Wyo. Stat. Ann. §§ 40-26-101 to 40-26-145 § 40-26-111
Religious organization, private club, and appraisal exemption.
Operative Text
40-26-111. Religious organization, private club, and
appraisal exemption.
(a) This chapter does not prohibit a religious
organization, association or society or a nonprofit institution
or organization operated, supervised or controlled by or in
conjunction with a religious organization, association or
society from limiting the sale, rental or occupancy of dwellings
that it owns or operates for other than a commercial purpose to
individuals of the same religion or giving preference to persons
of the same religion, unless membership in the religion is
restricted because of race, color or national origin.
(b) This chapter does not prohibit a private club that is
not in fact open to the public and that, as an incident to its
primary purpose, provides lodging that it owns or operates for
other than a commercial purpose from limiting the rental or
occupancy of the lodging to its members or from giving
preference to its members, unless membership in the club is
restricted because of race, color or national origin.
(c) This chapter does not prohibit a person engaged in the
business of furnishing appraisals of real property from
considering in those appraisals factors other than race, color,
religion, sex, disability, familial status or national origin.Wyoming's fair housing law (Wyo. Stat. § 40-26-111) carves out three narrow exemptions from its general anti-discrimination requirements. Religious organizations may restrict or prefer members of their own faith when renting or selling dwellings they own for non-commercial purposes, as long as the religion itself does not exclude people based on race, color, or national origin. Similarly, private clubs that are not open to the public may limit lodging they own for non-commercial purposes to their own members, provided membership is not restricted by race, color, or national origin. Real estate appraisers are also permitted to consider factors beyond the protected characteristics listed in the chapter when conducting appraisals.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Operators of housing affiliated with a religious organization or a private club should understand that § 40-26-111 provides a limited exemption from Wyoming's fair housing rules only when the housing is owned or operated for non-commercial purposes. Compliant operators in these categories ensure that any membership or preference criteria do not, directly or indirectly, restrict access based on race, color, or national origin. Housing providers that do not clearly fall within one of these three defined categories—religious organization, private club, or appraisal context—remain fully subject to the chapter's anti-discrimination requirements.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Under Wyo. Stat. § 40-26-111, the exemptions for religious organizations and private clubs are narrow and do not override the prohibition on restricting membership or housing access based on race, color, or national origin. Tenants who believe a housing provider is improperly invoking one of these exemptions to justify discriminatory treatment may have grounds to challenge that claim under Wyoming's fair housing law. General enforcement paths include filing a complaint with a relevant fair housing agency, raising the violation as a defense or claim in a legal proceeding, or consulting a tenant-rights organization familiar with Wyoming housing law.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 26, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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