Wyoming Private Family Trust Company
The Wyoming Private Family Trust Company: Your Family as Its Own Steward, Forever
The short answer
A Wyoming Private Family Trust Company (PFTC) is a Wyoming LLC formed to act as a fiduciary, such as a ministerial trustee, exclusively for members of one family and never for the public. Under Wyoming Statute § 13-5-701, an unregulated PFTC is formed with the Secretary of State and files a waiver with the Division of Banking; it has no statutory minimum capital. A chartered (regulated) family trust company, by contrast, must hold at least $500,000 in capital and is subject to examination by the state. In The Spacious Place's $6,500 Dynasty Architecture, the family's own unregulated Wyoming PFTC is set up to serve as the qualified Wyoming trustee.
“Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.”
Why a family would want its own trust company
A steward in Biblical terminology refers to a man who is conscious of having been trusted by God to self-govern and manage the affairs, resources, possessions and legacy of a household economy. To be a family steward is a sacred honor, appointed by God and reserved for the most spiritually mature and capable.
Every trust needs a trustee: someone who holds title, signs, keeps the books, and carries the family's intentions forward. Most firms usually have families choose between a relative (who may move, age, or tire) or an outside trustee such as a bank or corporate trustee (which charges exorbitant fees and answers to its own policies). We believe families are meant to be private and self-governing.
A Private Family Trust Company offers a third way. A way most aligned with the Biblical stewardship model of every family serving as self-governing stewards over their own household. The family forms its own company, and that company serves as trustee. Family members sit on its board or serve as its managers. When a steward steps back, the company continues, so the house never lacks a trustee, and decisions stay within the family. The benefit of having a family company as trustee is the company is perpetual.
This was God’s exact promise to King David regarding his own family covenant: that his house, kingdom, and throne would be established forever, and his descendants shall never cease to sit upon the throne of his dynastic household.
For generations, this has been a tool for only the very wealthy. But Wyoming provides an unregulated avenue that makes everlasting self-governing dominion simple and available to every household.
What Wyoming law actually requires
Unregulated private family trust company (W.S. §§ 13-5-301, 13-5-701 to -703): Formed as a Wyoming corporation or LLC by filing with the Secretary of State. The organizing documents must state that the company is formed to act as a fiduciary for family members, and that it will act exclusively for one or more family members and will not do trust company business with the general public. After the Secretary of State approves the filing, the directors or managers sign and deliver a waiver to the Commissioner of the Division of Banking acknowledging the company is not supervised by the Commissioner. No statutory minimum capital requirement exists for an unregulated PFTC.
Naming the company. If "trust company" appears in the name, the name must also say "private family trust company" (§ 13-5-302(b)). Although in dealing with the public, adding “trust company” to the name often brings added scrutiny. Sometimes it is recommended to leave “trust company” out of the name entirely or choose a different word for “trust” such as “stewarding company.” If privacy is of importance, leaving the family name out of the company altogether is recommended. An unregulated PFTC may not advertise its services to the public (§ 13-5-302(c)). The Commissioner may inspect a PFTC suspected of serving the public (§ 13-5-702).
If you tracked King David’s eternal bloodline today, there would be a pretty good chance his household’s trust would be domiciled in Wyoming. This is the simple, peaceful path to self-governance and familial dominion.
Chartered (regulated) family trust company (W.S. § 13-5-605): Receives a charter from the Division of Banking and is subject to examination. Must be organized with, and maintain, at least $500,000 in capital. This is typically chosen by larger family offices that want regulatory standing.
Regulated vs. unregulated at a glance
| Plan feature | Unregulated Wyoming PFTC | Chartered (regulated) family trust company | Public trust company / bank trustee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who it may serve | One or more family members only | Family members only | The general public |
| State supervision | Self-governing; not supervised by Division of Banking (waiver filed) | Chartered and examined by Division of Banking | Chartered and examined |
| Minimum capital | None by statute | $500,000 (W.S. § 13-5-605) | $1,000,000 for Wyoming public trust companies (W.S. § 13-5-511, per industry summary) |
| Who makes decisions | Family board/managers | Family board, under regulatory oversight | Institution's officers and policies |
| Ongoing cost | Registered agent, annual state fees, recordkeeping | Capital, exams, compliance staff | Ongoing trustee fees |
| Typical fit | Everyday families wanting continuity and family control | Larger family offices | Families who prefer an outside professional |
How the PFTC anchors the Dynasty Architecture
Our Dynasty Architecture is a three cord strand design:
- The Family Legacy Trust, the private core layer, long-term owner of the family's treasury and legacy assets, and contains the private family succession plans.
- A Pass-Through Trust, the conduit layer which gathers assets and revenue and moves them inward to the Legacy Trust.
