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Change of Use / Certificate of Occupancy in Unincorporated Sheridan County, Wyoming

Sheridan County does not operate a separate, standalone 'change of use' permit or issue its own Certificates of Occupancy for private construction. The county's own official Required Permits page folds change of use directly into the existing Building Permit & Zoning Permit line item — 'Construction of any new building, or addition to, or change of use of existing building' — meaning a change of use is processed through the SAME Zoning Permit ($150, documented in this jurisdiction's Zoning Permit entry) required countywide for new construction, or through the Building Permit (documented in this jurisdiction's building-permit-limited-area entry) if the parcel falls within the mapped Building Standards Area, a qualifying subdivision, or a Conditional Use Permit structure. Where a true Certificate of Occupancy or Letter of Compliance IS issued for a structure in unincorporated Sheridan County — i.e. one subject to Wyoming State Fire Marshal fire/life-safety plan review, such as a public building or a structure with a permitted fire alarm/suppression system — WSFM itself issues that certificate upon completion and passing of all required inspections, the same state mechanism documented in this jurisdiction's Fire Sprinkler/Alarm Permit entry.

Verified 2026-07-22 · Source

When you need this permit

  • No standalone 'change of use' permit exists in unincorporated Sheridan County — per the county's own Required Permits page, a change of use of an existing building is processed under the same Building Permit & Zoning Permit line item used for new construction
  • Where the parcel is OUTSIDE the mapped Building Standards Area (the large majority of unincorporated Sheridan County), a change of use is processed through the baseline Zoning Permit ($150) — same requirements, plot plan, and proof of ownership documented in this jurisdiction's Zoning Permit entry
  • Where the parcel is INSIDE the mapped Building Standards Area, a qualifying pre-2006/post-2006 subdivision, or a Conditional Use Permit structure, a change of use is instead processed through the county Building Permit documented in this jurisdiction's building-permit-limited-area entry
  • Sheridan County does not itself issue a separate 'Certificate of Occupancy' document for ordinary private construction — no such form or process is published on the county's Required Permits page, Building in the County page, or Land Use Fee Schedule
  • Where a Certificate of Occupancy or Letter of Compliance IS issued in unincorporated Sheridan County, it is issued by the Wyoming State Fire Marshal's Office upon completion and passing of all required fire/life-safety plan-review inspections — applicable to public buildings and structures with a permitted fire alarm/sprinkler/suppression system, per WSFM's Fire Prevention program page

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Change of use feeSheridan County Land Use Fee Schedule (adopted Oct. 4, 2011) lists only a single 'Zoning Certificate' fee ($150.00) plus the separate Building Permit valuation table; no distinct change-of-use or certificate-of-occupancy line item exists.
No distinct fee — billed as a Zoning Permit ($150.00) or, within the mapped Building Standards Area, as a Building Permit

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Change of Use / Certificate of Occupancy permit actually take in Unincorporated Sheridan County?

Anonymous — one question, no email. Answers are combined and only shown once at least 5 people have reported.

Inspection process

    See the full Unincorporated Sheridan County inspection guide — scheduling & re-inspection fees →

    Tips

    • Don't go looking for a distinct 'Change of Use Permit' application on the county's site — none exists. The Required Permits page itself defines the county's Building Permit & Zoning Permit as covering 'construction of any new building, or addition to, or change of use of existing building.'
    • Sheridan County does not issue its own Certificates of Occupancy for ordinary private construction — if you need a formal CO or Letter of Compliance, it will typically come from the Wyoming State Fire Marshal's Office as part of a fire/life-safety plan review (see this jurisdiction's Fire Sprinkler/Alarm Permit entry), not from the county.
    • Confirm with Sheridan County Public Works (307-674-2920) which underlying permit (Zoning or Building) governs your specific change of use before applying, since the answer depends on whether your parcel falls inside the mapped Building Standards Area.

    Frequently asked questions

    Unincorporated Sheridan County requires a change of use / certificate of occupancy permit for: No standalone 'change of use' permit exists in unincorporated Sheridan County — per the county's own Required Permits page, a change of use of an existing building is processed under the same Building Permit & Zoning Permit line item used for new construction; Where the parcel is OUTSIDE the mapped Building Standards Area (the large majority of unincorporated Sheridan County), a change of use is processed through the baseline Zoning Permit ($150) — same requirements, plot plan, and proof of ownership documented in this jurisdiction's Zoning Permit entry; Where the parcel is INSIDE the mapped Building Standards Area, a qualifying pre-2006/post-2006 subdivision, or a Conditional Use Permit structure, a change of use is instead processed through the county Building Permit documented in this jurisdiction's building-permit-limited-area entry; Sheridan County does not itself issue a separate 'Certificate of Occupancy' document for ordinary private construction — no such form or process is published on the county's Required Permits page, Building in the County page, or Land Use Fee Schedule; Where a Certificate of Occupancy or Letter of Compliance IS issued in unincorporated Sheridan County, it is issued by the Wyoming State Fire Marshal's Office upon completion and passing of all required fire/life-safety plan-review inspections — applicable to public buildings and structures with a permitted fire alarm/sprinkler/suppression system, per WSFM's Fire Prevention program page. If your project isn't listed, confirm with Sheridan County Public Works Department (Planning / Building Official) at (307) 674-2920 or (307) 675-2420 before starting work.

