Structure Change of Use (via Zoning Certificate) in Unincorporated Albany County, Wyoming

Unincorporated Albany County requires a structure change of use (via zoning certificate) permit for: Submit the same Zoning Certificate application used for new, expanded, or conditional uses (see this file's zoning-certificate-rural-address entry), selecting 'Structure Change of Use' as the application/fee category; Standard Zoning Certificate submittal items apply: site plan, proof of ownership, easement/plat documentation, and Approach License if access changes (see zoning-certificate-rural-address entry for the full list); A $200.00 late fee applies if the use is changed before the Zoning Certificate is approved (same late-fee rule documented in the zoning-certificate-rural-address entry); If the new use is not permitted outright in the applicable zoning district, a Conditional Use review may be required instead of, or in addition to, the administrative change-of-use fee — a separate $750.00 process involving a public hearing (see the county's Zoning Certificate — Conditional Uses procedure, Chapter 5 Section 7 of the Zoning Resolution); No separate county-issued Certificate of Occupancy exists for ordinary structures; the only real state-issued Certificate of Occupancy applies narrowly to certain public/government/commercial building types reviewed by the Wyoming State Fire Marshal (see this file's fire-sprinkler-alarm-permit entry). If your project isn't listed, confirm with Albany County Planning Department at (307) 721-2568 before starting work.

In Unincorporated Albany County, the published Zoning Certificate — Structure Change of Use (Residential) is: $100.00. Additional published fees: Zoning Certificate — Structure Change of Use (Commercial/Industrial) — $100.00; Late fee (use changed prior to approval) — $200.00. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Plan review for a structure change of use (via zoning certificate) permit in Unincorporated Albany County typically runs 5–20 business days. This is an estimate, not a published figure — confirm current review times with Albany County Planning Department at (307) 721-2568.

You'll need: Zoning Certificate Application (Structure Change of Use). See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Unincorporated Albany County requires 1 inspection(s) for a structure change of use (via zoning certificate) permit, in order: Right-of-entry inspection (as needed). Schedule each through Albany County Planning Department ((307) 721-2568).

Apply through Albany County Planning Department at 1002 S 3rd Street, Laramie, WY 82070. Phone: (307) 721-2568, email: planning@albanycountywy.gov. Office hours: Monday–Thursday, 7:30am–5:00pm (business by phone, email, and mail also available; staff may be unavailable during posted hours, call ahead to guarantee availability — per albanycountywy.gov/253/Planning, checked 2026-07-17). Official information: https://www.albanycountywy.gov/253/Planning.

Unincorporated Albany County, Wyoming has adopted: Albany County has NOT adopted a countywide building code and does NOT issue a general IBC/IRC-style building permit for private construction in unincorporated areas. Under Wyoming's local-option delegation statute (W.S. § 35-9-121), county-level building-code enforcement authority is opt-in via application to the State Fire Marshal; Albany County has not taken that authority, so the State Fire Marshal's Office retains BOTH building and electrical jurisdiction countywide (WSFM 'Local and State Jurisdictions' chart, header reads 'UPDATED 7/7/2026' — corrected 2026-07-17 from a stale '5/11/2026' citation, embedded at https://wsfm.wyo.gov/electrical-safety, lists Albany County BLDG INSP/PR = S and ELEC INSP/PR = S, re-confirmed unchanged 2026-07-17).; The county's OWN site confirms this: Albany County Planning's permit menu and Land Use Permit Fee Schedule (https://www.albanycountywy.gov/253/Planning ; fee schedule PDF https://www.albanycountywy.gov/DocumentCenter/View/6249/Fee-Schedule) contain NO International Building Code / International Residential Code adoption and NO 'building permit' fee line — only zoning, floodplain, wastewater, subdivision, sign, tower, and wind/solar fees. The county's own application labels its zoning approval for new residential/commercial structures 'Zoning Certificate & Rural Address (Building Permit)' — i.e., the county's stand-in for a building permit is a ZONING review against the Albany County Zoning Resolution, not a state building-code plan review/inspection.; The Albany County Zoning Certificate application (https://www.albanycountywy.gov/DocumentCenter/View/4521/Zoning-Certificate-Application) confirms review is 'by the Planning Department' for compliance with 'the Albany County Zoning Resolution' — land-use/setback/use compliance, not IBC/IRC structural or life-safety code compliance.; Practical takeaway: if you are building in unincorporated Albany County, you generally do NOT need a county building permit for the construction itself, but you DO need the county's Zoning Certificate (a land-use/placement approval, sometimes informally called the 'building permit' by the county) plus any of the real exceptions below that apply to your project (floodplain, septic/small wastewater, driveway access, state electrical).. Local amendments apply — see the Unincorporated Albany County overview page for the full list.

No standalone product exists. Change of use is one of the required triggers for the county's Zoning Certificate under W.S. § 18-5-203, billed under a dedicated 'Structure Change of Use' fee line ($100.00) within the Zoning Certificate fee schedule. Albany County has no general adopted building code and issues no construction-code Certificate of Occupancy; the only real state-issued Certificate of Occupancy applies narrowly to certain public/government/commercial building types reviewed by the Wyoming State Fire Marshal under W.S. § 35-9-108(n).