- A Wyoming PFTC & Digital Asset LLC, the public-facing company that keeps accounts, pays bills, signs contracts, holds digital assets, and is set up to serve as the qualified Wyoming trustee. It can also spin up sub-entities for special purposes like a family business, auto trust, real estate trust, etc. The family steward.
The Spacious Place organizes your Private Family Trust Company as an unregulated LLC with a nexus in Wyoming. The PFTC headquarters its governance there. Because the trustee is the company, a separate legal entity, rather than any individual family member, it serves as the qualified trustee while family members manage its offices.
The effect is continuity: the PFTC does not age, resign, die, or move away like a normal trustee, and generational succession happens privately at the dinner table as family members step into its offices across generations. Because it is a company rather than a person, the public-facing trustee never changes and never fails for want of a trustee. No need to retitle assets every time a trustee is replaced. It is perpetual by design.
What a PFTC asks of the family
It creates an obligation to honest, faithful stewardship over the family economy. A PFTC is a governance tool, and it carries real fiduciary duties: minutes, records, prudent investing, and loyalty to beneficiaries. Families that keep those habits get the most from it. “It is required in stewards that a man be found faithful.” The Spacious Place prepares the operating agreements and succession provisions that set those habits in writing for you within the Dynasty Architecture design. We help you construct it well. Your charge is to steward it faithfully.
Your path to establishing your own PFTC
- Go all in on your family, forever. Decide to become a Founding Settlor. Settlors of the Family Legacy Trust, and any adult descendants, are the initial managers of the PFTC.
- Begin building your Dynasty Architecture. You can begin the application directly or set up a call with our house for a private family consultation.
- We form and write it for your house. Articles of organization, operating agreements, EINs, registered agent with Wyoming address, the Division of Banking waiver, and both trusts. Thirty days, done for you. Delivered in three beautiful American leather heirloom folios.
- Fund it now by moving assets into the architecture. Hold your first family meeting as a company. Make it fun, even a vacation.
- Keep the folios at the table. Teach the next steward.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Wyoming private family trust company?
It is a Wyoming corporation or LLC formed to act as a fiduciary, such as a qualified trustee, exclusively for members of one family. In short, it serves as the perpetual family steward. It may not do trust company business with the general public or advertise to the public. It is formed under Wyoming Statute § 13-5-701.
Is a Wyoming PFTC regulated?
A self-governing private family trust company is not supervised by the Wyoming Division of Banking. After formation, its directors or managers file a waiver acknowledging that. A chartered family trust company is a separate option that is regulated and examined by the state.
How much capital does a Wyoming private family trust company need?
An unregulated PFTC has no statutory minimum capital. A chartered family trust company must be organized with and maintain at least $500,000 in capital under Wyoming Statute § 13-5-605.
Do I need to be wealthy to have a private family trust company?
No law limits unregulated PFTCs to wealthy families. The practical question is whether your family will keep up the governance, recordkeeping, and fiduciary duties self-governance requires. The Spacious Place organizes a PFTC for everyday families within the $6,500 Dynasty Architecture.
Can my PFTC be the trustee of my family's trust?
Yes. In the Dynasty Architecture, the family's PFTC is set up to serve as the qualified Wyoming trustee and the perpetual trustee that manages the family's public affairs. The PFTC is an unregulated Wyoming LLC that does business in and has an administrative nexus in Wyoming, and because the trustee is the company rather than any individual family member, it can fill that role while the family manages it.
Do I have to live in Wyoming to form a Wyoming PFTC?
No. People outside Wyoming may form Wyoming companies. The company needs a Wyoming registered agent, and your home state's laws may affect how the structure is treated.
What does a PFTC cost to maintain?
Expect costs to include a registered agent ($49), business address ($49), annual state filings ($100 initial setup + $60 annual renewal), and bookkeeping. The Spacious Place’s Dynasty Architecture has an annual cost of approximately $158 per year after formation.
Establish your everlasting house
The Dynasty Architecture · $6,500 all-in Three layers, one design: your private Family Legacy Trust, a Pass Through Trust, and your own Wyoming Private Family Trust Company & Digital Asset LLC, set up to serve as the family's permanent, qualified Wyoming trustee. Pure family control. Three leather-bound folios. Thirty days, done for you. One-time fee. Payment plans available through our third party partners. The Legacy Folio + Wyoming Digital Asset LLC · $2,589 One irrevocable, family-controlled trust written for your house, with EIN, Wyoming trust address, and beneficiary certificates, plus a Wyoming Digital Asset LLC with registered agent, EIN, operating and custody agreements, and assignment of your digital assets into the trust. Bound in American full-grain leather. Thirty days, done for you. (Don’t need the Digital Asset LLC? The Legacy Folio alone is $2,000.)
Not sure which fits your house?