In Wyoming, a creditor has ten years to sue on a written contract and eight years on one that isn’t in writing [1]. Two rules matter just as much as those numbers: a payment or a signed acknowledgment starts the clock over [2], and time you spend out of state doesn’t count [3].
At a glance
| Type of claim | Deadline | Law |
|---|---|---|
| Specialty, or any contract, agreement or promise in writing | 10 years | Wyo. Stat. § 1-3-105(a)(i) |
| Contract not in writing, express or implied | 8 years | Wyo. Stat. § 1-3-105(a)(ii)(A) |
| Liability created by statute (other than a penalty or forfeiture) | 8 years | Wyo. Stat. § 1-3-105(a)(ii)(B) |
| Foreign claim, judgment or contract that accrued before the debtor became a Wyoming resident | 5 years after the debtor establishes residence | Wyo. Stat. § 1-3-105(a)(iii) |
Written or unwritten
Wyoming splits most consumer debts by whether they rest on a writing [1]:
- Written contracts, agreements or promises: 10 years.
- Contracts not in writing, whether spelled out or implied from how the parties acted: 8 years.
Whether a particular credit card, medical bill or loan counts as “written” depends on the paperwork behind it. If you’re sued on an old account, it’s fair to ask the creditor to show the written agreement it’s relying on.
Moved here with the debt?
Wyoming has a special rule for newcomers. A claim, judgment or contract that accrued before you became a Wyoming resident can be sued on here within five years after you establish residence in Wyoming [1]. And if the claim was already barred by the law of the state or country where it arose, it’s barred in Wyoming too [4].
What restarts or pauses the clock
Payments and signed acknowledgments. When a payment is made on a debt founded on a contract, or you sign a written acknowledgment of the debt or a promise to pay it, the time to sue runs again from that date [2].
Time out of state. If a claim accrues while you’re out of Wyoming, the clock doesn’t start until you come into the state. If you leave after it accrues, the time you’re gone isn’t counted [3]. The same applies if a debtor absconds or hides [3].
What “time-barred” means
A debt is time-barred once the deadline to sue has run out. Collectors can still contact you and ask for payment, but they can’t sue or threaten to sue over a time-barred debt [5].
The deadline isn’t automatic in court. If you’re sued on an old debt, you have to raise the statute of limitations yourself [5]. Respond by the date in the court papers; the Wyoming Judicial Branch warns that ignoring a lawsuit can cost you the chance to fight a garnishment order [6].
Judgments
Once a creditor wins, the judgment earns 10% interest a year unless the contract set a different agreed rate [7]. A judgment from a Wyoming court of record becomes dormant, and stops being a lien on the debtor’s property, if no execution is issued on it within five years of the judgment or within five years of the last execution [9]. A dormant judgment can be revived, but generally not more than ten years after it went dormant [10].
The credit report clock is different
How long an old debt shows on your credit report is a federal rule, not a Wyoming one. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, most accounts placed for collection or charged off can’t be reported once they’re more than seven years old, counted from 180 days after the delinquency began [8]. So a debt can drop off your report while it can still be collected in a Wyoming court, or stay on your report after Wyoming’s deadline to sue has passed.
Accurate information can stay for the full reporting period. If something is wrong, such as an old debt listed with the wrong dates or past the seven-year limit, you have the right to dispute it with the credit bureaus for free. For more, see BestAmerica’s guide to how long negative items stay on a credit report.
Want a professional to handle it? A credit repair company can go through your reports from all three bureaus, spot old accounts that are re-aged, duplicated or reported past the time limit, and send and follow up on the disputes for you, round after round. Federal law protects you when you hire one: you get a written contract that spells out the services, the total cost and how long the work will take [12], you can cancel within three business days [13], and the company can’t charge you until it has performed the services it promised [11]. Accurate, current information can’t be removed, and results vary. See BestAmerica’s guide to how credit repair works.
Where to get help
- Legal Aid of Wyoming: a hotline at 1-877-432-9955 for people with limited income and assets [14].
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: takes complaints about debt collectors [5].
- A consumer attorney: worth a call if you’re sued on an old debt or a collector threatens to sue on one.
Sources
- Wyo. Stat. § 1-3-105: Actions other than recovery of real property (Wyoming Statutes, Title 1)
- Wyo. Stat. § 1-3-119: Effect of partial payment or new promise in writing
- Wyo. Stat. § 1-3-116: Absence from state, abscondence or concealment
- Wyo. Stat. § 1-3-117: Effect of foreign law
- CFPB: What is a statute of limitations on a debt?
- Wyoming Judicial Branch: Consumer Credit and Debt Collection (Legal Help by Topic)
- Wyo. Stat. § 1-16-102: Interest on judgments
- 15 U.S.C. § 1681c (Fair Credit Reporting Act, how long items stay)
- Wyo. Stat. § 1-17-307: When judgment becomes dormant
- Wyo. Stat. § 1-16-503: Revivor of dormant judgments; limitations on time to revive
- 15 U.S.C. § 1679b, Prohibited practices (Cornell LII)
- 15 U.S.C. § 1679d, Credit repair organizations contracts (Cornell LII)
- 15 U.S.C. § 1679e, Right to cancel contract (Cornell LII)
- Wyoming Judicial Branch, SC Form 07: Understanding a Judgment and Order (lists Legal Aid of Wyoming hotline)
Next steps
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Credit Saint
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See Credit Squad →Common questions
What is the statute of limitations on debt in Wyoming?
Ten years for an action on a contract, agreement or promise in writing, and eight years for a contract that isn't in writing, whether express or implied. The clock starts when the claim accrues.
Does a payment restart the statute of limitations in Wyoming?
Yes. Under Wyoming law, when a payment is made on a debt founded on a contract, or a written acknowledgment or promise to pay is signed by the debtor, the time to sue runs again from the date of that payment, acknowledgment or promise.
I moved to Wyoming with an old debt. Which deadline applies?
For a claim that accrued before you became a Wyoming resident, Wyoming allows an action within five years after you establish residence here. And if the claim was already barred under the law of the state where it arose, it's barred in Wyoming too.
How long can a collection account stay on my credit report?
That's a separate federal rule. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, most collection and charged-off accounts can be reported for seven years, starting 180 days after the delinquency began, no matter what Wyoming's deadline to sue is.