Wyoming STR Rules in 2026 Cody and the Wind River Range Short-Term

Jul 20

12 min read

Updated: Aug 28

If you searched "Wyoming short-term rental law" hoping for one clean answer, here's the honest first line: there isn't one. Wyoming has no statewide short-term rental statute. There's no state licensing regime for STRs, no state-mandated permit cap, no single set of rules that applies from Cheyenne to Cody. What exists instead is a patchwork of city and county ordinances, and in this batch's coverage area , Cody on Yellowstone's east side, and the Lander/Dubois corridor along the Wind River Range roughly 150 miles south , that patchwork produces two genuinely different regulatory pictures. A host or buyer comparing the two needs both laid out side by side, in plain terms, because neither the city of Cody's rules nor Fremont County's near-absence of rules tells you anything about the other.

This post is that reference. It covers what's required, what it costs, what's being debated, and , just as importantly , what's still unsettled and shouldn't be treated as fact until you verify it directly with the relevant town or county office before relying on it for a purchase or listing decision. Treat $50-100 as the range worth confirming directly with the City of Cody's planning office before budgeting for a specific number, and don't be surprised if the current number sits at the top of that range.

No Statewide Law , Why That Matters

Wyoming's approach to short-term rentals is almost entirely local. State law requires STR operators to collect and remit state sales and lodging tax like any other transient lodging provider, but licensing, registration, zoning treatment, and any caps on the number of rentals allowed are all decided city by city and county by county. A 2023 state law (HB0216) restricted local governments from creating mandatory registries for general long-term residential rentals, but that's a different category from STR-specific permitting, which cities and counties still control.

Practically, this means a rule that applies in Jackson Hole or Star Valley Ranch tells you nothing about Cody, and a rule in Cody tells you nothing about Fremont County. Every market in this batch has to be checked on its own terms, and that's exactly what the rest of this post does. What exists instead is a patchwork of city and county ordinances, and in this batch's coverage area , Cody on Yellowstone's east side, and the Lander/Dubois corridor along the Wind River Range roughly 150 miles south , that patchwork produces two genuinely different regulatory pictures.

Cody: Registration, a Real Fee, and a Cap Conversation Underway

Cody requires short-term rental operators to register with the city before beginning operation and to renew that registration annually by May 1. Registration includes a fire and life-safety inspection as a condition of approval , this isn't a rubber-stamp process. The City of Cody's own short-term rental registration page lists a $100 initial application fee and a $100 annual renewal fee, with a separate $50 late fee added for renewals submitted after the May 1 deadline.

On the fee itself, be aware that published figures vary depending on the source and how recently it was updated. The City of Cody's own short-term rental registration page lists a $100 initial application fee and a $100 annual renewal fee, with a separate $50 late fee added for renewals submitted after the May 1 deadline. Some third-party regulatory summaries cite a lower figure closer to $50, which may reflect an older fee schedule or confusion between the late fee and the base fee. Treat $50-100 as the range worth confirming directly with the City of Cody's planning office before budgeting for a specific number, and don't be surprised if the current number sits at the top of that range.

On lodging tax: Wyoming's statewide lodging tax is 5%, and Wyoming law caps the total combined lodging tax (state plus any local add-on) at 7% anywhere in the state. Park County , which includes Cody , levies an additional 2% local lodging tax, renewed by county voters in November 2024 for another four years. That puts Cody's combined lodging tax at roughly 7%, not higher. If you've seen a higher combined figure cited elsewhere (including in some of our own earlier drafts of this cluster), that appears to be outdated or conflates a different tax category , verify the live rate against the Wyoming Excise Tax Division's published rate chart before quoting it to a client or investor.

There's no permit cap in Cody today, but there's a real, dateable conversation building toward one. Cody's registered short-term rental count grew from 98 in 2019 to roughly 134 by the end of 2023 , about a 36% increase , with a more recent estimate putting the count around 150 as of April 2024, a trend the city council has cited directly when discussing whether Cody should adopt something like Red Lodge, Montana's cap, which limits STRs to a fixed share of housing stock. As of this writing, no cap ordinance has passed in Cody, but the council has openly signaled it's watching the issue. For a host or buyer, that's a real timing argument: getting registered and established now happens under today's uncapped rules, not whatever rules might exist if and when a cap discussion turns into an ordinance.

