Hides and Carcasses

Wyo. Stat. Ann. tit. 11, ch. 23
in effect

Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 11-23-102 Only inspected livestock to be slaughtered; record of cattle slaughtered.

(a) It is unlawful for any person operating any slaughterhouse, packing plant or rendering plant in Wyoming to slaughter or cause to be slaughtered any horses, mules or cattle before each animal has been inspected for brands and ownership by an authorized Wyoming brand inspector not more than seven (7) days before slaughter. (b) Every person engaged in slaughtering cattle shall keep a record of all cattle slaughtered, naming the person from whom the cattle were purchased, his place of residence and the age, sex and brands of the cattle slaughtered. The record shall at all times be open for inspection by any person. (c) If a hide is sold to a hide buyer, the bill of sale shall accompany the hide and shall be available for inspection by an authorized Wyoming brand inspector, department inspector, sheriff or deputy sheriff during regular business hours for not less than two (2) years from the date of the sale of the hide.

Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 11-23-103 Purchase of unstamped carcass prohibited.

It is unlawful for any person to purchase from any other person the carcass or any part thereof of any cattle unless the carcass or part purchased is stamped as provided by law. The district court of the county wherein the sale or purchase takes place has jurisdiction of the offense.

Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 11-23-105 Penalties.

Any person violating any provision of W.S. 11-23-102 and 11-23-103 shall be fined not less than seven hundred seventy-five dollars ($775.00) or more than one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500.00), or imprisoned for not more than one (1) year, or both.

Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 11-23-106 "Cold storage locker plant" defined; stamp on tag; certificate in lieu of stamp; filing and inspection of certificate; penalties.

(a) "Cold storage locker plant" means any place, premises or establishment where facilities for the cold storage and preservation of human food in separate and individual compartments are offered to the public upon a rental or other basis for private profit. (b) No operator or employee of any cold storage locker plant in Wyoming shall accept from any person for processing, quick freeze or cold storage any beef, mutton, lamb or pork unless it is properly stamped or tagged showing it to have been lawfully slaughtered, or in the absence of a proper stamp or tag the person offering the meat may deposit at the time with the operator or his employee a signed certificate stating: (i) The owner of the meat; (ii) The kind of meat; (iii) The weight of the meat; and (iv) The name and address of the person from whom acquired or if slaughtered by the person offering same, the date and place of slaughter. (c) The certificate shall be kept on file by the operator for one (1) year from its date and be made available for inspection upon request of any law enforcement officer or authorized representative of the board. (d) Any person violating this section or making any false statement in the certificate shall be punished as provided in W.S. 11-1-103.

Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 11-23-107 Killing of horses for meat; unmutilated hide or certificate of inspection to be produced; penalties.

(a) Any person who kills any horse for the purpose of using, selling or offering for sale the meat or carcass for tankage, or for the purpose of feeding the same to domestic stock or to fur bearing animals, must produce on demand of any inspector or peace officer either the unmutilated hide of the animal killed or a certificate of inspection of the hide, issued by a livestock inspector. (b) Any person violating this section shall be fined not less than seven hundred seventy-five dollars ($775.00) or more than one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500.00), or imprisoned for not more than one (1) year, or both.

Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 11-23-108 Mutilation of hide from horse; penalties; allegations in prosecutions.

(a) Any person who willfully or maliciously mutilates, destroys or conceals any hide from any horse, mule, jack, jennet, bovine animal, goat, hog or sheep with the intent to remove evidence of ownership of the hide or the animal from which the hide was removed, shall be fined not less than seven hundred seventy-five dollars ($775.00) nor more than one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500.00), or imprisoned not more than one (1) year, or both. (b) In any prosecution for the violation of this section it is not necessary for the state to allege in the complaint or information the ownership of the hide or the animal from which the hide was removed, but it is sufficient to allege that the owner of the hide or the animal from which the hide was removed is unknown and that the hide or animal is not the property of the defendant.

Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 11-23-201 Hide buyer; designation.

