Wyoming AI Laws and Regulation (2026)

Wyoming regulates AI almost entirely through criminal law aimed at synthetic sexual imagery and child safety. HB 102 (2026), effective July 1, 2026, created three felony offenses now codified at Wyo. Stat. 6-4-307, 6-4-308 and 6-4-701, covering nonconsensual sexual deepfakes and AI systems designed to produce child pornography or promote self-harm, each punishable by up to 10 years in prison. The same act wrote express AI offenses into the child exploitation statute, Wyo. Stat. 6-4-303. The state has no comprehensive AI governance law.

Wyoming has taken a minimalist approach to artificial intelligence regulation at the state level. The 2026 legislature wrote artificial intelligence directly into the criminal code for the first time, adding express AI offenses to the child exploitation statute and creating new felonies for nonconsensual sexual deepfakes and exploitative AI systems. Beyond child safety, however, Wyoming has struggled to enact AI governance legislation, with multiple proposals stalled by First Amendment concerns and lack of legislative consensus.

As of March 2026, Wyoming has no comprehensive AI law, no election deepfake disclosure requirements, no employment AI regulations, and no healthcare AI statutes. The state's approach reflects Wyoming's traditionally libertarian philosophy toward regulation, even as neighboring states move to address AI risks. This article is for informational purposes only. Consult an attorney for advice specific to your situation.

AI and Child Sexual Abuse Material Under Wyo. Stat. 6-4-303

Wyoming's child exploitation statute, Wyo. Stat. 6-4-303, carries most of the state's AI-specific criminal exposure. Its definition of child pornography has reached computer-generated images since long before the current wave of AI legislation, but the statute's express artificial intelligence offenses are new: HB 102 added them in 2026, effective July 1, 2026.

Statutory Definition

The statute defines "child pornography" broadly to include any visual depiction, including any photograph, film, video, picture, computer or computer-generated image, film, video or picture, whether or not made or produced by electronic, mechanical or other means, of explicit sexual conduct. This definitional language, and the three categories of visual depictions below, predate the 2026 AI amendments.

The first category includes depictions where the production involves the use of a child engaging in explicit sexual conduct. The second covers depictions of explicit sexual conduct involving a child or an individual virtually indistinguishable from a child. The third addresses depictions that have been created, adapted, or modified to depict explicit sexual conduct involving a child or an individual virtually indistinguishable from a child.

AI Offenses and Penalties Under 6-4-303

HB 102 added two express AI paragraphs to the list of prohibited conduct in subsection (b), both effective July 1, 2026. Paragraph (b)(v) covers using an artificial intelligence system to generate or create child pornography. Paragraph (b)(vi) covers possessing child pornography the person knows was generated by an artificial intelligence system.

The penalties differ by conduct. Generating child pornography with an AI system under (b)(v) is a felony punishable by five to twelve years imprisonment, a fine of up to $10,000, or both, under subsection (c). Possession under (b)(vi) is a felony punishable by up to ten years, a fine of up to $10,000, or both, under subsection (d), with no statutory minimum. A second or subsequent conviction under these paragraphs carries seven to twelve years under subsection (e).

Wyoming is among the approximately 42 states whose child pornography statutes explicitly include AI or computer-generated images, giving prosecutors clear authority to act against this form of exploitation.

HB 102: Protecting Kids From Deepfakes (2026)

During the 2026 Budget Session, the Wyoming Legislature passed House Bill 102, "Protecting kids from deepfakes and exploitative images." The House Education Committee recommended the bill for passage 7-0 with two members excused, and the Senate Judiciary Committee did the same 5-0. The House passed it 61-0 on third reading and the Senate 31-0, and the House concurred in the Senate amendment 58-1. Governor Mark Gordon signed it on March 7, 2026, as Chapter 91, Session Laws of Wyoming 2026.

Three New Criminal Offenses

HB 102 creates three new categories of criminal offenses related to AI.

The first offense, now Wyo. Stat. 6-4-307, is unlawful distribution of nonconsensual synthetic sexual material. It reaches synthetic sexual material that realistically depicts another identifiable person without that person's knowledge or consent, so it protects adults as well as children from deepfake exploitation. It also covers promoting such material on a website or other digital platform and threatening to distribute it to obtain a benefit.

