Wyoming law sets deadlines for certain home building permits

Local governments must tell applicants within ten business days whether an application is complete, then approve or deny a completed application within thirty calendar days. The rules cover certain dwellings and townhouses no more than three stories tall, with no more than 3,000 square feet of finished floor area per unit, and regulated under the local government's adopted residential building code. An application is complete only if it includes all information required by law or local rules. A denial notice must give the reasons for the denial. The application must be filed on or after July 1, 2026. The first notice is due within ten business days after receipt; a decision is due within thirty calendar days after a complete application is submitted. A denial notice is due within seven calendar days after denial.

A local government may pause the thirty-day review period while requested information is outstanding or required state or federal approvals are pending. These rules apply to the thirty-calendar-day deadline for deciding a completed application. The period resumes when the requested information is received or, for agency approvals, when all required approvals are obtained. The applicant and local government may agree in writing to extend the deadline. A pause lasts until the requested information arrives or all required agency approvals are obtained.

If a local government misses the decision deadline, the completed application is deemed approved as submitted; certain requirements added after approval result in a ten percent reduction in application fees. These rules apply to completed applications covered by the permit timeline provisions. A building under an automatically approved permit must still pass safety and code inspections before receiving a certificate of occupancy. The fee reduction applies when requirements or conditions added after approval were not imposed during the initial review. It does not apply when they result from unanticipated property conditions requiring mitigation. Automatic approval takes effect the day after the applicable deadline lapses.