Any person engaged in the purchase and sale of hides within this state shall be known and designated as a hide buyer.

Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 11-23-202 Hide buyer; bill of sale required; contents; copy to seller.

A hide buyer shall require every person from whom he purchases hides or pelts to deliver to him a bill of sale for the hides and pelts, executed in duplicate. One (1) copy shall be retained by the seller and the other copy shall be kept by the hide buyer and exhibited upon demand of any inspector, sheriff or deputy sheriff. The bill of sale shall describe by brand or mark the hides and pelts sold and the date of sale.

Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 11-23-203 Hide buyer; record of purchases to be kept; contents; inspection by sheriff.

Every hide buyer in this state shall keep a true record of all hides and pelts purchased by him, showing the name of the seller of the hides or pelts, the date of purchase and all brands and other identification marks on the hides and pelts for not less than two (2) years from the date of purchase. The record shall be open for inspection by the sheriff or his deputy in his county and any livestock inspector.

Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 11-23-204 Hide buyer; inspection for interstate commerce; certificate; fee.

It is unlawful for any hide buyer within this state to ship or haul any hides or pelts out of Wyoming unless the hides or pelts have been inspected by a livestock inspector and a certificate of inspection given therefor. The certificate shall state the date of inspection, the number of hides and pelts and the brands and other identification marks thereon. The hide buyer shall pay to the inspector the fee prescribed by law for each certificate of inspection issued to him.

Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 11-23-206 Stock killed by transportation company.

When any livestock is killed by a transportation company within this state, the company shall cause the hides from all animals killed to be inspected by an inspector, except where the owner or his agent or employee has seen and identified the animals.

Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 11-23-207 Penalties.

Any person violating any provision of W.S. 11-23-202 through 11-23-206 shall be punished as provided in W.S. 11-1-103.

Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 11-23-301 Generally; exceptions.

With the consent of the owner, unless removal is contrary to state, county or local sanitary regulations or in the opinion of the state veterinarian might result in spreading contagious or infectious disease or threaten the health of human beings, animals or poultry, carcasses of animals may be transported to any rendering plant legally operating without prior inspection for brands and ownership. The operator of a rendering plant within this state receiving the carcasses is a hide buyer and shall comply with W.S. 11-23-201 through 11-23-207.

Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 11-23-302 Transportation to another state prohibited without inspection; proof of ownership required.

Without the consent of the owner, or agent, it is unlawful to transport or cause to be transported carcasses of horses, mules, cattle or sheep from Wyoming to any other state without prior inspection for brands and marks and the issuance of a certificate attesting the inspection by an inspector, who shall require proof of ownership by brand record, bill of sale, or both.

Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 11-23-303 Hide inspection certificate.

After receiving satisfactory proof of ownership of carcasses of animals to be transported from the state, the inspector shall sign and issue a hide inspection certificate on a form approved by the board, listing the class and number of carcasses inspected, the brands or marks on each, the name of the shipper, name and address of the consignee, place and date of inspection, and make and license number of the truck. If transportation is by other means than truck, that shall be shown. Across the face of the certificate he shall write the words "Dead Animals". The hide inspection certificate shall be filled out in triplicate, the original delivered to the shipper or his agent and shall clear the carcasses for transportation to the destination shown. One (1) copy shall be mailed by the inspector to the board, and one (1) copy filed in the office of the brand inspection agency.

Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 11-23-304 Inspection fee; disposition thereof.

For making an inspection of carcasses the inspector shall collect the inspection fee prescribed by law for each horse, mule, cattle or sheep carcass. All fees collected shall be transmitted to the board.

Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 11-23-305 Penalty.

Violation of any provision of W.S. 11-23-301 through 11-23-304 is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than twenty-five dollars ($25.00) nor more than one hundred dollars ($100.00).
Source: WY Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://wyoleg.gov/statutes/compress/title11.pdfFetched: 10/4/2026

Starting a business in Wyoming? Wyoming LLC guide: costs and requirements