Wyoming Notice to Vacate: 2026 Landlord Rules & 3-Day Notice to Quit
Reviewed by DocDraft Legal Team · Wyoming · Last updated 2026-05-31
Wyoming is a minimal-statute landlord-tenant state, and its forcible entry and detainer article supplies the only generally applicable pre-suit notice. W.S. 1-21-1003 requires a written notice to quit served at least three days before commencing the action, by leaving a copy with the tenant or at the tenant's usual place of abode or business if the tenant cannot be found. W.S. 1-21-1002(a)(i) authorizes the action against tenants holding over or after rent is unpaid for three days. Wyoming has no statutory pay-or-quit cure period and no statutory month-to-month or no-cause termination notice period, so the period to end a periodic tenancy is governed by the lease and common law. After notice, the landlord files forcible entry and detainer in the circuit court for the county where the rental property is located.
How do I serve a notice to quit in Wyoming?
W.S. 1-21-1003 states that the party desiring to commence a forcible entry or detainer action must notify the adverse party to leave the premises, and the notice shall be served at least three days before commencing the action, by leaving a written copy with the defendant or at the defendant's usual place of abode or business if the defendant cannot be found. The statute requires written notice; oral notice does not satisfy it. The statute does not mention certified or registered mail, and it does not expressly authorize posting the notice on the door, so those methods are not provided by the FED notice statute. The only substituted method the statute texts is leaving a copy at the usual place of abode or business when the tenant cannot be found.
How many days is Wyoming's notice to quit?
Three days. W.S. 1-21-1003 requires that the notice be served at least three days before commencing the forcible entry and detainer action. This 3-day notice to quit is uniform regardless of cause: it applies to nonpayment, to a tenant holding over, and to a lease violation. W.S. 1-21-1002(a)(i) allows the action against tenants holding over their terms or after a failure to pay rent for three days after it is due. The notice to quit directs the tenant to leave the premises; it is not a statutory window to reinstate the tenancy by paying or curing.
What notice does Wyoming require to end a month-to-month or no-cause tenancy?
Wyoming has no statute setting a month-to-month or no-cause termination notice period. The Residential Rental Property Act does not impose one, and the forcible entry and detainer article requires only the uniform 3-day notice to quit under W.S. 1-21-1003 before filing the action. The notice required to end a periodic tenancy itself, as opposed to the pre-suit notice to quit, is governed by the lease terms and Wyoming common law rather than by statute. Some non-government sources state a customary 30-day notice, but that is not a statutory requirement in Wyoming.
What happens after the notice period if the tenant does not leave?
The landlord files a forcible entry and detainer action in the Wyoming circuit court for the county where the rental property is located. W.S. 1-21-1002 lists the cases in which the action may be had, including tenants holding over and tenants who have failed to pay rent for three days after it is due. W.S. 1-21-1004 provides that the summons states the cause of the complaint and the time and place of trial, is served and returned as in other cases, and the service shall be not less than three nor more than twelve days before the day of trial set by the judge. The court filing fee for a circuit court civil action is $70.00 per the Wyoming Judicial Branch Costs/Fees Table; sheriff service and writ-of-restitution service fees are additional and set separately.
Wyoming notice-to-vacate framework at a glance
Wyoming is a minimal-statute landlord-tenant state. There is no single notice-to-vacate statute that sets cause-specific notice periods. The only generally applicable pre-suit landlord notice is the 3-day notice to quit under W.S. 1-21-1003, which is uniform regardless of cause and must be served at least three days before commencing a forcible entry and detainer action. W.S. 1-21-1002(a)(i) authorizes the action against tenants holding over or after rent is unpaid for three days. Wyoming has no statutory pay-or-quit cure period and no statutory month-to-month or no-cause termination notice period; those are governed by the lease and common law. The forcible entry and detainer article sits in Wyo. Stat. Title 1, Chapter 21, Article 10, and the Residential Rental Property Act in Article 12. The Wyoming Judicial Branch publishes self-help eviction information and forcible entry and detainer forms at wyocourts.gov, where landlords are directed to prepare and serve a Notice to Quit Premises before filing the FED Complaint and Summons in circuit court.
