HB0045 • 2026

Long-term homeowner tax exemption-revisions.

AN ACT relating to taxation; revising the deadline to apply and the exemption amount for the property tax exemption for long-term homeowners; providing a method to claim the property tax exemption in subsequent years; establishing a limitation on the long-term homeowner tax exemption; amending definitions; repealing the sunset date of the property tax exemption; and providing for an effective date.

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor: Revenue
Last action: 2026-03-07
Official status: enrolled
Effective date: 7/1/2026

Plain English Breakdown

The official summary does not provide specific details about enforcement mechanisms or penalties for non-compliance.

Revised Long-term Homeowner Tax Exemption

This law changes when long-term homeowners can apply for a tax exemption and limits how much of their home's value is exempt from taxes.

What This Bill Does

Changes the deadline to apply for the property tax exemption to March 1 each year.
Limits the exemption amount to the first $3 million in fair market value of the homeowner’s primary residence.
Allows homeowners to keep claiming the exemption by confirming their eligibility with the assessor's office every year before March 1.
Prevents a homeowner from getting both this long-term exemption and another property tax exemption if voters pass one through an initiative.
Removes the expiration date for the long-term homeowner tax exemption.

Who It Names or Affects

Long-term homeowners who are at least 65 years old or whose spouse is 65 years old and have paid Wyoming property taxes on any home for at least 25 years.
People living in homes valued up to $3 million.

Terms To Know

Primary residence: The main house where a person lives for at least eight months of the year.
Fair market value: The price that property would sell for on the open market.

Limits and Unknowns

The law does not specify what happens if someone moves to a new home within Wyoming and how it affects their eligibility.
It is unclear how this change will affect homeowners who have already applied under previous rules.
The bill does not provide details on enforcement or penalties for non-compliance.

Bill History

2026-03-07 LSO
Assigned Chapter Number 83
2026-03-07 Governor
Governor Signed HEA No. 0023
2026-03-06 Senate
S President Signed HEA No. 0023
2026-03-05 House
H Speaker Signed HEA No. 0023
2026-03-05 LSO
Assigned Number HEA No. 0023
2026-03-03 Senate
S Appointed JCC01 Members
2026-03-02 House
H Appointed JCC01 Members
2026-03-02 House
H Concur:Failed 2-55-4-0-1
2026-03-02 House
H Received for Concurrence
2026-03-02 Senate
S 3rd Reading:Passed 23-0-0-0-8
2026-02-27 Senate
S 2nd Reading:Passed
2026-02-26 Senate
S COW:Passed
2026-02-23 Senate
S Placed on General File
2026-02-23 Senate
S03 - Revenue:Recommend Do Pass 4-0-1-0-0
2026-02-16 Senate
S Introduced and Referred to S03 - Revenue
2026-02-16 Senate
S Received for Introduction
2026-02-13 House
H 3rd Reading:Passed 56-4-1-0-1
2026-02-12 House
H 2nd Reading:Passed
2026-02-11 House
H COW:Passed
2026-02-10 House
H Placed on General File
2026-02-10 House
H03 - Revenue:Recommend Amend and Do Pass 7-0-0-0-2
2026-02-09 House
H Introduced and Referred to H03 - Revenue 60-1-0-0-1
2026-01-22 House
H Received for Introduction
2026-01-15 LSO
Bill Number Assigned

Official Summary Text

Bill Summary - 26LSO-0099

Bill No.:

HB0045

Effective:

7/1/2026

LSO No.:

26LSO-0099

Enrolled Act No.:

HEA No. 0023

Chapter No.:

83

Prime Sponsor:

Joint Revenue Interim Committee

Catch Title:

Long-term homeowner tax exemption-revisions.

Has Report:

No

Subject:

Long-term homeowner tax exemption revisions.

Summary/Major Elements:

This bill revises the application deadline for the property tax exemption for long-term homeowners to March 1 each year.

The bill also specifies that the exemption is applicable only to the first three million dollars ($3,000,000.00) of the property's fair market value.