Unincorporated Park County: A Harder Path for the Wapiti Valley Corridor

Cody's in-town registration process is separate from what applies just outside city limits , including the Wapiti Valley corridor that runs toward Yellowstone's East Entrance, a stretch that's attractive precisely because of its park proximity. Properties in unincorporated Park County go through the county's Special Use Permit process instead of Cody's registration system, and it is not a formality. Following a January 20, 2026 meeting, Park County commissioners unanimously denied an STR special use permit for a property on Aerie Drive in the Wapiti subdivision (owner Matt Decker) , over neighbor objections about compatibility with the residential subdivision , despite the property owner, his attorney, and two local real estate agents speaking in favor at the hearing. If you're evaluating a property in the Wapiti Valley or anywhere else in unincorporated Park County, budget real time and real uncertainty into that permit process, and don't assume an in-town Cody approval process is a preview of what a county permit review looks like.

Fremont County (Lander & Dubois): Close to Greenfield, Except in Dubois Itself

Fremont County , which covers both Lander and Dubois , has no countywide short-term rental ordinance at all. There's no county-level registration requirement, no permit process, and no cap discussion happening at the county level. The only county-level STR-specific requirement is a 4% lodging tax collected on stays, funding tourism promotion for the county (branded "Wind River Country"). Fremont County also has no countywide zoning code beyond limited exceptions like septic permitting, which is part of why the regulatory bar here sits so much lower than in Park County.

That makes the Lander/Dubois corridor genuinely close to greenfield relative to Cody, and relative to most other markets in this pilot. It's a real part of the investment case for this corridor , but the town of Dubois itself is the exception, with a confirmed, actively enforced 25-permit cap covered in detail below. Fremont County, covering Lander and Dubois, has no countywide ordinance at all beyond a 4% lodging tax , but the Town of Dubois itself is capped at 25 STR permits by a codified, actively enforced ordinance, a sharp contrast with the otherwise wide-open county around it.

Dubois: A Confirmed 25-Permit Cap

The Town of Dubois has adopted a hard cap on short-term rental permits, and the town continues to actively administer it. Ordinance No. 453 amended Dubois Town Code Title 7 ("Business Licensing and Regulation"), Chapter 5 ("Short Term Lodging Unit"), adding § 7-5-2, which reads: "No person shall operate or maintain a Short-Term Rental within the town without first obtaining an annual special use permit for each residential occupancy unit rented separately. No more than 25 permits for Short-Term Lodging Units shall be issued at any one time by the Town of Dubois." The ordinance went through first reading April 27, 2022, second reading May 11, 2022, and third reading/passage and adoption May 25, 2022, taking effect June 2, 2022. Under § 7-5-3.r, permits are explicitly non-transferable and void upon transfer of the property.

This isn't a shelved proposal , it's actively enforced. At the town council's March 12, 2025 public hearing, 24 renewal applications were processed against the 25-permit cap, and the town continues to hold annual renewal hearings (a comparable hearing document exists for March 2026 as well). For a buyer or host evaluating the Lander/Dubois corridor, that means Dubois itself is functionally at or near its permit ceiling, while unincorporated Fremont County around it remains uncapped , a meaningfully different calculus than the rest of the county.

No Institutional Manager in Either Market

One thing both markets share: neither shows a confirmed presence from a national full-service short-term rental manager. Vacasa's only confirmed Wyoming footprint is Jackson Hole, roughly three hours south of Cody and well outside the Wind River corridor. In Cody, the market is run by small local outfits , Cody Lodging Company, which has grown from 8 rentals in 2000 to over 100 today, and American West Realty and Management. We found no evidence of Avant Stay or a comparable institutional operator in either Cody or the Lander/Dubois corridor. For an independent owner, that means the competition for guest attention is other independent owners and small local shops, not a company with a national marketing budget , a meaningfully different playing field than coastal markets where a handful of large managers already dominate search visibility.

