Wyoming Alcoholic Beverage and Liquor Control Information

General Information

Wyoming Liquor Commission

1520 East 5th Street
Cheyenne, Wyoming 82002

Phone: (307) 777-7231

Liquor Control

Controlled Alcohol: Wine and Spirits

Pricing

Wyoming Wine Product List (XLS spreadsheet)
In order to see complete product pricing, licensees must register and log in to the eliquor portal to view the price book. However, you can also get pricing from the brokers. Young's Market Company is one of the largest state brokers and lists its catalogs with pricing online. Here is their Wyoming price list for wine and spirits.

Overview of Alcohol Control

The Wyoming Liquor Division (WLD) controls all wholesale operations of wine and spirits within the state. Malt beverages (beer) are sold by private distributors. The WLD stocks over 2000 wine and spirit SKUs in their warehouse in Cheyenne for restaurants, bars, and stores to purchase. In addition to the items WLD keeps in stock, restaurants, and bars can place special orders for products not listed. The minimum order for a special request is one case. Any products brought into the state, including any requested, must be represented by a state licensed broker. The state continually makes adjustments to the products that are stocked and products are delisted if they don't continuously meet monthly sales volume targets.

How to Buy

Restaurants and bars can buy several different ways, including through the state's online portal called eliquor or by submitting a purchase order form. The eliquor web portal is available 24/7 for ordering. The cutoff time for ordering is 12 pm (noon). any orders placed after noon will be fulfilled the next business day.

Products can be picked up from the warehouse or delivered. There is no minimum case requirement for delivery, however, if ordering less than 4 cases, there will be trucking charges between $8.80 and $15.40. Special orders can be made through the online portal or if submitting paper orders, a special order request form can be used. Special orders may take 4-6 weeks to receive. Licensees can order products in quantities less than a case but will be charged a split case fee of $0.40 per bottle/can.

Wyoming Statute requires that licensees mail payment within 24 hours of receiving the products. For convenience, licensees can also complete an ACH form for automatic direct payments to the WLD.

The Wyoming Liquor Division Information page has a wealth of information including necessary forms.

Licenses

Licenses are issues at the local level by the town, city or county, although they are governed by Wyoming Statute. The applicable licenses for restaurants and bars are:

License Type	Description	Fee
Restaurant License	Allows service bar dispensing of alcohol to patrons seated in dining areas of full service restaurants. Alcohol sales cannot exceed 40% of gross sales.	$500 - $3,000
Bar & Grill License	Allows sales of alcohol for on premise consumption. Establishment must have a full service restaurant and has the same restrictions as the restaurant license but allows a bar/lounge.	$1,500 - $10,500
Resort License	Allows sales of alcohol for on premise consumption within the resort. Resort must have an actual building value of $1 million, at least a 100 seat convention facility and a minimum of 100 hotel rooms.	$500 - $3,000
Limited Club License	Allows clubs such as golf, social, veterans, or fraternal organizations to sell alcohol for on premise consumption to members and their accompanied guests.	$100 - $1,500

Restaurants and bars can apply for a license by filling out the New or Transfer Liquor License Application. In addition to completing the application, applicants must also complete a financial statement.

Licensees must renew their licenses annually by completing the Liquor License Renewal Application.

Compliance

The Wyoming Liquor Division has a compliance department and a Chief of Enforcement. This role is empowered by state law to direct inspections and investigations as considered necessary. Commission inspectors may enter and inspect licensed establishments at any time during business hours and in every place where alcoholic beverages are being sold or stored. Inspectors may also examine the records, books of account and stock of licensed establishments. If entry is refused, establishments may lose their license.

Training

Anyone serving alcohol in Wyoming is required to complete a training course every three years. The WLD rules require a minimum of 4 hours of instructional time and passing a written exam with a minimum score of 70%. There are currently nine approved alcohol server education courses.

Legal

Wyoming alcoholic beverage laws are covered under Title 12. State laws give the Wyoming Liquor Division power to establish its own rules in particular areas. These are covered in the Wyoming Department of Revenue Chapter 20 Liquor Division Methodology.

Other Information

The Wyoming State Liquor Association (WSLA) is the trade organization representing both wholesalers and retailers (restaurants, bars, stores, etc...) in the state in matters regarding alcohol.

While wine and spirits purchasing for restaurants and bars is controlled by the state, beer can be purchased by private distributors. Here is the current Wyoming Beer Distributor List.