The second offense, now Wyo. Stat. 6-4-308, is unlawful development or distribution of an artificial intelligence system for child pornography. It targets the AI tools themselves rather than only the resulting content. It does not apply to a general-purpose system that produces such content solely because of a user's prompts, without the developer's intent to encourage or promote it.

The third offense, now Wyo. Stat. 6-4-701, is unlawful development or distribution of an artificial intelligence system intended to promote self-harm. It addresses AI chatbots and systems that encourage users, particularly minors, to harm themselves, with exceptions for licensed health care providers and for systems that produce such content only in response to user prompts.

Penalties

Additional Provisions

HB 102 includes several other notable provisions. Wyo. Stat. 6-1-206 provides that using an artificial intelligence system to commit a criminal offense is not a defense to a criminal charge, and that nothing in the Wyoming Criminal Code bars applying that code to activity facilitated by an AI system.

Wyo. Stat. 1-1-143 gives developers of artificial intelligence systems civil immunity for damages when another person uses the system intending to commit illegal acts or cause harm. That immunity does not apply if the system was developed with the knowledge or intent that its primary purpose would be illegal or illicit activity.

Status

HB 102 was signed into law by Governor Mark Gordon on March 7, 2026, as Session Laws of Wyoming 2026, Chapter 91 (Enrolled Act No. HEA0032). The act took effect July 1, 2026, and its provisions are now codified at Wyo. Stat. 1-1-143, 6-1-206, 6-4-307, 6-4-308 and 6-4-701, with conforming amendments to Wyo. Stat. 6-1-104(a), 6-4-301(a) and 6-4-303.

Failed Synthetic Media and Election Deepfake Legislation

Wyoming has attempted to address synthetic media and election deepfakes multiple times but has been unable to pass legislation due to deep divisions among lawmakers.

SF 51: Unlawful Dissemination of Misleading Synthetic Media (2024)

Senate File 51 was drafted during the interim and introduced during the 2024 Budget Session. The bill would have prohibited the distribution of synthetic media, or deepfakes, with the intent to deliberately mislead people and spread misinformation. It would have required posted disclaimers with any digitally altered content using AI technology and allowed anyone depicted in or misled by a deepfake to sue the social media platform or other disseminator.

SF 51 passed the Senate but died in the House of Representatives. Critics argued the bill was too broad and impinged on First Amendment free speech protections. Senator Affie Ellis repeatedly argued the bill mixed "theories of law that don't always mix."

Bill Draft 149 and 150: Narrower Approaches (2024 Interim)

After SF 51 failed, the Select Committee on Blockchain, Financial Technology and Digital Innovation Technology considered two follow-up drafts during the interim.

Bill Draft 149 was modeled after SF 51 but included modifications to address the First Amendment concerns, including changing the penalty from criminal to civil and adding exemptions for satire and parody.

Bill Draft 150 took a narrower approach, prohibiting only the dissemination of synthetic media of a candidate for public office to influence the outcome of an election.

Neither bill advanced. Committee Co-Chairman Sen. Chris Rothfuss, a supporter of the legislation, said he was concerned over the lack of unanimous committee support and decided to "set them aside" indefinitely.

Current Status

As of March 2026, Wyoming remains one of the minority of states without an election deepfake disclosure law. Approximately 25 states have enacted such laws, but Wyoming's libertarian-leaning legislature has consistently prioritized free speech concerns over deepfake regulation.

The Select Committee on Blockchain, Financial Technology and Digital Innovation Technology

Wyoming's primary legislative body studying AI policy is the Select Committee on Blockchain, Financial Technology and Digital Innovation Technology. The committee has broadened its scope beyond blockchain to include artificial intelligence governance.

2024 Activities

During 2024, the committee focused on synthetic media legislation and AI governance. It commissioned the Legislative Service Office to prepare a survey of deepfake and synthetic media legislation from other states. Despite extensive study, the committee was unable to reach consensus on AI governance proposals.

