Certificate of Occupancy / Change of Use in Laramie, Wyoming

Laramie requires a certificate of occupancy / change of use permit for: A Certificate of Occupancy is required before occupying any new building, addition, or altered/changed-use space; it is issued after a successful final inspection under whatever building permit governs the work, at no separate CO fee (consistent with this file's residential-building-permit entry); LMC 15.10.010 (Change of Use) assigns every land-use category in Table 15.10-1 to one of 14 numbered 'Use Levels' in Table 15.10-2 (e.g., Level 1 = Agriculture/Household Living; Level 6 = Financial Service, Office and Technology, Personal Services, Retail Sales; Level 7 = Food and Beverage Services, Outdoor/Indoor Recreation; Level 14 = Waste and Salvage); A change of use WITHIN the same Use Level does NOT require compliance with Chapter 15.14 Development Standards, per LMC 15.14.010.B.4.a — the code's own example: converting a financial institution (Level 6) to a clothing store (Level 6-Retail) triggers no additional site/building standards review; A change of use that moves OUTSIDE the existing Use Level DOES require full compliance with Chapter 15.14 Development Standards — building design, building materials, parking, landscaping, screening, buffering, and public improvements — applied to the ENTIRETY of the existing development, not just the portion changing use (LMC 15.14.010.B.2 and B.4); There is no dedicated 'change of use permit' product or fee; the physical work associated with a change of use is processed through the standard building permit (see this file's commercial-tenant-improvement-permit entry), and any Chapter 15.14-triggering change additionally requires the applicable Planning Division site plan review (Type 1/Limited, Type 2/Partial, or Type 3/Full Compliance, per the Planning, Zoning and Engineering Fees schedule); Confirm the current and proposed Use Level classification with the Planning Division before assuming a change of use is exempt from Chapter 15.14 compliance. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Laramie Code Administration Division (Building Department) at (307) 721-5271 before starting work.

No separate fee — a Certificate of Occupancy is issued at no additional cost after a successful final inspection under the applicable building permit. If a change of use triggers Planning Division site plan review, that review carries its own fee ($35-$420 depending on compliance type, per the Planning, Zoning and Engineering Fees schedule).

Laramie does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact City of Laramie Code Administration Division (Building Department) at (307) 721-5271 for current turnaround.

You'll need: Building Permit Application (via Civic Access portal), for any tenant-improvement or change-of-use-related work. Depending on your project, Laramie may also ask for: Site Plan Review Application (Type 1, 2, or 3, via the Planning Division). See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Laramie requires 1 inspection(s) for a certificate of occupancy / change of use permit, in order: Final Building Inspection. Schedule each through City of Laramie Code Administration Division (Building Department) ((307) 721-5271).

Apply through City of Laramie Code Administration Division (Building Department) at 320 E. Grand Avenue, Laramie, WY 82070 (temporary location while the Historic Carnegie Building at 405 Grand Avenue undergoes renovations; mailing address P.O. Box C, Laramie, WY 82073). Phone: (307) 721-5271, email: codeadmin@cityoflaramie.org. Office hours: Mon–Fri, 9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. (per Building Department Staff page, current); older bulletins/forms list Mon–Thu 8 a.m.–4 p.m., Fri 8 a.m.–2 p.m. — confirm current hours by phone. Official information: https://www.cityoflaramie.org/432/Building-Permits-and-Informational-Bulletins.

Laramie, Wyoming has adopted: 2024 International Building Code (IBC) — adopted by the City of Laramie (Bulletin #2 Codes and Design Information, Feb. 2026 edition); Contractor Licensing page confirms the City adopted the 2024 ICC cycle effective September 1, 2024; 2024 International Residential Code (IRC) for One- and Two-Family Dwellings; 2024 International Existing Building Code (IEBC); 2024 International Mechanical Code (IMC); 2024 International Plumbing Code (IPC) — Laramie uses IPC (per Building Department (Code Administration) page), not the Uniform Plumbing Code; 2024 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC); 2024 International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC); 2024 International Fire Code (IFC); 2024 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC); 2026 National Electrical Code (NEC), published by NFPA, adopted with certain local amendments, additions and deletions [2026-07-17 re-verification RESOLVED: LMC § 15.24.030(A)(1) adopts the NEC ambulatorily — "the most recently issued editions of the National Electrical Code is adopted by reference" — in a dedicated NEC-specific section (not merely inherited from the ICC cycle), so the governing edition tracks whatever NFPA's current edition is. The Wyoming State Fire Marshal confirms the 2026 NEC took effect statewide July 1, 2026 (wsfm.wyo.gov/electrical-safety). The City's Informational Bulletin #2 (dated Feb. 2026, i.e. before that July 1 transition) still lists "(2023)" — accurate when written, now stale, not a genuine ordinance/bulletin conflict. The 2023 NEC is retained here only as prior-edition history; see electrical-permit tips for the full resolution]; ICC A117.1 (2017) — ADA/accessibility standard; Laramie Municipal Code (LMC) Title 15.24 — Buildings and Construction (local amendments to the above codes); most recently amended by Ordinance No. 1881 (effective May 23, 2026) and Ordinance No. 1870 (effective Sept. 19, 2025). Local amendments apply — see the Laramie overview page for the full list.

No. Change of use is a zoning classification question under LMC 15.10.010 (Use Levels), not a standalone permit. If the new use stays within the same Use Level as the old one, no extra Chapter 15.14 compliance review is triggered; if it crosses Use Levels, the entire existing development must come into compliance with current development standards before a new Certificate of Occupancy can issue.