Dealing With Debt Collectors in Wyoming (2026)
Reviewed by DocDraft Legal Team · Wyoming · Last updated August 13, 2026
This guide covers dealing with debt collectors in Wyoming, where the statute of limitations on debt is unusually long: 10 years on a written contract and 8 years on an oral contract or open account under Wyo. Stat. 1-3-105. On top of the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, Wyoming licenses collection agencies through the Collection Agency Board under the Collection Agency Act (Wyo. Stat. 33-11-101 and following) and enforces the Wyoming Consumer Protection Act (Wyo. Stat. 40-12-101 to 40-12-114). Wyoming follows the federal 25 percent cap on wage garnishment for consumer debt and protects a homestead worth up to $100,000. Knowing these state rules helps you respond to a collector without accidentally reviving an old debt or giving up protected property.
What is the statute of limitations on debt in Wyoming?
Wyoming has some of the longest limitations periods in the country. Under Wyo. Stat. 1-3-105, a creditor generally has 10 years to sue on a written contract and 8 years on an oral contract or open account, such as a credit card. After that period passes, the debt is time-barred, but making a payment can restart the clock.
Can debt collectors garnish wages in Wyoming for consumer debt?
Yes, but only after winning a court judgment. Wyoming caps garnishment on consumer credit debt at 25 percent of your disposable weekly earnings, or the amount over 30 times the federal minimum wage, whichever is less, under Wyo. Stat. 40-14-505 and 1-15-408. Necessary living expenses may also reduce that amount.
How do I stop a debt collector from contacting me in Wyoming?
Send a written cease-communication letter. Under the federal FDCPA (15 U.S.C. 1692c(c)), once a collector receives your written request to stop, it must stop contacting you except to confirm it is stopping or to say it may sue. Keep proof of mailing. This stops contact but does not erase the debt.
What can a debt collector not do to me in Wyoming?
A collector may not harass, threaten, or deceive you under the FDCPA (15 U.S.C. 1692d, 1692e). Wyoming also licenses collection agencies under the Collection Agency Act (Wyo. Stat. 33-11-101 and following), and deceptive collection conduct can violate the Wyoming Consumer Protection Act (Wyo. Stat. 40-12-105).
How Wyoming regulates debt collectors and what they can take
Wyoming does not have a standalone fair-debt-collection statute mirroring the FDCPA, so third-party collectors are governed mainly by the federal FDCPA, but the state adds two important layers. First, collection agencies operating in Wyoming must be licensed under the Wyoming Collection Agency Act (Wyo. Stat. 33-11-101 and following), administered by the Wyoming Collection Agency Board, with licenses issued and renewed through the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS) and a required resident manager. Second, deceptive or unfair collection conduct can be challenged under the Wyoming Consumer Protection Act (Wyo. Stat. 40-12-101 to 40-12-114), enforced by the Attorney General's Consumer Protection and Antitrust Unit. On what a collector can actually take, Wyoming is protective: even with a judgment, wage garnishment for consumer credit debt is capped at 25 percent of disposable earnings under Wyo. Stat. 40-14-505 and 1-15-408, and the homestead exemption protects home equity up to $100,000 (doubled for joint owners) under Wyo. Stat. 1-20-101. Combined with Wyoming's long statute of limitations, these rules make it essential to verify a debt and check timing before you pay.
Relevant Laws
Wyoming Statute of Limitations, Wyo. Stat. 1-3-105
Sets Wyoming's limitations periods for civil actions: generally 10 years to sue on a written contract and 8 years on an oral contract or open account such as a credit card. These are among the longest in the nation, so verifying a debt's age is critical before you respond.
Wyoming Collection Agency Act, Wyo. Stat. 33-11-101 and following
Requires collection agencies operating in Wyoming to be licensed through the Wyoming Collection Agency Board, with licensing handled via the NMLS and a required resident manager. Deceptive collection conduct may also be reached under the Wyoming Consumer Protection Act (Wyo. Stat. 40-12-101 to 40-12-114).
Wyoming Garnishment and Homestead Exemptions, Wyo. Stat. 40-14-505, 1-15-408, 1-20-101
Caps consumer-credit wage garnishment at 25 percent of disposable earnings (or the amount over 30 times the federal minimum wage) under Wyo. Stat. 40-14-505 and 1-15-408, and protects home equity up to $100,000, doubled for joint owners, under the homestead exemption in Wyo. Stat. 1-20-101.
Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), 15 U.S.C. 1692
The core federal statute governing third-party debt collectors. It bars harassment and abuse (1692d), false or misleading representations (1692e), and unfair practices (1692f), restricts contact (1692c), and creates the 30-day debt validation right (1692g). It applies in Wyoming alongside state law.
Regional Variances
Wyoming statute of limitations on debt by type
Written contract: 10 years
A creditor generally has 10 years to sue on a debt based on a signed written contract, one of the longest written-contract periods in the country, under Wyo. Stat. 1-3-105(a)(i).
Oral contract: 8 years
A debt based on an unwritten or oral agreement carries an 8-year limitations period under Wyo. Stat. 1-3-105(a)(ii), notably longer than the 3 to 4 years common in most states.
Open account / credit card: 8 years
Open accounts, including most credit card debt, are generally treated under the same category and carry an 8-year period under Wyo. Stat. 1-3-105. If the account rests on a signed written agreement, a 10-year period may apply. confirm the precise open-account subsection on a.gov code page.
