 30-90 days.
No court opinion in our database cites this section.
Primary source · Checked October 21, 2026.
The claim: Cutting a sheep's ear more than halfway is illegal.
What the law says: Wyoming makes it a felony to willfully cut, sever, detach or mutilate more than half of either ear of a sheep, or to possess sheep with more than half an ear removed unless a bill of sale or title describes them that way. Sheep with bighead are exempt.
“It is unlawful for any person willfully to cut, sever, detach or mutilate more than one-half (1/2) of either ear of any sheep or to unlawfully have in his possession or under his control any sheep which have more than one-half (1/2) of either ear removed or mutilated unless the same are so described in a bill of sale or other certificate of title covering the sheep.”
Penalty: felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than five years (11-30-113(b), per corpus text).
No court opinion in our database cites this section.
Primary source · Checked October 21, 2026.
Checked October 21, 2026. This is legal history and information, not legal advice. Laws change; the linked official text is the authority.
No shooting fish
The fishing claim is accurate. Wyo. Stat. 23-3-201(d) reads: "No person shall take, wound or destroy any fish of Wyoming with a firearm of any kind or nature." Under 23-3-201(f), a violation is a low misdemeanor as defined in 23-6-202(a)(v), carrying a fine of up to $1,000 and up to six months in jail.
Liquor and the workplace
Two of Wyoming's real laws put alcohol and work together, one at the mine entrance and one at the scrap yard counter.
Entering a mine drunk
The claim says getting drunk in a mine can mean a year in prison. Wyo. Stat. 35-10-402 is close, but the details shift. It makes it a misdemeanor to "enter any mine, smelter, metallurgical works, machine shops or sawmills" while under the influence of intoxicating liquor, including connected buildings where miners or workers are employed. It also covers carrying liquor into those places, or into a logging or grading camp.
The penalty is a fine of not more than $500, "to which may be added imprisonment in the county jail for a term not exceeding one (1) year." So the year is in county jail, not prison, and the offense is entering while intoxicated rather than getting drunk once inside.
Junk dealers and intoxicated sellers
The junk dealer claim holds up. Under Wyo. Stat. 33-18-105, no person or business buying or selling junk metals, rubber, rags or paper may purchase articles "from any person appearing to be intoxicated, nor from any person known to have been convicted of larceny or theft."
Under 33-18-106, a first offense brings a fine of $50 to $200, up to 60 days in county jail, or both. Later offenses bring $100 to $300 or 30 to 90 days.
Sheep ears
The sheep-ear claim is real and serious. Wyo. Stat. 11-30-113 provides:
It is unlawful for any person willfully to cut, sever, detach or mutilate more than one-half (1/2) of either ear of any sheep or to unlawfully have in his possession or under his control any sheep which have more than one-half (1/2) of either ear removed or mutilated unless the same are so described in a bill of sale or other certificate of title covering the sheep.
Possession counts too, unless a bill of sale or certificate of title describes the sheep that way. Sheep with bighead are exempt. The offense is a felony punishable by up to five years in prison.
Hats in theaters
No Wyoming state statute about wearing a hat that blocks the view in a theater or other place of amusement was found. We searched the full text of the Wyoming Statutes for any rule on hats in theaters, and read the public order article of the criminal code, which includes breach of the peace (Title 6, Chapter 6, Article 1), and the public accommodations chapter (Title 6, Chapter 9).
The lists that repeat this claim give no citation. A city ordinance cannot be ruled out, because no city code was checked.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it illegal to shoot fish in Wyoming?
Wyo. Stat. 23-3-201(d) says no person shall take, wound or destroy any fish of Wyoming with a firearm of any kind or nature. A violation is a low misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 and up to six months in jail.
Is it illegal to be drunk in a mine in Wyoming?
Wyo. Stat. 35-10-402 makes it a misdemeanor to enter a mine, smelter, metallurgical works, machine shop or sawmill while under the influence of intoxicating liquor, or to carry liquor into one or into a logging or grading camp. The penalty is a fine of up to $500, to which up to one year in county jail may be added.
Is it illegal to cut a sheep's ear in Wyoming?
Wyo. Stat. 11-30-113 makes it unlawful to willfully cut, sever, detach or mutilate more than half of either ear of a sheep, or to possess sheep with more than half an ear removed unless a bill of sale or certificate of title describes them that way. Sheep with bighead are exempt. It is a felony punishable by up to five years in prison.
Can junk dealers buy from drunk people in Wyoming?
Wyo. Stat. 33-18-105 says no person or business buying or selling junk metals, rubber, rags or paper shall purchase articles from any person appearing to be intoxicated or known to have been convicted of larceny or theft. A first offense carries a fine of $50 to $200, up to 60 days in county jail, or both.
Is it illegal to wear a hat in a Wyoming theater?
No Wyoming state statute about hats that block the view in theaters or places of amusement was found as of October 21, 2026. City codes were not checked, so a local ordinance cannot be ruled out.
Updates
Independently fact-checked against the cited primary sources
Sources and References
- Wyo. Stat. § 23-3-201, Wyoming Legislature(wyoleg.gov).gov
- Wyo. Stat. § 35-10-402, Wyoming Legislature(wyoleg.gov).gov
- Wyo. Stat. § 33-18-105, Wyoming Legislature(wyoleg.gov).gov
- Wyo. Stat. § 11-30-113, Wyoming Legislature(wyoleg.gov).gov
- Wyoming Statutes Title 6, Chapter 6, Article 1 (disturbances of public order)(wyoleg.gov).gov