Landlord Resources
Wyoming Judicial Branch Evictions Self-Help
Official state judicial-branch eviction self-help page directing landlords to prepare and serve a Notice to Quit Premises and then file the forcible entry and detainer Complaint and Summons in circuit court. Confirm current form titles and PDF links before relying on them.
Wyoming Legislature Statutes Portal (wyoleg.gov)
Official statute portal hosting Title 1, Chapter 21, Article 10 (Forcible Entry and Detainer) and Article 12 (Residential Rental Property Act), the statutes that govern the notice to quit and the rental-agreement relationship.
Wyoming Judicial Branch Costs and Fees Table
Official Costs/Fees Table showing the $70.00 circuit court civil filing total ($20 filing fee, $40 Judicial Systems Automation fee, $10 Civil Legal Services fee). Sheriff service and writ-of-restitution service fees are additional and set separately.
Relevant Laws
Wyo. Stat. § 1-21-1003 (Notice to Quit Premises Required)
Requires a written notice to leave the premises served at least three days before commencing a forcible entry and detainer action, by leaving a copy with the defendant or at the defendant's usual place of abode or business if the defendant cannot be found.
Wyo. Stat. § 1-21-1002 (When Proceedings Allowed)
Lists the cases in which a forcible entry and detainer action may be had, including against tenants holding over their terms or after a failure to pay rent for three days after it is due.
Wyo. Stat. § 1-21-1004 (Summons; Service and Return)
Provides that the summons states the cause and the time and place of trial and is served and returned as in other cases, not less than three nor more than twelve days before the day of trial set by the judge.
Wyo. Stat. § 1-21-1203(d) (Owner Repair-Cost Termination)
Where a required habitability repair would be unreasonable in cost, the owner who declines to repair must give the renter no less than ten nor more than twenty days from the date of the notice to find substitute housing.
Wyo. Stat. § 1-21-1210 (Disposition of Abandoned Property)
Governs property the renter leaves behind after termination, including immediate disposal of hazardous or perishable items and a claim window before disposal of property of value.
Wyo. Stat. § 5-9-135 (Circuit Court Filing Fee)
Statutory basis for the circuit court civil filing fee, which totals $70.00 per the Wyoming Judicial Branch Costs/Fees Table.
Federal SCRA, 50 U.S.C. § 3955 (Termination of Residential Leases)
Federal protection allowing a servicemember to terminate a residential lease after entry into military service or after orders for a permanent change of station or a deployment of not less than 90 days.
Regional Variances
Wyoming circuit court eviction practice by county
Laramie County (Cheyenne)
Forcible entry and detainer is filed in the circuit court for the county where the property is located, here the Laramie County Circuit Court in Cheyenne. The pre-suit notice and filing rules are statewide: the 3-day notice to quit under W.S. 1-21-1003 and the $70.00 circuit court civil filing fee. The trial date is set by the judge, with the summons served not less than three nor more than twelve days before that date under W.S. 1-21-1004.
Natrona County (Casper)
Filings route to the Natrona County Circuit Court in Casper. The same statewide framework applies, with no county-specific notice period or just-cause overlay because Wyoming sets no such rules by statute. Landlords should confirm the current Notice to Quit Premises and forcible entry and detainer form titles on the Wyoming Judicial Branch site before filing, and budget separately for sheriff service and writ-of-restitution service fees.
Albany County (Laramie)
Filings route to the Albany County Circuit Court in the city of Laramie. As in every Wyoming county, the controlling pre-suit notice is the uniform 3-day notice to quit under W.S. 1-21-1003, and there is no statutory month-to-month or no-cause period to layer on top. The lease and common law govern termination of a periodic tenancy, so docket timing rather than notice content tends to drive county-to-county differences.
Suggested Compliance Checklist
Identify the statutory ground for the action
Pre-notice days after startingMap the situation to W.S. 1-21-1002. The enumerated grounds include tenants holding over their terms and tenants who have failed to pay rent for three days after it is due. Wyoming uses one uniform 3-day notice to quit regardless of cause, so the ground determines how you describe the matter in the complaint rather than which notice period applies.
Check the lease for termination and notice terms
Pre-notice days after startingWyoming has no statutory month-to-month or no-cause termination notice period and no statutory cure period. The period to end a periodic tenancy and any cure right come from the lease and common law, not statute. Pull the executed lease, locate any termination, notice, and cure clauses, and confirm the period and process you plan to use match the lease before serving the notice to quit.