Promissory note:
Wyoming does not set out a separate limitations period expressly labeled for promissory notes in Wyo. Stat. 1-3-105; a signed note is generally treated as a written contract subject to the 10-year period, but confirm the exact treatment on an official source before relying on it..
Suggested Compliance Checklist
Read the collector's validation notice and diary the 30-day deadline
Within 5 days of first contact days after startingConfirm the collector sent the Regulation F validation notice (12 CFR 1006.34) identifying the creditor, amount, and your dispute rights. Note the date received and calendar the 30-day window to dispute under 15 U.S.C. 1692g.
Confirm the collection agency is licensed in Wyoming
Within 10 days of first contact days after startingVerify the collector's license with the Wyoming Collection Agency Board under the Collection Agency Act (Wyo. Stat. 33-11-101 and following). An unlicensed agency collecting in Wyoming may be acting unlawfully, and licensing status supports any complaint you file.
Send a written debt validation letter
Within 30 days of receiving the validation notice days after startingIf you do not recognize the debt or the amount looks wrong, mail a written dispute and request for verification within the 30-day window. This forces the collector to stop collecting until it mails proof. Given Wyoming's long limitations periods, confirm the debt's age before you pay.
Send a cease-and-desist letter if you want contact to stop
As soon as you decide to stop contact days after startingUnder 15 U.S.C. 1692c(c), a written cease-communication letter requires the collector to stop contacting you once received, except to confirm it is stopping or to state it may pursue a remedy such as suit. Keep proof of mailing.
File a complaint with the Wyoming Attorney General and the CFPB
Within 1 year of any FDCPA violation days after startingReport deceptive collection conduct to the Wyoming Attorney General's Consumer Protection and Antitrust Unit at ag.wyo.gov or (307) 777-8962, and submit a complaint at consumerfinance.gov/complaint. Because 15 U.S.C. 1692k generally requires suit within one year, consult an attorney promptly.
| Task | Description | Document | Days after starting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Read the collector's validation notice and diary the 30-day deadline | Confirm the collector sent the Regulation F validation notice (12 CFR 1006.34) identifying the creditor, amount, and your dispute rights. Note the date received and calendar the 30-day window to dispute under 15 U.S.C. 1692g. | - | Within 5 days of first contact |
| Confirm the collection agency is licensed in Wyoming | Verify the collector's license with the Wyoming Collection Agency Board under the Collection Agency Act (Wyo. Stat. 33-11-101 and following). An unlicensed agency collecting in Wyoming may be acting unlawfully, and licensing status supports any complaint you file. | - | Within 10 days of first contact |
| Send a written debt validation letter | If you do not recognize the debt or the amount looks wrong, mail a written dispute and request for verification within the 30-day window. This forces the collector to stop collecting until it mails proof. Given Wyoming's long limitations periods, confirm the debt's age before you pay. | debt-validation-letter | Within 30 days of receiving the validation notice |
| Send a cease-and-desist letter if you want contact to stop | Under 15 U.S.C. 1692c(c), a written cease-communication letter requires the collector to stop contacting you once received, except to confirm it is stopping or to state it may pursue a remedy such as suit. Keep proof of mailing. | cease-and-desist-letter | As soon as you decide to stop contact |
| File a complaint with the Wyoming Attorney General and the CFPB | Report deceptive collection conduct to the Wyoming Attorney General's Consumer Protection and Antitrust Unit at ag.wyo.gov or (307) 777-8962, and submit a complaint at consumerfinance.gov/complaint. Because 15 U.S.C. 1692k generally requires suit within one year, consult an attorney promptly. | - | Within 1 year of any FDCPA violation |
Frequently Asked Questions
Credit card debt is generally treated as an open account or oral contract in Wyoming, carrying an 8-year statute of limitations under Wyo. Stat. 1-3-105. If your agreement is a signed written contract, the period can be 10 years. Because these periods are long, verify the debt's age carefully, and remember that a payment can restart the clock.
Yes. Collection agencies operating in Wyoming must be licensed under the Wyoming Collection Agency Act (Wyo. Stat. 33-11-101 and following), overseen by the Wyoming Collection Agency Board. Licenses are handled through the NMLS system and require a resident manager. You can ask a collector for its license and verify it with the Board before you pay anything.
For consumer credit debt, Wyoming limits garnishment to the lesser of 25 percent of your disposable weekly earnings or the amount by which those earnings exceed 30 times the federal minimum wage, under Wyo. Stat. 40-14-505 and 1-15-408. A collector must first obtain a court judgment before garnishing wages.
Wyoming's homestead exemption protects home equity up to $100,000, and joint owners may double that, under Wyo. Stat. 1-20-101. A collector with a judgment generally cannot force a sale that would leave you without your protected homestead equity. An attorney can help you claim and calculate the exemption correctly.
Wyoming does not have a standalone state fair-debt-collection statute like some states, so third-party collectors are governed mainly by the federal FDCPA (15 U.S.C. 1692). However, deceptive or unfair collection conduct can also violate the Wyoming Consumer Protection Act (Wyo. Stat. 40-12-101 to 40-12-114), which the Attorney General enforces.
Other Wyoming guides
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