Junk Dealers

Wyo. Stat. Ann. tit. 33, ch. 18

in effect

Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 33-18-101 Definition.

Every person, firm or corporation engaged in the business of buying or selling of second hand, or broken metals, such as copper, brass, lead, zinc, tin, steel, cast iron, rags, rubber, or waste paper, shall be held and hereby are defined to be junk dealers within the meaning of this act.

Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 33-18-102 Records; book to be kept.

(a) Every person engaged in the junk business as defined in W.S. 33-18-101, shall keep a book or dedicated computer software program in which all entries shall be written in a computer or in ink, in the English language and entered at the time of each and every transaction and in which the following information is recorded: (i) An accurate account and description of all junk metal or rubber goods purchased or sold; (ii) The name and residence of the person selling or buying the junk metal or rubber goods; and (iii) If the person is selling junk metal or rubber goods: (A) The license plate number of the person's vehicle, if applicable; or (B) Verification of the person's name and residence through presentation of the person's United States federal or state-issued photo identification. (b) Compliance with paragraph (iii) of subsection (a) of this section is optional for common household and personal items of less than fifty dollars ($50.00) market value. (c) No entry in such book or computer shall be erased, mutilated or changed.

Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 33-18-103 Records; information to be posted.

Every person, firm or corporation engaged in the buying and selling of junk metals, rags, rubber, or waste paper as described in W.S. 33-18-101 shall at all times keep posted, conspicuously in the office of their [his] place of business, the description of, and amount of junk articles purchased each day, and the names and addresses of the parties for whom said purchase was made, and also the names and addresses of all to whom sales of junk metals are made.

Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 33-18-104 Records; inspection by law enforcement officers.

The said book, and the entries therein, shall at all times be open to the inspection of the sheriff of the county and his deputies, or any member of the police force of any city or town, in the county in which said junk dealers do business.

Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 33-18-105 Purchase from intoxicated persons.

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, and when any person is found to be the owner of stolen property, which had been so sold, the property shall be returned to the owner thereof without the payment of any money on the part of the owner.

Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 33-18-106 Penalty; power of cities and towns not impaired.

Every junk dealer who shall be found guilty of a violation of the provisions of this act shall, for the first offense, be fined not less than fifty dollars ($50.00), nor more than two hundred dollars ($200.00), or imprisoned in the county jail not more than sixty (60) days, or either or both, in the discretion of the court, and for each subsequent offense of violating any of the provisions of this act of which any such junk dealer shall be found guilty, such junk dealer shall be fined not less than one hundred dollars ($100.00), nor more than three hundred dollars ($300.00), or imprisoned in the county jail not less than thirty (30) days nor more than ninety (90) days, or either or both, in the discretion of the court; provided, that this act shall not be construed to in any wise impair the power of cities or incorporated towns in this state to license, tax and regulate any person, persons or corporations now engaged in or hereafter engaging in the buying and selling of second hand metals.

Source: Public.Resource.Org WY StatutesURL: https://unicourt.github.io/cic-code-wy/transforms/wy/ocwy/r78/gov.wy.code.title.33.htmlFetched: 6/28/2026