2025 Activities

The committee continued its work in May 2025, examining AI in government, right-to-repair issues, and updates from the Wyoming Stable Token Commission. The committee also received a briefing on AI governance legislation in other states.

The committee discussed AI-related topics including open banking, Wyoming's financial technology sandbox, and whether to broaden the state's sandbox law to cover additional sectors such as insurance or housing.

AI in Employment and Hiring

Wyoming has no laws specifically regulating the use of AI in employment, hiring, or workforce decisions. The state does not require employers to disclose their use of AI tools, conduct bias audits, or provide applicants with opportunities to opt out of automated hiring processes.

General federal anti-discrimination laws, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act, still apply to AI-driven employment decisions in Wyoming. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has issued guidance indicating that employers can be held liable for discriminatory outcomes produced by AI tools, even without discriminatory intent.

The ACLU of Wyoming has raised concerns about AI in hiring, noting that algorithmic bias in hiring tools can disproportionately affect protected groups. However, these concerns have not yet translated into state legislative action.

AI in Healthcare

Wyoming has not enacted legislation specifically governing AI use in healthcare settings. However, lawmakers have begun examining the issue.

Insurance and AI Claims Decisions

The Wyoming Joint Labor, Health and Social Services Committee has reviewed the use of AI in insurance prior authorization decisions. Wyoming Public Media reported that lawmakers discussed how to prevent AI from denying insurance claims, citing lawsuits in other states alleging that insurers used AI to arbitrarily deny thousands of claims.

Wyoming Department of Insurance staff indicated they had received no complaints of AI-related insurance abuses and believed existing law gave the department authority to act if an insurer let AI make denial decisions. Representatives from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Wyoming, Mountain Health CO-OP, and Cigna told lawmakers their companies do not use AI in the claims process.

Despite this review, no legislation was introduced to specifically regulate AI in healthcare or insurance decisions during the 2025 or 2026 sessions.

Federal AI Policy and Wyoming

Wyoming's federal delegation has been active on AI policy, even as the state legislature has struggled with AI governance.

Senator Lummis and the RISE Act

U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) introduced the Responsible Innovation and Safe Expertise (RISE) Act of 2025 (S. 2081), a federal AI bill with two main components.

First, the RISE Act clarifies that licensed professionals such as physicians, attorneys, engineers, and financial advisors who use AI systems retain their legal duty to exercise due diligence, verify the system's outputs, and stand behind the advice they deliver. This professional responsibility provision ensures AI cannot be used as a shield against malpractice or negligence claims.

Second, the bill requires AI developers to release "model cards" detailing their systems' data sources, use cases, limitations, performance metrics, known failure modes, and intended purposes. AI documentation must be updated within 30 days of deploying new versions or discovering significant failure modes.

The RISE Act also provides a form of safe harbor for developers, but excludes protection in cases of recklessness, willful misconduct, fraud, knowing misrepresentation, or actions falling outside the scope of professional usage.

Federal Preemption Debate

Wyoming legislators have expressed concerns about a provision in the federal "One Big Beautiful Bill" that would have imposed a 10-year moratorium on state AI regulation. Cowboy State Daily reported that Wyoming lawmakers warned the provision could "let AI run wild" and impede states' abilities to govern against AI-related threats.

The proposed moratorium was eliminated by a 99-1 vote via amendment, addressing Wyoming legislators' concerns. However, the debate highlighted the tension between federal and state approaches to AI governance and the importance of preserving state authority to regulate emerging technologies.

Comparison With Neighboring States

Wyoming's minimal AI regulation stands in contrast to some of its neighbors.

Wyoming shares a minimalist approach with Montana, South Dakota, and Idaho. Utah, by contrast, has enacted a comprehensive AI governance framework; Colorado's original comprehensive framework (SB 24-205) never took effect and was replaced by a narrower notice-based law (SB 26-189) effective January 1, 2027.

Summary of Wyoming AI Laws and Proposals

More Wyoming Laws

• Wyoming Recording Laws
• Wyoming Data Privacy Laws
• Wyoming Surveillance Camera Laws
• Wyoming Background Check Laws
• Wyoming Whistleblower Laws