purchasing

Wyoming Resident Bidder Preference

Revised September 10, 2020

Title 16: City, County, State and Local Powers
Chapter 6: Public Property

Article 1: Public Works and Contracts

Section 16-6-102: Resident contractors; preference limitation with reference to lowest bid or qualified response; decertification; denial of application for residency.

(a) If a contract is let by a public entity for a public work, the contract shall be let, if advertisement for bids or request for proposal is not required, to a resident of the state. If advertisement for bids is required, the contract shall be let to the responsible certified resident making the lowest bid if the certified resident's bid is not more than five percent (5%) higher than that of the lowest responsible nonresident bidder.

Section 16-6-103: Limitation on subcontracting by resident contractors.

A successful resident bidder shall not subcontract more than thirty percent (30%) of the work covered by his contract to nonresident contractors.

Section 16-6-104: Preference for Wyoming materials required in contracts.

Wyoming made materials and products, and Wyoming suppliers of products and materials of equal quality and desirability shall have preference over materials or products produced or supplied outside the state and any contract let shall so provide. The preference created by this section shall be applied in a manner identical to the preference for residence contractors in W.S. 16-6-102.

Section 16-6-105: Preference for Wyoming materials and Wyoming agricultural products required in public purchases; exception; cost differential; definition.

(a) A five percent (5%) materials preference for Wyoming materials shall be applied in public purchases, subject to the following:

  • (i) The preference requirement shall apply to all public entities;
  • (ii) As used in this section, "materials" means supplies, material, agricultural products, equipment, machinery and provisions to be used in a public work, including the regular maintenance and upkeep of a public work;
  • (iii) The preference shall be applied in favor of materials that are produced, manufactured or grown in this state, or that are supplied by a resident of the state who is competent and capable to provide the materials within the state of Wyoming;
  • (iv) Preference shall not be granted for materials of inferior quality to those offered by competitors outside of the state.

(b) As used in this section, "agricultural products" means any horticultural, viticultural, vegetable product, livestock, livestock product, bees or honey, poultry or poultry product, sheep or wool product, timber or timber product.

Article 2: Preference for State Laborers
Section 16-6-203: Required resident labor on public works projects; exception.

(a) Every person who is responsible for a public work shall employ only Wyoming laborers on the public work. Every contract for a public work let by any person shall contain a provision requiring that Wyoming labor be used except other laborers may be used when Wyoming laborers are not available for the employment from within the state or are not qualified to perform the work involved. The contract shall contain a provision requiring specific acknowledgement of the requirements of this section. A person required to employ Wyoming laborers may employ other than Wyoming laborers if:

  • (i) That person informs the nearest state workforce center of his employment needs at least eleven (11) days before work is commenced; and
  • (ii) The state workforce center certifies that the person's need for laborers cannot be filled from those Wyoming laborers listed with the Wyoming department of workforce services. The department shall respond to a person's request for certification within ten (10) days of the date the information is filed.

(b) Upon request by the workforce center, the general contractor shall provide the most recent construction schedule for the project.

Article 3: Public Printing Contracts

Section 16-6-301: Preference for resident bidders; exception; "resident" defined; violation.

(a) Whenever a contract is let by the state or any department thereof, or any of its subdivisions, for public printing, including reports of officers and boards, pamphlets, blanks, letterheads, envelopes and printed and lithographed matter of every kind and description whatsoever, the contract shall be let to the responsible resident making the lowest bid if the resident's bid is not more than ten percent (10%) higher than that of the lowest responsible nonresident bidder. Any successful resident bidder shall perform at least seventy-five percent (75%) of the contract within the state of Wyoming. This section shall not apply to any contract for the compilation, codification, revision, or digest of the statutes or case law of the state.

(b) As used in this section, "resident" means any person or business entity who has been a bona fide resident of this state as defined in W.S. 16-6-101(a)(i), for one (1) year or more immediately prior to bidding upon a contract, and who has an established printing plant in actual operation in the state of Wyoming immediately prior to bidding upon a contract.

(c) Any contract let or performed in violation of this section shall be null and void and no funds shall be paid for the performance thereof.

Article 8: Works of Art in Public Buildings

Section 16-6-803: Department of commerce to acquire works of art; advisory panel to consult in acquisition; procedure; public education programs.

(d) The department shall by rule and regulation establish the jury procedure for works of art acquired under this article, which shall at minimum:

(i) Give preference to Wyoming artists.