    In Unincorporated Sheridan County, the published Change of use fee is: No distinct fee — billed as a Zoning Permit ($150.00) or, within the mapped Building Standards Area, as a Building Permit. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

    Unincorporated Sheridan County does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact Sheridan County Public Works Department (Planning / Building Official) at (307) 674-2920 or (307) 675-2420 for current turnaround.

    You'll need: Sheridan County Zoning Permit Application (revised 5/1/2026). Depending on your project, Unincorporated Sheridan County may also ask for: Building App & Submittal Requirements (rev. 5/1/2026). See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

    Apply through Sheridan County Public Works Department (Planning / Building Official) at 224 South Main Street, Suite 428, Sheridan, WY 82801. Phone: (307) 674-2920 or (307) 675-2420, email: publicworks@sheridancountywy.gov. Office hours: Mon–Fri 8:00am–5:00pm (Sheridan County general office hours per the sheridancountywy.gov site footer, re-confirmed 2026-07-16; not separately published as Public-Works-specific hours). Official information: https://www.sheridancountywy.gov/departments/planning/building_in_the_county/index.php.

    Unincorporated Sheridan County, Wyoming has adopted: NO countywide building code / NO general building permit for private construction in unincorporated Sheridan County. Per the Wyoming State Fire Marshal's 'Local and State Jurisdictions' chart, Sheridan County (county-level row) is listed BLDG INSP/PR = STATE and ELEC INSP/PR = STATE — the county has NOT taken general countywide building-code delegation under W.S. § 35-9-121, so the State Fire Marshal / state program has building and electrical jurisdiction across most of unincorporated Sheridan County.; IMPORTANT NUANCE (confirmed on the county's own site): Sheridan County DOES have an adopted 'Building Standards, Sheridan County, Wyoming' rule (adopted Nov. 18, 1991; last amended May 16, 2023, filed as County Clerk doc. #2023-785780) that adopts the 2021 International Building Code, 2021 IRC, 2021 IMC, 2021 IFGC, 2021 IPC, 2021 International Fire Code, the 2022 National Electrical Code, and the Uniform Code for the Abatement of Dangerous Buildings — but ARTICLE I, Section 3 (Applicability) confirms this code applies ONLY within a mapped 'Sheridan County Building Standards Area' (a defined zone around/adjoining the City of Sheridan shown on the Appendix A Planning Map), PLUS specific legacy subdivisions the BOCC imposed permitting/inspection on before Dec. 5, 2006, all NEW subdivisions approved after Dec. 5, 2006, and any structure built under a Conditional Use Permit. It does NOT apply countywide.; Farms and ranches on 40 acres or more of deeded land are specifically EXEMPT from the Building Standards code entirely (Article I, Sec. 3(b)(1)), as are county hospitals, mines/oilfield/refinery facilities, and railway buildings.; Where the Building Standards DO apply (the mapped area / qualifying subdivisions / CUP structures): a building permit is required before construction of any building/structure valued over $5,000 (Article III, Sec. 1), enforced by the Sheridan County Building Official.; Where the Building Standards do NOT apply (the vast majority of unincorporated Sheridan County — rural and agricultural land outside the mapped area): there is no county building permit for private construction; a Zoning Permit (land-use/setback compliance, not a structural building-code permit) is still required countywide for new construction or change of use.; Electrical: wiring permits/inspections are issued by the Wyoming State Fire Marshal's Office — Dept. of Fire Prevention & Electrical Safety (Chief Electrical Inspector), not Sheridan County, per the county's own Zoning Permit application which directs applicants doing new electrical work to WSFM..

    No. Per the county's own Required Permits page, a change of use of an existing building is processed under the same Building Permit & Zoning Permit used for new construction — there is no standalone change-of-use product or fee. Sheridan County likewise does not issue its own Certificates of Occupancy for ordinary private construction; where a CO or Letter of Compliance is issued in the unincorporated county, it comes from the Wyoming State Fire Marshal's Office as part of fire/life-safety plan review.

    Sources & verification

    Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-07-22.

    Fees, timelines, and adopted codes are researched from each jurisdiction's published records — see how we verify. Requirements change and vary by project, so always confirm the current details with the Unincorporated Sheridan County building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.

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