Law Libraries & Self-Help Legal Research

Open to the general public, not just attorneys. Free borrowing/checkout privileges are limited to: Wyoming Supreme Court employees, state/federal judiciary, Wyoming State Bar members, Legislature members/staff, Wyoming state agency employees, or anyone who holds a WYLD library card issued by a Wyoming county/public library. The public without any of the above can still browse and use materials in the library without a card.

This is the exact 'library card' example — the Wyoming State Law Library issues its own card, but if you're a member of the general public (not bar/judiciary/state employee), the library accepts a WYLD library card from any Wyoming county public library in place of its own card for checkout privileges. To get the State Law Library's own card, walk in during open hours and bring a current state- or federal-issued photo ID (or your Wyoming State Bar card if you're an attorney); there is no online application. If you already have a WYLD card from your hometown public library, bring that instead. Once registered, you can check out up to five items at a time. Library staff can help locate materials but cannot give legal advice.

2301 Capitol Avenue, Cheyenne, WY 82001 (lower level of the Wyoming Supreme Court building). Phone: 307-777-7509. Email: library@courts.state.wy.us. Hours: 8:00 a.m.-4:45 p.m., Monday-Friday.

Free to use the library and browse in person; free to register for a card, including replacements.

Open to the general public, not just UW students/faculty. Any Wyoming resident may register to check out circulating materials; computer/internet access and in-library research help are available to all visitors regardless of residency.

Walk in during public hours — no appointment needed to browse or use library computers. To check out books, register as a borrower at the circulation desk with a photo ID (free registration); the circulating collection checks out for four weeks, renewable by phone at 307-766-2210. Reference librarians are available Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., or by emailing lawref@uwyo.edu, but cannot give legal advice. Important: full Westlaw and Lexis access is restricted to law students/faculty; the public can only use 'Westlaw Campus Research,' a more limited version, and only from the library's own reference computers on site — no remote access for non-students. Interlibrary loan is restricted to law school affiliates, but the library will mail a circulating book to you for a $5/volume fee.

1000 E. University Ave, Dept. 3035, Laramie, WY 82071. Phone: 307-766-2210. Email: lawref@uwyo.edu. Public hours (summer): Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Free to enter, browse, and use computers/Wi-Fi; free borrower registration and 4-week checkouts; $5 per volume for mail delivery.

Open to the general public; no special credential required to use the library or its free Westlaw access on-site.

Visit in person during the library's limited open hours — it is only open a few afternoons per week, so plan ahead and call to confirm current hours before making a special trip. Once there, you can use its legal reference collection and free access to the Westlaw online legal database on library computers.

185 S Willow, Jackson, WY 83002. Hours: 1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m., Monday-Thursday. The Wyoming Judicial Branch's own page for this library does not publish a direct phone number; for questions, contact the Wyoming State Law Library at (307) 777-7509, which can route inquiries appropriately.

Free, including free access to Westlaw on-site.

Any Wyoming resident. Access requires a library card from a Wyoming public library (or another WYLDCAT-member library) — no student status or special affiliation needed, just Wyoming residency and a registered library card in the WYLD/WYLDCAT system.

Getting the card: contact or visit any Wyoming public library local to you (done at the community/city/county level, not through one statewide office) and ask to register for a library card — bring photo ID and proof of your current address, since libraries generally require proof of residency in their service area (specific requirements vary slightly by library, so confirm with your local library). Many Wyoming public libraries let you start an application online, but most still require an in-person visit or follow-up to finalize registration and activate remote database access — confirm with your local library whether they offer fully online signup. Once you have a card number and PIN, it's a WYLD library card (part of the statewide WYLD Network of 100+ Wyoming libraries) and works statewide, not just at the issuing library. Using GoWYLD: go to gowyld.net, pick a resource category, and log in with your library card number and PIN — this works from home 24/7. If you forget your PIN, reset it at your library's online catalog or call your local library.

Wyoming State Library (program administrator): 2800 Central Ave., Cheyenne, WY 82002. Phone: 307-777-6333. Email: statelibrary@wyo.gov. To get an actual library card, contact your own local Wyoming public library — use the 'Find a Library' directory at library.wyo.gov/community/directory.

Free — both the Wyoming public library card and GoWYLD access are free to Wyoming residents.

Open to the general public with no card or registration required for browsing.

Browse online, no card needed for the core historical legislation database. Go to library.wyo.gov/collections/government-information/wyoming-legislation/ and use the 'Wyoming Legislation Database' and 'Wyoming Legislation Archives' links to search House and Senate Journals and digests (1869-present), digitized bills (1873-2000), and bill action records (1957-2000) directly in your browser, free and without logging in. For research help, email or call the Wyoming State Library's Information Services team, or visit the physical facility in Cheyenne (open to the public 8 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays).

Wyoming State Library, 2800 Central Avenue, Cheyenne, WY 82002. Phone: 307-777-6333. Email: statelibrary@wyo.gov. Hours: 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday.

Free.