Wyoming Expungement and Record Sealing

Wyoming has several separate expungement statutes. One addresses arrests and cases without a conviction; another covers certain misdemeanors; a third covers some felony convictions. Each has different conditions. None of these routes should be treated as an automatic clearing system: the Wyoming Judicial Branch says a person must petition the proper court and should not expect a record to disappear without an order.

Arrests and cases with no conviction

Wyo. Stat. § 7-13-1401 covers an arrest, criminal charge, or case outcome when the related event did not result in a conviction. The court’s guide describes a 180-day wait from arrest or dismissal, no formal charges pending when the petition is filed, and a qualifying outcome such as no charges being filed, acquittal on all charges, or dismissal of all charges. A guilty or no-contest plea or conviction does not fit this route, even if a charge was later dismissed after deferred adjudication; another statute may need to be reviewed instead.

Before filing, confirm the final disposition for every charge from the same event. A case can include a mixture of dismissed and convicted charges. The court’s guide identifies the proper court based on the offense and prior case, and says service may be required on the prosecutor, Division of Criminal Investigation, and victims, depending on the matter. The CCRC Wyoming profile summarizes the no-conviction route. The 180-day description is a general summary, not a determination that a particular case meets all statutory requirements.

Misdemeanor convictions

Wyo. Stat. § 7-13-1501 allows a petition for certain misdemeanor convictions. The statute requires the waiting period to run after the sentence ends, including probation and any court-ordered program: five years for non-status offenses and one year for status offenses. Section 7-13-1501 incorporates the definition in § 7-1-107(b)(iii), which expressly excludes offenses under § 12-6-101(b) or (c), and similar municipal ordinances, from the term “status offense.” Do not assume an underage-alcohol offense qualifies for the shorter period; check the statute for the exact offense. The misdemeanor must not have involved the use or attempted use of a firearm, and other statutory conditions apply, including whether the petitioner presents a substantial danger to themselves, a victim, or society. The CCRC Wyoming profile provides independent background on these petition routes.

The statute also limits use of this misdemeanor pathway. A court must review the particular offense, sentence, and case history. Deferred adjudication has its own treatment and cannot be assumed to qualify under the misdemeanor-conviction law. The court’s public guide says the statute allows only one expungement under this section. Review the statute’s definitions and exceptions before treating a misdemeanor label as enough.

Some felony convictions

Section 7-13-1502 provides a petition route for some felony convictions, but lists many exclusions. The Wyoming Judicial Branch summarizes exclusions that include specified violent felonies, sex offenses, offenses requiring sex-offender registration, and other listed crimes. For an otherwise covered felony, the court guide describes a ten-year period after the sentence, court-ordered programs, and restitution are complete, along with restrictions on other felony convictions and firearm use and a court assessment of danger. Because the excluded offenses are defined by statutory citations, check the precise statute rather than relying on a short label such as “violent” or “nonviolent.” See also the CCRC Wyoming profile.

Juvenile matters are governed separately, including Wyo. Stat. § 14-6-241. This article focuses on the adult pathways and does not explain juvenile procedure. A person with both adult and juvenile records should get advice about the correct statutes before filing.

How the petition process works

The Wyoming Judicial Branch provides a statewide overview and an expungement handout. It explains that the petitioner prepares a petition and files with the proper court. Where there was a court case, that may be the court that heard it, but the correct venue varies by offense and statutory route.

1. Obtain your Wyoming criminal-history record and case dispositions. The court’s expungement page links to the Division of Criminal Investigation for a Wyoming history report. Use court records to check the case number and final disposition; arrest histories can contain more than the conviction entry.
2. Identify the statute for each record. Compare the case outcome with § 7-13-1401, § 7-13-1501, or § 7-13-1502. For each petition route, verify the waiting period, exclusions, sentence completion, service, and any other conditions in the current statute.
3. Use the court’s current handout and confirm the filing location. The court page links an expungement handout and form category. Ask the clerk how to submit the current petition, how many copies are required, whether electronic filing is available, and whether a fee or fee-waiver process applies. This guide does not quote a fee because the court materials reviewed do not provide one universal current amount for all paths.
4. Complete service and proposed-order steps under the applicable statute. Wyoming’s court overview says respondents can include the prosecutor, DCI, and victims. If a respondent objects, the court may set a hearing. The court may expect an order for the judge to sign if relief is granted. Confirm the correct recipients and procedure before serving papers.

The court—not a background-check company—decides whether to grant a petition. If the petition is granted, the court sends the order to DCI and the records covered by the order are removed from public access. The court guide says law enforcement may still see expunged records. Nonpublic retention and authorized access are different from public visibility.

Background checks and records outside court

Expungement cannot remove every trace of an event from the internet. The Wyoming court specifically notes that news articles and similar publications cannot be expunged. A record from another state requires that state’s process. Private screening firms may need time to update reports, and some may have obtained data from sources not covered by the court order. Keep the signed order and check the result in the systems the order is intended to affect.

Do not assume that a sealed record can always be omitted from every application. Licensing, government, and law-enforcement questions can have separate rules. A lawyer can advise on the wording of a particular application and any collateral consequences.

Finding legal help

The Wyoming Judicial Branch’s Equal Justice Wyoming site connects income-eligible residents with legal-service providers and community organizations. Its interactive guide is intended for civil legal issues; for a criminal-record petition, use the expungement page’s lawyer resources or the Wyoming State Bar referral channel and ask whether the lawyer handles record relief. Availability depends on the provider, location, and case. Court staff can explain filing logistics but cannot decide legal eligibility or advise what to put in a petition.

Common questions

Are Wyoming records expunged automatically?

The Wyoming Judicial Branch says not to expect automatic expungement. A petition to the proper court is required.

Does a dismissed charge always qualify under the no-conviction statute?

No. The statute has timing and case-outcome requirements, and a guilty or no-contest plea may take the matter outside that route. Review the full record with a lawyer if the case has mixed dispositions.

Does expungement destroy the record?

The court describes expungement as sealing a record from public access. Law enforcement may retain access, and the statute governs what else remains available.