The Bottom Line

Cody requires registration, a real (if fee-range-uncertain) cost, and roughly 7% combined lodging tax, with no cap today but a live council conversation about one. Unincorporated Park County , including the Wapiti Valley corridor , is a harder, case-by-case Special Use Permit process with real denial risk, as the January 2026 Wapiti denial shows. Fremont County, covering Lander and Dubois, has no countywide ordinance at all beyond a 4% lodging tax , but the Town of Dubois itself is capped at 25 STR permits by a codified, actively enforced ordinance, a sharp contrast with the otherwise wide-open county around it. None of this is guesswork you should have to do yourself , but it is homework you should do before you buy or list, because Wyoming simply doesn't have a single rulebook to hand you.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a statewide short-term rental law in Wyoming?

No. Wyoming has no statewide STR licensing or permitting statute. State law requires operators to collect and remit sales and lodging tax like any other transient lodging provider, but registration, zoning treatment, and any caps on the number of rentals allowed are all decided city by city and county by county.

Does Cody, WY require a license to operate a short-term rental?

Yes. Cody requires annual registration, renewed by May 1, plus a fire and life-safety inspection before a property can legally operate. The city's own fee schedule lists a $100 application fee and $100 annual renewal fee, though some third-party sources cite figures as low as $50 — confirm the current fee directly with the city before budgeting.

Is there a cap on the number of short-term rentals allowed in Cody?

Not yet, but it's an active topic. Cody's city council has been discussing a possible cap modeled on Red Lodge, Montana's ordinance, driven by the registered STR count growing from 98 in 2019 to roughly 134 by the end of 2023 — about 36% growth — with a more recent estimate near 150 as of April 2024. No cap has been adopted as of this writing, but hosts should treat the topic as live rather than settled.

What is the combined lodging tax rate in Cody, WY?

Roughly 7% — Wyoming's 5% statewide lodging tax plus Park County's 2% local lodging tax, which county voters renewed in November 2024 for another four years. Wyoming law caps total combined lodging tax at 7% statewide, so Cody's rate sits close to the maximum any Wyoming jurisdiction can charge.

Are the rules different for properties in unincorporated Park County versus inside Cody city limits?

Yes. Properties outside Cody's city limits, including those in the Wapiti Valley corridor toward Yellowstone's East Entrance, go through Park County's Special Use Permit process instead of Cody's in-town registration. That's a case-by-case review with real denial risk — following a January 20, 2026 meeting, Park County commissioners unanimously denied an STR special use permit for a Wapiti-area property on Aerie Drive over neighbor opposition.

Does Fremont County, covering Lander and Dubois, have a short-term rental ordinance?

No countywide ordinance exists. Fremont County has no STR-specific registration or permitting requirement, and no countywide zoning code beyond limited exceptions like septic permitting. The only county-level requirement is a 4% lodging tax on stays, which is part of why the regulatory bar sits so much lower here than in Park County.

Is there a cap on short-term rental permits in Dubois?

Yes, and it's already in force. Ordinance 453, adopted May 25, 2022 and effective June 2, 2022, codified as Dubois Town Code § 7-5-2, caps the town at 25 short-term lodging permits issued at any one time. Permits are non-transferable and void on sale of the property. As of the town's March 12, 2025 renewal hearing, 24 renewals were being processed against that cap, and the town continues to hold annual renewal hearings.

Do national property management companies like Vacasa or Avant Stay operate in Cody or the Lander/Dubois corridor?

No confirmed presence in either market. Vacasa's only confirmed Wyoming footprint is Jackson Hole, roughly three hours from Cody. Cody's market is served by local operators Cody Lodging Company and American West Realty and Management, and no Avant Stay presence was found in either market.

About the Authors

Crest & Cove Creative is a short-term rental marketing agency founded by Thomas Garner and Jacob Mishalanie. We build direct-booking brands, listing optimization systems, and market-specific content strategies for independent STR operators nationwide, including emerging corridors like Wyoming's Yellowstone & Wind River Gateways. Cody's registered short-term rental count grew from 98 in 2019 to roughly 134 by the end of 2023 , about a 36% increase , with a more recent estimate putting the count around 150 as of April 2024, a trend the city council has cited directly when discussing whether Cody should adopt something like Red Lodge, Montana's cap, which limits STRs to a fixed share of housing stock.

