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Wyoming Court Records & Case Lookup
Annually, the Wyoming State Judiciary handles more than 110,000 cases, with a caseload of civil, criminal, probate, and family and domestic cases. In recent years, especially in the 2023 fiscal year, the District Courts and Circuit Courts have handled significantly more criminal cases.
Unless exempted by state laws, rules of court, or court orders, Wyoming court records are public records and anyone may access them upon request. Records exempted from public access typically contain sensitive information or relate to protected persons, such as juveniles.
Anyone interested in looking up Wyoming court records may utilize public computer terminals at the local courthouse or direct their requests to the court clerk. Unlike some states, Wyoming does not have a central online database for court records, so not all court records are remotely accessible.
State of Wyoming Court System
The Wyoming Court system includes an appellate court and multiple trial courts. The Wyoming Supreme Court is the only court of appellate jurisdiction and the state's apex court. The court has jurisdiction to hear appeals from the District Court and sets administrative rules for the operations of courts within the state. The court's decision on all appeals is final, except those relating to federal law, which may be appealed to the United States Supreme Court.
Most cases in Wyoming commence from the trial court, and parties unsatisfied with a trial court's decision may go on appeal. It is noteworthy that trial courts may also have jurisdiction to hear appeals from lower trial courts before a further appeal to the Supreme Court.
Wyoming Trial Courts
Wyoming operates a multi-level trial court system, with one general jurisdiction court and three limited jurisdiction courts. In some cases, the general jurisdiction courts share concurrent jurisdiction with the limited jurisdiction courts.
Trial courts are courts of original jurisdiction. They handle cases at first instance and can receive filings, submissions, evidence, and issue judgments. They include the following:
District Courts in Wyoming
The Wyoming District Court is the only general jurisdiction in the state. The court has jurisdiction over felony criminal cases, civil cases involving $50,000 or more, juvenile cases, and probate matters. The court also has appellate jurisdiction over the decisions of lower trial courts, including the Circuit Courts and Municipal Courts.
Chancery Court in Wyoming
The Chancery Court is a court of limited jurisdiction in the state and shares jurisdiction with the District Court over civil cases with a value exceeding $50,000 and arising from breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, derivative actions, the Uniform Commercial Code, and the Uniform Trust Code.
Circuit Courts in Wyoming
Circuit Courts in Wyoming are limited jurisdiction courts and may handle civil cases involving $50,000 or less and misdemeanors. The court also has jurisdiction over family violence, stalking, preliminary felony hearings, and cases of forcible entrance, and may have concurrent jurisdiction with the Magistrate Court over municipal ordinance violations.
Similar to District Courts, there are Circuit Courts across the 23 counties in the state.
Municipal Courts in Wyoming
Municipal Courts in Wyoming are not state courts. These are city courts with jurisdiction over only municipal ordinance violations. Municipal Court judges can only impose a maximum penalty of six months in jail, a $750 fine, or both.
What are the Specialty Courts in Wyoming?
Wyoming State operates Specialty Courts, which are court-supervised programs aimed to address certain behaviors and assist participants in completing rehabilitation treatments and probation programs, managing behavioral excesses, and avoiding criminal conduct.
Specialty Courts, also known as "Treatment Courts", typically operate at the county level. Most Specialty Court programs are categorized into Adult Programs and Juvenile Programs.
The Wyoming Department of Health supervised Treatment Courts across the state until 2024. Commencing July 1st, 2024, the Wyoming Supreme Court is now responsible for and supervises Treatment Courts.
Wyoming State Court Records vs. Federal Court Records
Court records, sometimes called "Case Records" in Wyoming, include documents or information that is collected, received, or maintained by a court or clerk of court relating to a judicial proceeding, such as civil, criminal, and domestic case proceedings.
Wyoming State court records refer to records received or maintained by any state or city court. Similarly, federal court records refer to records received or maintained by the United States District Court or any other federal courts in Wyoming. Federal court records typically include records of bankruptcy cases, cases involving the United States as a party, or cases involving an interpretation of federal law.
The court clerks of the various courts in Wyoming maintain the records of each court, and there is currently no central online database to access the records remotely. Members of the public may contact the court clerks or visit public computer terminals at the local courthouse to access court records maintained by the court.
Federal court records are generally accessible through the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) database, which is maintained at the federal level.
What Are Public and Non-Public Court Records in Wyoming?
In Wyoming, court records are publicly accessible upon request by members of the public. However, in some cases, state laws or a court with jurisdiction may restrict the public's access to certain records or information. Such restrictions are typically for privacy concerns, public safety, or protection of sensitive information or the integrity of an investigation:
| Public Court Records | Non-Public Court Records/Redacted Information |
|---|---|
| Criminal case files | Juvenile case records, documents in criminal sexual assault prosecution (before the case is bound over to the District Court), expunged criminal records. |
| Civil case records | Confidentiality agreements. |
| Family law case records | Delinquency proceedings, adoption records, and proceedings. |
| Probate records | Mental health records, trust instruments. |
| Traffic case records | Driver's license information. |
How To Seal or Expunge Wyoming Court Records
Wyoming state laws provide for the eligibility, procedures, and effect of expunging court records. Depending on the crime, an order of expungement may have different outcomes on the expunged record.
