By Noah Zahn
Wyoming Tribune Eagle
Via- Wyoming News Exchange

CHEYENNE — Following the 2025 passage of the “Wyoming Repeal Gun Free Zones Act,” state legislators are now turning their attention toward further loosening restrictions on where firearms can be carried and who can legally carry them.

Two new proposals from Rep. Jeremy Haroldson, R-Wheatland, represent the next phase of this effort, seeking to broaden campus carry rights and lower the eligibility age for state-issued concealed firearms permits from 21 to 18.

Permit-less concealed carry on college campuses

House Bill 95 aims to close a gap left by last year’s gun-free zone repeal. Under the 2025 law, individuals were granted the right to carry concealed weapons in public college and university facilities, but that right was restricted specifically to those holding a state-issued concealed carry permit.

The new proposal would expand this authorization to include anyone who is lawfully allowed to carry a concealed weapon under Wyoming’s “constitutional carry” statutes, which do not require a permit.

Since July 1, 2021, any legal resident of the U.S. age 21 or older has been legally allowed to carry a concealed firearm in the Cowboy State without a permit. If the bill passes, the only remaining major restriction on campus would be at athletic events where alcohol is sold, a provision maintained from the previous year’s legislation.

Lowering the permit age to 18

While HB 95 addresses where people can carry, HB 96 focuses on who can carry. The bill proposes lowering the minimum age to obtain a state-issued concealed firearms permit from 21 to 18 years old.

Currently, Wyoming law allows 18- to 20-year-olds to apply for a permit only if their local sheriff provides a personal recommendation based on circumstances that warrant the issuance. HB 96 would remove this discretionary hurdle, allowing young adults to apply through the standard process used by those 21 and older.

Laramie County Sheriff Brian Kozak expressed personal support for the shift, noting that he already generally approves requests from young adults with clean records.

“My personal opinion is if you can volunteer for the military, you can vote, I do agree that you should be able to have a concealed weapons permit as well,” he said. 

He noted that a permit provides benefits beyond state lines, as it allows residents to carry in states that recognize Wyoming’s permit through reciprocity agreements.

However, it is important to note that HB 96 does not lower the age for permit-less carry. In Wyoming, constitutional carry remains restricted to those 21 and older. Therefore, 18 to 20-year-olds would still be required to hold a physical permit to carry concealed, even if the application age is lowered.

The law would maintain that students are still prohibited from carrying concealed firearms on K-12 school premises, regardless of age. 

In contrast, 18-year-old college students would be allowed to carry concealed weapons on campus if they obtain a state-issued permit.

Building on the 2025 repeal

These bills are deeply intertwined with last year’s HB 172, which Haroldson also sponsored after nearly a decade of similar attempts by the Legislature. The 2025 act successfully repealed gun-free zones in most public buildings and meetings, but it left in place the distinction between permit holders and permit-less carriers for sensitive areas like schools and colleges.