Sources

Verified via web search at publish time (July 2026):. Unincorporated Park County , including the Wapiti Valley corridor , is a harder, case-by-case Special Use Permit process with real denial risk, as the January 2026 Wapiti denial shows. No more than 25 permits for Short-Term Lodging Units shall be issued at any one time by the Town of Dubois." The ordinance went through first reading April 27, 2022, second reading May 11, 2022, and third reading/passage and adoption May 25, 2022, taking effect June 2, 2022.

Cody, WY short-term rental registration requirements, $100 application fee, $100 annual renewal fee, $50 late fee, May 1 renewal deadline, fire/life-safety inspection requirement , City of Cody official short-term rental registration page (codywy.gov).
Wyoming's 5% statewide lodging tax and the statutory 7% combined cap on state-plus-local lodging tax , Wyoming Excise Tax Division and related reporting.
Park County's 2% local lodging tax, renewed by voters November 2024 for four years, bringing the combined Park County/Cody lodging tax to approximately 7% , Cody Country Chamber of Commerce and Powell Tribune election coverage.
Cody's registered STR count growing from 98 (2019) to approximately 134 (end of 2023), roughly 36% growth, with a more recent estimate near 150 (April 2024), and city council discussion of a Red Lodge, Montana-style cap , Wyoming News/Gillette News Record regional reporting.
Park County Special Use Permit process for unincorporated-county STRs, including the Park County commissioners' unanimous denial of an STR special use permit for a property on Aerie Drive in the Wapiti subdivision (owner Matt Decker) following a January 20, 2026 meeting , Powell Tribune, January 29, 2026.
Fremont County's 4% lodging tax and absence of a countywide zoning code or STR-specific ordinance , County 10 reporting and Fremont County government resources.
Dubois's 25-permit STR cap, codified via Ordinance No. 453 (Dubois Town Code Title 7, Chapter 5, § 7-5-2), first reading April 27, 2022, second reading May 11, 2022, third reading/passed and adopted May 25, 2022, effective June 2, 2022; permits non-transferable and void on property transfer (§ 7-5-3.r); 24 renewal applications processed against the cap at the March 12, 2025 Town Council hearing, with the annual renewal-hearing cycle continuing into 2026 , Town of Dubois public meeting records and codified Town Code (townofdubois.org).
Absence of confirmed Vacasa presence outside Jackson Hole, and absence of confirmed Avant Stay presence in Cody or the Lander/Dubois corridor , Vacasa's own market listings and Cody-area property manager sites (Cody Lodging Company, American West Realty and Management).

Flagged as unverified , do not rely on without direct confirmation:. We build direct-booking brands, listing optimization systems, and market-specific content strategies for independent STR operators nationwide, including emerging corridors like Wyoming's Yellowstone & Wind River Gateways. 453 amended Dubois Town Code Title 7 ("Business Licensing and Regulation"), Chapter 5 ("Short Term Lodging Unit"), adding § 7-5-2, which reads: "No person shall operate or maintain a Short-Term Rental within the town without first obtaining an annual special use permit for each residential occupancy unit rented separately.

The exact current Cody STR registration fee if it has changed from the $100/$100/$50 structure found on the city's own page at draft time.
Current, exact registered-STR counts in Cody and in the Lander/Dubois corridor as of 2026, since the most recent hard figures found (98→134→~150) date to 2019-April 2024.

Work with Crest & Cove Creative

Wyoming has no statewide short-term rental law, so a Jackson Hole rule tells a Cody host nothing, and a Cody rule tells Fremont County nothing either. Every market in this guide needs its own page, not a copied statewide summary.

We help Wyoming hosts present each town's actual rules clearly on the listing itself, instead of borrowing a Jackson Hole or Cody summary that doesn't apply.

Reach out at crestcove.co or (256) 998-7502.