Duties of the Office of Secretary of State

Constitutional Duties

The Wyoming Secretary of State is a Wyoming constitutional elected official holding office for a term of four years as per Article 4, Section 11 of the Wyoming Constitution.

The Secretary of State serves on the State Board of Land Commissioners, the State Building Commission, the State Loan and Investment Board, and also serves as the chair of the State Canvassing Board.

The Secretary of State is the custodian of the "Great Seal of the State of Wyoming."

Statutory Responsibilities

The Secretary of State and his staff are charged with many statutory responsibilities some of which include the following:

• Registering all statutorily authorized business entities including profit and nonprofit corporations, limited liability companies, limited partnerships, registered limited liability partnerships and statutory trusts;
• Registering trade names, trademarks, and reserved names;
• Recording Uniform Commercial Code and Effective Financing statements and documents;
• Overseeing all statewide elections, as well as bond, municipal, and special elections;
• Certifying all statewide candidates and ballot questions, and reports and certifies primary and general election results;
• Commissioning of Wyoming's Notaries Public;
• Certifying and authenticating documents for use overseas;
• Recording state agencies' rules;
• Regulating the state's securities industry and enforcing securities law;
• Maintaining the records and proceedings of Wyoming's legislature;
• Attesting to various official acts and proceedings of the Governor; and
• Affixing the Great Seal of the State of Wyoming as delineated by law.

Office Structure

The Secretary of State's Office is organized into six divisions: Administration Division, Business Division, Compliance Division, Election Division, Executive Office, and Technology Division.

Administration Division

The Administration Division provides fiscal, managerial, and technology support to the entire Office. The Division files Administrative Rules for state agencies and, in cooperation with the University of Wyoming Trademark Licensing Office, administers the use and protection of Wyoming's iconic Bucking Horse and Rider trademark. Additionally, this Division provides computer technology resources and support to the Office for day-to-day operations. The Division also provides project management and oversight services for the building, updating, and maintaining of the Office's many applications including business registration and reporting, UCC lien filing, securities, elections, statewide voter registration, campaign finance, notaries public, state rules program, Office websites, receipting, and lobbyists.

Business Division

The Business Division administers Wyoming Statutes pertaining to the registration of corporations and 12 other business entities, trademarks, trade names, Uniform Commercial Code liens and searching, and Effective Financing Statement filings and searches. The Business Division also regulates the activities of Commercial Registered Agents and has authority to ensure compliance with and investigate violations of the Registered Agent Act.

Compliance Division

The Compliance Division oversees Wyoming's securities industry. This Division is responsible for registering securities (investments) offered or sold in Wyoming along with registering and overseeing the firms and individuals working for those firms that sell securities. In addition to its regulatory function, the Division has authority to investigate violations of the Securities Act. To further protect Wyomingites, this Division has enforcement authority to file administrative actions and to refer criminal matters to local, state or federal authorities for violations of securities laws. The Division is also responsible for providing investor protection education to the public, commissioning notaries public, and issuing apostilles and certification documents which authenticate signatures of state officials.

Election Division

The Election Division ensures uniformity in the application and operations of Wyoming's elections. The Division assists with general, primary, bond, municipal and special district elections; files campaign finance disclosure reports; verifies petitions for independent candidates, initiatives, referendums and new political parties; answers questions pertaining to elections; generates voter registration lists; processes candidate applications; produces elections publications; and registers lobbyists and retains lobbyist disclosure reports.

Executive Office

The Executive Office Division provides the leadership and direction to the Office as a whole. The Division includes the Secretary of State, Deputy Secretary of State, Chief Policy Officer and General Counsel, as well as the Executive Assistants to the Secretary and Deputy.