Draft a written 3-day notice to quit
Pre-notice days after startingW.S. 1-21-1003 requires a written notice that directs the tenant to leave the premises and is served at least three days before commencing the action. Oral notice does not satisfy the statute. Wyoming mandates no specific statewide form, though the Wyoming Judicial Branch publishes a Notice to Quit Premises form; confirm the current form before relying on it.
Serve the notice to quit per W.S. 1-21-1003
Service days after startingServe by leaving a written copy with the defendant, or, if the defendant cannot be found, at the defendant's usual place of abode or business. The statute does not text certified mail or door-posting for the pre-suit notice, so use the methods the statute provides and document how and when service occurred.
Wait the full 3-day notice period before filing
Notice period days after startingW.S. 1-21-1003 requires that the notice be served at least three days before commencing the forcible entry and detainer action. Do not file before the three days run. Filing prematurely risks dismissal and forces re-service of the notice to quit.
File the forcible entry and detainer action in circuit court
Post-notice days after startingFile the forcible entry and detainer Complaint in the Wyoming circuit court for the county where the rental property is located. The circuit court civil filing total is $70.00 per the Wyoming Judicial Branch Costs/Fees Table; sheriff service and writ-of-restitution service fees are additional and set separately. Confirm the current FED Complaint and Summons forms on the Wyoming Judicial Branch site.
Ensure summons service within the 3-to-12-day window and appear at trial
Hearing days after startingUnder W.S. 1-21-1004, the summons states the cause and the time and place of trial and is served and returned as in other cases, not less than three nor more than twelve days before the day of trial set by the judge. The defendant is not required to file a written answer to participate. Bring the lease, the notice to quit with proof of service, and a rent ledger if nonpayment is the ground.
Obtain the order and writ of restitution
Post-judgment days after startingIf the landlord prevails, obtain the court's order and the writ of restitution, which the sheriff executes to restore possession. Budget separately for writ-of-restitution service fees, which are set apart from the $70.00 filing fee. After possession is restored, follow W.S. 1-21-1210 for any property the tenant leaves behind.
| Task | Description | Document | Days after starting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Identify the statutory ground for the action | Map the situation to W.S. 1-21-1002. The enumerated grounds include tenants holding over their terms and tenants who have failed to pay rent for three days after it is due. Wyoming uses one uniform 3-day notice to quit regardless of cause, so the ground determines how you describe the matter in the complaint rather than which notice period applies. | - | Pre-notice |
| Check the lease for termination and notice terms | Wyoming has no statutory month-to-month or no-cause termination notice period and no statutory cure period. The period to end a periodic tenancy and any cure right come from the lease and common law, not statute. Pull the executed lease, locate any termination, notice, and cure clauses, and confirm the period and process you plan to use match the lease before serving the notice to quit. | - | Pre-notice |
| Draft a written 3-day notice to quit | W.S. 1-21-1003 requires a written notice that directs the tenant to leave the premises and is served at least three days before commencing the action. Oral notice does not satisfy the statute. Wyoming mandates no specific statewide form, though the Wyoming Judicial Branch publishes a Notice to Quit Premises form; confirm the current form before relying on it. | notice-to-vacate | Pre-notice |
| Serve the notice to quit per W.S. 1-21-1003 | Serve by leaving a written copy with the defendant, or, if the defendant cannot be found, at the defendant's usual place of abode or business. The statute does not text certified mail or door-posting for the pre-suit notice, so use the methods the statute provides and document how and when service occurred. | - | Service |
| Wait the full 3-day notice period before filing | W.S. 1-21-1003 requires that the notice be served at least three days before commencing the forcible entry and detainer action. Do not file before the three days run. Filing prematurely risks dismissal and forces re-service of the notice to quit. | - | Notice period |
| File the forcible entry and detainer action in circuit court | File the forcible entry and detainer Complaint in the Wyoming circuit court for the county where the rental property is located. The circuit court civil filing total is $70.00 per the Wyoming Judicial Branch Costs/Fees Table; sheriff service and writ-of-restitution service fees are additional and set separately. Confirm the current FED Complaint and Summons forms on the Wyoming Judicial Branch site. | - | Post-notice |
| Ensure summons service within the 3-to-12-day window and appear at trial | Under W.S. 1-21-1004, the summons states the cause and the time and place of trial and is served and returned as in other cases, not less than three nor more than twelve days before the day of trial set by the judge. The defendant is not required to file a written answer to participate. Bring the lease, the notice to quit with proof of service, and a rent ledger if nonpayment is the ground. | - | Hearing |
| Obtain the order and writ of restitution | If the landlord prevails, obtain the court's order and the writ of restitution, which the sheriff executes to restore possession. Budget separately for writ-of-restitution service fees, which are set apart from the $70.00 filing fee. After possession is restored, follow W.S. 1-21-1210 for any property the tenant leaves behind. | - | Post-judgment |
Frequently Asked Questions
A landlord may file the forcible entry and detainer action in circuit court immediately after the three-day notice to quit expires, provided the tenant has not vacated. W.S. 1-21-1002 authorizes the suit against tenants holding over past the notice period.
