Wyoming · Debt collection rights · Updated Oct 2026

Debt collectors in Wyoming: your rights

What debt collectors can and can't do in Wyoming, how long they have to sue, how much of your pay and bank account is protected, collector licensing, where to complain and what to do if you are sued, in plain English from official sources.

10 yearsto sue on a written contract
25% (federal limit)wage garnishment limit
Yescollector license required
Yesstate debt collection law
20 daysto answer a debt lawsuit

Wyoming guides by topic

Statute of limitations in Wyoming

Time limits to sue, payments that restart the clock and the checker.

Sued by a debt collector in Wyoming

Your answer deadline, default, defenses and steps.

Debt collector laws in Wyoming

State act, extra protections, licensing and complaints.

Your federal rights

These federal rules apply in Wyoming and every other state. Wyoming's own law, below, can add more.

  • Who the federal law covers. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) covers debt collectors who collect for someone else and companies that buy debts, not usually the original creditor collecting its own debt (15 U.S.C. 1692a(6)). Some state laws also cover original creditors.
  • A validation notice. A collector must give you a validation notice, in its first message or within 5 days after it, with the amount, the creditor and how to dispute (15 U.S.C. 1692g(a); 12 CFR 1006.34).
  • Your right to dispute. If you dispute the debt in writing within the validation period (30 days after you get the notice), the collector must stop collecting until it mails you verification (15 U.S.C. 1692g(b); 12 CFR 1006.38).
  • When collectors can contact you. No calls before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. your time, or at work if your employer doesn't allow it (15 U.S.C. 1692c(a)). More than 7 calls in 7 days about one debt is presumed to break the law (12 CFR 1006.14(b)(2)).
  • Telling a collector to stop. If you tell a collector in writing to stop contacting you, it must stop, except to tell you it is ending collection or will take a specific step such as a lawsuit (15 U.S.C. 1692c(c)).
  • What collectors can't do. No threats, obscene language, false statements (for example pretending to be a lawyer or the government, or threatening arrest) and no unfair practices such as collecting fees your contract doesn't allow (15 U.S.C. 1692d, 1692e, 1692f). A collector generally can't discuss your debt with your family, neighbors or employer (15 U.S.C. 1692c(b)).

Read how to dispute a debt or stop collector calls.

Wyoming law and extra protections

State law
Wyoming Collection Agency Act (licensing law)
Law
Wyo. Stat. §§ 33-11-101 to 33-11-116
Covers original creditors
No
Extra protections
  • No one may run a collection agency or work as a debt collector in Wyoming without a state license, except employees of a licensed agency (Wyo. Stat. § 33-11-102).
  • You can file a verified written complaint against a licensed agency with the Collection Agency Board, which can fine the agency up to $1,000 or suspend or revoke its license (Wyo. Stat. § 33-11-112).
Can you sue under it?
The Act does not spell out a right for you to sue; it is enforced by the Board and prosecutors (Wyo. Stat. §§ 33-11-115, -116). You can sue third-party collectors under the federal FDCPA.
Official text
Read the law

Debt collector laws in Wyoming: the full guide

Old debts in Wyoming

Written contracts
10 years
Open accounts and unwritten agreements
8 years
Does a payment restart the clock?
Yes. A payment, or a written acknowledgment or promise to pay that you sign, starts the time limit over from that date (Wyo. Stat. § 1-3-119).
Law
Wyo. Stat. § 1-3-105(a)(i) (10 years, written contract), (a)(ii)(A) (8 years, contract not in writing); § 1-3-119
Official text
Read the law

The time limit is the statute of limitations. Once it runs out, the debt is “time-barred”: a collector must not sue or threaten to sue you, but the debt still exists. Read more about time-barred debt.

Statute of limitations on debt in Wyoming: the full guide

Is my debt too old? Check Wyoming's time limit

Every state limits how long a creditor or collector has to sue you over a debt. This is the statute of limitations. Choose your state, the type of debt and the date of your last payment to see the limit and an estimated end date. Nothing you type here is sent anywhere.

Credit cards count as written contracts in some states and as open accounts in others. If you are not sure, try both.

Or the date you first missed a payment, if you never paid.

Wyoming: 10 years for a written contractEnter the date of your last payment to see when the time limit ends.

An estimate from our state data, not legal advice. Your state's law and your account records decide the exact start date and the type of debt.

