State file — Wyoming

Wyoming debt collection: the deadlines and limits that decide your case

Every number below names the law it comes from (its statute citation), checked October 18, 2026. Where a number comes from a secondary source instead of the official text, this page says so — double-check it before you rely on it.

How long they have to sue you — credit-card debt10 years (written contract) / 8 years (open account) · Wyo. Stat. § 1-3-105(a)(i)-(ii)
OUTLIER CONFIRMED from primary text (wyoleg.gov, ch. 3): § 1-3-105(a)(i) = 10 years for 'any contract, agreement or promise in writing'; (a)(ii)(A) = 8 years for 'a contract not in writing, either express or implied' (the open/unwritten bucket). The '8 written / 10 written' confusion in roundups resolves to written 10, unwritten 8 - the longest contract periods in this batch. Foreign claims get only 5 years after the debtor establishes WY residence (§ 1-3-105(a)(iii)).
If the clock has run outPaying part of it, or signing a written statement that the debt is yours, can restart it.
Wyo. Stat. § 1-3-105 et seq. From a secondary source — double-check before you rely on it
Secondary sources describe Wyoming's standard rule that a part payment or a signed written acknowledgment/promise starts the period anew from that act; the specific revival section was not opened this pass, so the cite is to the limitations chapter generally and status is secondary.
Deadline to answer a lawsuitServe an answer within 20 days after service within Wyoming; 30 days if served outside the state · Wyo. R. Civ. P. 12(a) From a secondary source — double-check before you rely on it
Taking your paycheck (wage garnishment)Follows the federal cap. Follows the federal CCPA formula for ordinary judgments: lesser of 25% of disposable earnings or the amount by which weekly disposable earnings exceed 30 times the federal minimum wage. Benefit income is exempt under Wyo. Stat. § 1-15-501.
Wyo. Stat. §§ 1-15-401 et seq., 1-15-501 From a secondary source — double-check before you rely on it
Taking your bank account (a levy)No Wyoming-specific automatic bank-balance floor located this pass. Wyoming's exemption article protects listed benefit income and a modest wildcard/personal-property amount when claimed and traceable; other account funds are reachable by garnishment after judgment.
Wyo. Stat. § 1-20-101 et seq. From a secondary source — double-check before you rely on it
Federal benefits deposited directly get an automatic two-month shield everywhere (31 CFR Part 212).
Original creditor calling?No equivalent statute found. The federal FDCPA binds third-party collectors and debt buyers in Wyoming, and federal law still bans deceptive practices by the bank itself.
How long a judgment lasts5 years — dormant after 5 years if no execution is issued (and the lien ceases); a dormant judgment may generally be revived within 10 years · Wyo. Stat. §§ 1-17-307, 1-16-503 From a secondary source — double-check before you rely on it

Run my dates through the free checker

Card agreements often pick another state's law (Delaware for Chase, Bank of America, Discover, Barclays; South Dakota for Citi and Wells Fargo). A court may use the shorter of the two deadlines, under a rule called a borrowing statute — the free checker works out both clocks for you.

Included in the $39 DebtDecoded Kit

  • The letter builder — answer a few questions and it writes your letters: the one that makes them prove the debt is yours, and the one that orders them to stop calling. Wording follows the federal rulebook (Regulation F). Ready to print and mail
  • The old-debt trap worksheet — checks your dates against your state's restart rule before you pay or sign anything, so one small payment can't quietly restart the clock on an old debt (the trap lawyers call 'revival')
  • The call log — counts their calls against the legal line: more than 7 calls in 7 days about one debt counts as harassment (12 CFR 1006.14(b)(2))
  • The 'what they can't take' pack — what a court judgment can and cannot take in your state, including the rule that shields two months of federal benefits sitting in your bank account (31 CFR Part 212)
  • The offer-math worksheet — what a 'deal' really costs once fees and the tax on the written-off part are counted (that tax shows up on Form 1099-C)
  • The complaint walkthrough and the honest directory — who to call instead when a free or better route fits you

One payment. Every stage of the road, and the deadline tables for all 50 states — every number with its law cited. No account, no subscription — and the free checker above stays free whether you buy or not.

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Quick answers

What is the statute of limitations on credit card debt in Wyoming?

10 years (written contract) / 8 years (open account) under Wyo. Stat. § 1-3-105(a)(i)-(ii). The clock usually starts at the first missed payment that was never made up. Debt collectors may still call after it runs out, but Regulation F (12 CFR 1006.26(b)) bars them from suing — or threatening to sue — over a debt that is too old (time-barred).

Can paying a little restart the clock in Wyoming?

Paying part of it, or signing a written statement that the debt is yours, can restart it. (Wyo. Stat. § 1-3-105 et seq.).

How long do I have to answer a debt-collection lawsuit in Wyoming?

Serve an answer within 20 days after service within Wyoming; 30 days if served outside the state (Wyo. R. Civ. P. 12(a)). Most of these cases are lost by default — by never answering at all.

Can a debt collector garnish my wages in Wyoming?

Follows the federal CCPA formula for ordinary judgments: lesser of 25% of disposable earnings or the amount by which weekly disposable earnings exceed 30 times the federal minimum wage. Benefit income is exempt under Wyo. Stat. § 1-15-501. (Wyo. Stat. §§ 1-15-401 et seq., 1-15-501).

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