Wyoming debt: up to ten years, and debt buyers must be licensed
Wyoming gives creditors some of the longest time limits in the country: eight years on unwritten debts like most credit cards, and ten on written contracts. In exchange, it requires anyone who buys debts to collect them to hold a state license and keep a Wyoming office.
The check is free. If a dispute letter will help, it costs $29 ($19 for military, veterans, seniors and people with disabilities) with three follow-ups.
Who is asking you to pay?
Look at the company name at the top of the letter or in the caller ID.
Wyoming at a glance
- Written contracts
- 10 years (1-3-105(a)(i))
- Unwritten, open accounts
- 8 years (1-3-105(a)(ii))
- Credit cards
- Usually 8 years
- Payment after expiry
- May restart the clock
- License needed by
- Agencies and debt buyers
- Agency office
- In Wyoming, resident manager
General information about Wyoming law, with sources below. Not legal advice.
Eight years or ten in Wyoming
Ten years on a specialty or any contract, agreement or promise in writing (Wyo. Stat. 1-3-105(a)(i)), and eight years on a contract not in writing, express or implied (1-3-105(a)(ii)). Credit card debt is generally treated as an open account or oral contract with eight years, though some sources apply the ten-year written period.
A payment made even after the time limit expires may start the clock again, so with limits this long, check dates before paying anything.
Licensing that covers debt buyers
Collection agencies must be licensed by the Wyoming Collection Agency Board under the Collection Agency Act (Wyo. Stat. 33-11-101 and following). Debt buyers collecting in Wyoming also need a license, because the definition of collection agency includes anyone who takes assignment of debts. A licensed agency must have an established office in Wyoming with a Wyoming resident as manager.
Ask any collector for its Wyoming license. A written dispute inside the validation period makes it stop until it mails verification.
Whether a payment would restart the 8-year limit is covered, state by state, in our page on time-barred debt.
Limits vary a lot between states: by comparison, Connecticut sets 6 years and Louisiana sets 3 years for similar debts.
Not sure a Wyoming collector is genuine? Check our guide to fake debt collectors, then ask for validation in writing.
National collectors active in Wyoming include National Collegiate Student Loan Trusts and National Credit Systems; our guides list their official dispute addresses.
For the court side of a Wyoming debt, from the summons to a possible judgment, see how to defend a debt collection lawsuit.
Garnishment in Wyoming
Wyoming follows the federal garnishment limit (Wyo. Stat. 1-15-511). A judgment creditor can take no more than a quarter of disposable pay, and nothing from a week's pay below 30 times the federal minimum wage.
Already facing a garnishment in Wyoming? Our wage garnishment guide covers exemption claims, hardship and how long a garnishment lasts.
Questions people ask about debt in Wyoming
What is the statute of limitations on credit card debt in Wyoming?
Usually eight years as an open account or oral contract (Wyo. Stat. 1-3-105(a)(ii)), though some sources apply the ten-year written period.
How long for a written contract in Wyoming?
Ten years under Wyo. Stat. 1-3-105(a)(i).
Do debt buyers need a license in Wyoming?
Yes. Wyoming's definition of a collection agency includes anyone who takes assignment of debts.
Can a payment restart an old Wyoming debt?
It may, even after the time limit has expired, so check the dates first.
How much of my wages can be garnished in Wyoming?
Wyoming follows the federal limit: the lesser of 25% of disposable earnings or the amount above 30 times the federal minimum wage.