Under §7-13-1401 of Wyoming Statutes, expungement means restricting public access to the expunged document, which is similar to "sealing" in other states. However, under §14-6-241 of Wyoming Statutes, expungement means to delete and/or destroy the expunged records permanently, and this relates to juveniles.
In any case, note that anyone convicted of any of the offenses under §7-13-1502a (iv) of the Wyoming Statutes is ineligible to have their records expunged, including:
- Sexual offenses, including sexual assault;
- Violent felonies;
- Aggravated homicide by vehicle;
- Drug-induced homicide;
- Domestic assault.
How To Seal Court Records in Wyoming
Anyone convicted of a felony eligible for expungement or a misdemeanor (or if they pled guilty or nolo contendere to the misdemeanor) may file a petition to have their court records about the conviction expunged:
-
Felony expungement - In the case of an eligible felony, the person can only file this petition 10 years after serving their sentence, completing any programs as ordered by the court, and making any ordered restitution in full. Also, the person must not have previously pleaded guilty, nolo contendere to, or been convicted of any other felony, and the felony the person is seeking to expunge must not have involved the use or attempted use of a firearm.
Upon satisfying these conditions, the person can file their petition and ensure it is served on the prosecuting attorney of the case that led to the conviction. Wyoming, at this time, does not have template petition forms, and you may consult a licensed attorney practicing in Wyoming for assistance.
- Misdemeanor expungement - A person seeking to expunge their misdemeanor criminal records can only file the petition for five years (for nonstatus offenses) or one year (for status offenses - these are offenses that if committed by an adult will not amount to an offense under Wyoming laws) after the sentence imposed by the court, including probation and other court-ordered programs. The misdemeanor must not have involved the use or attempted use of a firearm.
Wyoming, at this time, does not also have template petition forms that petitioners may adapt for their use. You may consult a licensed attorney in Wyoming for legal advice and assistance. Following the filing of the petition, the petitioner must serve the prosecuting attorney of the case that led to the conviction.
An order of expungement of felony or misdemeanor records does not mean the permanent deletion of the records. Rather, they will be restricted from public access.
Additionally, a person may petition the court to expunge their arrest records if there were no charges filed against them directly or indirectly relating to the arrest within 180 days after the arrest, or if any such criminal proceedings against the person have been dismissed. An expunged arrest record will only be restricted from the public and there are no template petition forms.
How To Expunge Court Records in Wyoming
Under §14-6-241 of Wyoming Statutes, any person adjudicated delinquent, other than having committed a violent felony, may petition the court for the expungement of their record in the juvenile court upon reaching 18 years of age.
Also, upon reaching 18 years of age and provided it does not involve a violent felony, a juvenile may:
- Petition a Municipal Court to expunge records of their conviction relating to the violation of municipal ordinances;
- Petition the Circuit Court to expunge records of their conviction relating to misdemeanors;
- Petition the relevant court to expunge their records of arrest, charges, or depositions if they resulted in a dismissal or declined prosecution.
A person seeking to expunge their records must file a petition with the relevant court. The petition will be served on the prosecuting attorney, after which the court will hear the petition and issue a decision.
An order to expunge under this heading will result in the permanent destruction or deletion of the expunged record.
How Do You Access Wyoming Court Records?
Generally, each court in Wyoming maintains its records, and members of the public may access these records in person or by other available request methods. Wyoming does not have a central database for cases or court records generally. As a result, anyone seeking to access or obtain court records must visit the relevant courthouse or contact the court clerk.
Online Access to Wyoming Court Records
The Wyoming Judiciary operates an Appellate E-filing System, through which members of the public may access certain court records online. However, this system only has information on appeal cases. For court records maintained by Wyoming trial courts, you may need to visit the relevant court in person or utilize available request channels, such as by mail.
In-Person Access to Wyoming Court Records
Most courts in Wyoming have public computer terminals that members of the public can use to access court records maintained by the court. For assistance using the terminals or to obtain copies of the court records, you may need to contact the court clerk.
The procedure for requesting copies of court records may vary by court. Some courts may ask for a written request and payment of a processing fee. It is helpful to contact the relevant court clerk to confirm the court's procedure before visiting in person.
How To Request Judicial Administrative Records
Requests for judicial administrative records in Wyoming may be directed to the Administrative Office of the Courts. This Office assists the Wyoming Supreme Court with administrative matters relating to the judiciary and will process the request or direct it to the appropriate or responsible office.
How To Access Older and Archived Court Records in Wyoming
You may access older court records in Wyoming by contacting or visiting the court clerk of the relevant court. However, if the records are unavailable at the clerk's office, they may have been archived.
The Wyoming State Archives maintains archived records relating to the state, including a database of archived records for ease of reference. If the court records you intend to access have been archived, you may visit or contact the Wyoming State Archives to inquire about the procedure for accessing or obtaining copies of such records.