Wyoming has no statutory pay-or-quit cure period in the forcible entry and detainer article. W.S. 1-21-1002(a)(i) permits the action once rent has been unpaid for three days after it is due, and W.S. 1-21-1003 separately requires a 3-day notice to quit before commencing the action. The statute does not text a right to reinstate the tenancy by paying within the notice window. Whether a tenant may cure is governed by the lease, not by these statutes, so this should not be treated like a California-style pay-or-quit cure period.
Wyoming is a minimal-statute state. The Residential Rental Property Act (Article 12) does not impose a periodic-tenancy termination notice period, and the forcible entry and detainer article (Article 10) requires only the uniform 3-day notice to quit under W.S. 1-21-1003 before filing. The period to end a periodic tenancy itself is governed by the lease terms and Wyoming common law, not by statute. Wyoming also has no statewide just-cause eviction requirement. Some non-government sources state a customary 30-day notice, but that is not a statutory requirement in Wyoming.
The federal Servicemembers Civil Relief Act applies of its own force. 50 U.S.C. 3955(a)(1) lets a lessee terminate a residential lease at the lessee's option after the lessee's entry into military service or after the date of military orders for a permanent change of station or to deploy for a period of not less than 90 days, for a lease described in subsection (b). Wyoming has no separate state-statute military early-termination right in the Residential Rental Property Act or the forcible entry and detainer article; the federal SCRA controls.
W.S. 1-21-1003 sets specific requirements: the notice must be written, must notify the adverse party to leave the premises involved, must be served at least three days before commencing the action, and must be delivered to the defendant or left at the defendant's usual place of abode or business if the defendant cannot be found. Oral notice does not satisfy the statute. A landlord who serves prematurely, uses oral notice, or uses a method the statute does not text risks the court rejecting the notice and forcing re-service before the forcible entry and detainer action can proceed.
Yes, in one narrow situation under the Residential Rental Property Act. W.S. 1-21-1203(d) applies where the cost of a required habitability repair would be unreasonable and the owner declines to repair and elects to terminate. The owner must provide the renter with sufficient time to find substitute housing, which shall be no less than ten nor more than twenty days from the date of the notice, with prorated rent and deposit refund under W.S. 1-21-1208. This is the only owner-initiated fixed-notice termination provision in Article 12 and is distinct from the FED 3-day notice to quit.
After termination, W.S. 1-21-1210 governs disposition of property the renter leaves behind. The owner may immediately dispose of hazardous or perishable items, must give written notice for property of value, and must allow the renter at least seven days, with a possible additional seven-day extension if the renter timely responds, to claim it, recovering storage costs. This is a post-termination procedure rather than a pre-eviction notice, but landlords on the notice-to-vacate path commonly need it.
No. Wyoming does not authorize municipal rent control or just-cause-only city ordinances that override the statewide forcible entry and detainer and Residential Rental Property Act defaults. No Wyoming municipality operates a just-cause or rent-control ordinance; the statewide rules control. Title 1, Chapter 21 controls statewide, so there is no city overlay to layer on top of the 3-day notice to quit. Wyoming's Residential Rental Property Act does not contain a landlord-retaliation prohibition.
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