Establishes a method for claimants to maintain their exemption in subsequent years by confirming eligibility with the assessor's office by March 1 of each year.

The bill allows an exemption qualification when there are transitions between residences within the state.

The bill specifies that if the homeowner's property tax exemption initiative is enacted, claimants cannot qualify for both the initiative and the long-term homeowner exemption.

The bill repeals the sunset date for the long-term homeowner property tax exemption.

The above summary is not an official publication of the Wyoming Legislature and is not an official statement of legislative intent.

While the Legislative Service Office endeavored to provide accurate information in this summary, it should not be relied upon as a comprehensive abstract of the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

26LSO-0099

ORIGINAL House

ENGROSSED
Bill No
.
HB0045

ENROLLED ACT NO. 23,

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

SIXTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING
2026 Budget Session

AN ACT relating to taxation; revising the deadline to apply and the exemption amount for the property tax exemption for long-term homeowners; providing a method to claim the property tax exemption in subsequent years; establishing a limitation on the long-term homeowner tax exemption; amending definitions; repealing the sunset date of the property tax exemption; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1.

W.S. 39
‑
11
‑
105(a)(xlv)(A), (B), (C)(II) and by creating new subparagraphs (D) and (E) is amended to read:

39
‑
11
‑
105.

Exemptions.

(a)

The following property is exempt from property taxation:

(xlv)

A portion of property used as a primary residence by long
‑
term homeowners as provided in this paragraph. The following shall apply to this exemption:

(A)

For residential real property used as a primary residence, if the owner or their spouse is sixty
‑
five (65) years of age or older and the owner or their spouse has paid residential property tax in Wyoming for twenty
‑
five (25) years or more on any residential property, the amount of the exemption shall be fifty percent (50%) of the
assessed value
fair market value of the residential real property, provided that the exemption shall only apply to the first three million dollars ($3,000,000.00) of the fair market value
of the residential real property;

(B)

Except as provided by subdivision (C)(II) of this paragraph, n
ot more than one (1) exemption under this paragraph shall apply to the same property in any year and no owner shall claim more than one (1) exemption under this paragraph in any year including property that houses more than one (1) family. To claim an exemption under this paragraph the owner of the residential real property shall submit a claim to the county assessor not later than
the fourth Monday in May
March 1
each year on forms provided by the department of revenue demonstrating that the person is the owner of the property, that the person or the person's spouse is sixty
‑
five (65) years of age or older and has paid residential property tax in Wyoming for twenty
‑
five (25) years or more on any residential property and that the property is the person's primary residence. A surviving spouse of a person who qualified under this paragraph and who would not otherwise qualify under this paragraph shall continue to qualify for the exemption under this paragraph. False claims are punishable as provided by W.S. 6
‑
5
‑
303;

(C)

As used in this paragraph:

(II)

"Primary residence" means residential real property
in Wyoming
where the person claiming the exemption actually resides for not less than eight (8) months of the year
. If a primary residence is sold and another property is purchased within the state of Wyoming, the months residing in both owner
‑
occupied residences shall apply to the requirements of this exemption
;

(D)

After filing a sworn claim pursuant to subparagraph (B) of this paragraph, in subsequent years the claimant shall remain qualified for the tax exemption provided by this paragraph if the claimant contacts the assessor's office by telephone, mail or other communication method on or before March 1 and confirms that the claimant continues to meet the requirements set forth in this paragraph;

(E)

If the secretary of state certifies to the department of revenue that the voters have approved an initiative implementing a homeowner's property tax exemption and the exemption is enacted into law, an owner who qualifies and applies for an exemption under this paragraph shall not qualify for the exemption under the initiative.

Section 2
.

2024 Wyoming Session Laws, Chapter 106, Section 2 is repealed.

Section 3
.

This act is effective July 1, 2026
.

(END)

Speaker of the House

President of the Senate

Governor

TIME APPROVED: _________

DATE APPROVED: _________

I hereby certify that this act originated in the House.

Chief Clerk

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