Wage garnishment and bank accounts in Wyoming

Wage limit
federal limit applies: no more than 25% of disposable earnings, or the amount above 30 times the federal minimum wage per week, whichever is less.
Law
Wyo. Stat. § 1-15-511

Federal benefits such as Social Security, SSI and VA benefits that were directly deposited are protected in your bank account up to two months' worth (31 CFR 212.6). A creditor usually needs a court judgment before it can garnish your wages or bank account.

Property you can keep in Wyoming

Wyoming protects a homestead up to $100,000 (Wyo. Stat. § 1-20-101), one motor vehicle up to $5,000, household goods up to $4,000, and work tools up to $4,000 (§ 1-20-106).

Collector licensing in Wyoming

License required
Yes
Who licenses
Wyoming Collection Agency Board (Department of Audit, Division of Banking); licenses are handled through NMLS since Aug. 1, 2018
Check a license
Official license lookup

If you are sued in Wyoming

Time to answer
20 days after you are served in Wyoming; 30 days if served outside Wyoming or by publication (Wyo. R. Civ. P. 12(a)(1)(A)). In circuit court, if you were served before the complaint was filed, you have 35 days after the complaint is filed (Circuit Court Civ. R. 3.1(a)(2)). Small claims (up to $6,000, Wyo. Stat. § 1-21-201): go to the hearing.
If you don't answer
The summons must tell you how many days you have to answer in writing and warn that if you do not, a default judgment may be entered against you (Wyo. Circuit Court Civ. R. 3.1(b)(2)). With a judgment, the collector can garnish wages or bank accounts.
Court self-help
Wyoming court self-help (official)

Don't ignore court papers. Read what to do if a debt collector sues you.

Sued by a debt collector in Wyoming: the full guide

Where to complain in Wyoming

Free help in Wyoming

Good to know in Wyoming

  • Wyoming gives creditors 10 years to sue on a written contract, one of the longest limits in the U.S. (Wyo. Stat. § 1-3-105(a)(i)).
  • If a debt arose before you moved to Wyoming, a lawsuit on it must be filed within 5 years after you became a Wyoming resident (Wyo. Stat. § 1-3-105(a)(iii)).
  • The Board can only act on complaints against licensed agencies; for an unlicensed collector you can notify the Board, but not file a complaint (Collection Agency Board).

Free letters to send a collector

Dispute a debt and ask for proof (validation letter)

Within 30 days of the collector's validation notice.

Tell a collector to stop or limit contact

Stop all contact, writing only, or no calls at work.

Questions about debt collection in Wyoming

What is the statute of limitations on debt in Wyoming?

10 years for written contracts and 8 years for open accounts and unwritten agreements (Wyo. Stat. § 1-3-105(a)(i) (10 years, written contract), (a)(ii)(A) (8 years, contract not in writing); § 1-3-119).

Does paying on an old debt restart the clock in Wyoming?

Yes. A payment, or a written acknowledgment or promise to pay that you sign, starts the time limit over from that date (Wyo. Stat. § 1-3-119).

How much of my paycheck can be garnished in Wyoming?

federal limit applies: no more than 25% of disposable earnings, or the amount above 30 times the federal minimum wage per week, whichever is less.

Do debt collectors need a license in Wyoming?

Yes. Wyoming Collection Agency Board (Department of Audit, Division of Banking); licenses are handled through NMLS since Aug. 1, 2018

Does Wyoming have its own debt collection law?

Yes: the Wyoming Collection Agency Act (licensing law) (Wyo. Stat. §§ 33-11-101 to 33-11-116). It does not cover original creditors collecting their own debts.

How long do I have to answer a debt lawsuit in Wyoming?

20 days after you are served in Wyoming; 30 days if served outside Wyoming or by publication (Wyo. R. Civ. P. 12(a)(1)(A)). In circuit court, if you were served before the complaint was filed, you have 35 days after the complaint is filed (Circuit Court Civ. R. 3.1(a)(2)). Small claims (up to $6,000, Wyo. Stat. § 1-21-201): go to the hearing.

Where can I complain about a debt collector in Wyoming?

Wyoming Collection Agency Board: https://wyomingcollectionagencyboard.wyo.gov/home/complaint-process · (307) 777-3497

Sources

Last checked: Oct 24, 2026.

Federal sources

Other states