Wyoming Expungement Laws: Wyo. Stat. §§ 7-13-1401, 7-13-1501, and 7-13-1502 Explained
Wyoming Expungement Laws: How to Clear Your Record Under Wyo. Stat. §§ 7-13-1401, 7-13-1501, and 7-13-1502
Wyoming allows expungement of certain arrest records, misdemeanor convictions, and a limited category of nonviolent felony convictions under Title 7, Chapter 13 of the Wyoming Statutes, giving eligible individuals a legal mechanism to seal their criminal records from public view.
Information last verified on May 29, 2026. This article has not yet been reviewed by a licensed attorney.
Jurisdiction scope: This article covers Wyoming state expungement law only. For a national comparison, see Expungement Laws by State.
Expungement of Arrest Records: Wyo. Stat. § 7-13-1401
Wyoming's arrest-record expungement provision, Wyo. Stat. § 7-13-1401, allows a person to petition for expungement of an arrest record when the arrest did not result in a conviction. To qualify, at least 180 days must have passed since the date of arrest or since all charges were dismissed, and no formal charges can be pending at the time of filing. The arrest must have ended in one of three ways: the person was fully acquitted at trial, the prosecutor never filed charges, or the prosecutor dismissed all charges. A guilty plea or conviction, even one that was later deferred, does not qualify under this section.
Once a court grants expungement under § 7-13-1401, the arrest record is sealed from public access. Law enforcement agencies retain access to sealed records for law enforcement purposes. Because no conviction resulted from the underlying arrest, this is generally the most straightforward category of Wyoming expungement, and the 180-day waiting period is among the shortest in the state's record-relief framework (Wyoming Judicial Branch, wyocourts.gov, 2026).
Expungement of Misdemeanor Convictions: Wyo. Stat. § 7-13-1501
Misdemeanor expungement in Wyoming is governed by Wyo. Stat. § 7-13-1501. The waiting period depends on the type of misdemeanor involved. For a status offense misdemeanor, the petitioner must wait at least one year after completing the sentence. For all other misdemeanor convictions, the waiting period is five years from the completion of the sentence, including any probation, jail time, or supervised release.
In addition to the waiting period, the applicant must demonstrate that no firearm was involved in the offense and that granting expungement would not create a substantial danger to the applicant, to victims, or to society. Wyoming courts evaluate the substantial-danger standard case by case. Section 7-13-1501 also imposes a once-per-statute limit: a person is eligible for only one expungement of a misdemeanor conviction under this section. Filing a second petition for a different misdemeanor under § 7-13-1501 is not permitted (Wyoming Judicial Branch, wyocourts.gov, 2026).
After expungement, the misdemeanor conviction is sealed from public background checks. Most private employers, landlords, and educational institutions conducting standard background checks will not see an expunged misdemeanor. Certain licensing agencies and law enforcement retain access.
Expungement of Felony Convictions: Wyo. Stat. § 7-13-1502
Wyoming permits expungement of a single nonviolent felony conviction under Wyo. Stat. § 7-13-1502. The waiting period is ten years, measured from the later of: completion of the prison sentence, completion of probation or any other supervised release program, and full payment of all restitution ordered by the court. All three conditions must be satisfied before the ten-year clock begins running. No subsequent felony conviction can have occurred between the original offense and the petition date. The offense also must not have involved a firearm, and the court must find no substantial danger to the applicant, victims, or the public.
The once-per-lifetime rule is strict: a person may petition for felony expungement under § 7-13-1502 only one time. There is no provision for a second felony expungement even after additional waiting periods.
The following felony categories are permanently excluded from expungement under § 7-13-1502, regardless of how much time has passed:
- Violent felonies, including murder, manslaughter, kidnapping, sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, aircraft hijacking, arson, and aggravated burglary
- Aggravated homicide by vehicle (Wyo. Stat. § 6-2-106(b))
- Drug-induced homicide (Wyo. Stat. § 6-2-108)
- Sexual crimes under Wyo. Stat. § 6-2-301 et seq.
- Domestic battery, except for a first offense (Wyo. Stat. § 6-2-501(f) as in effect prior to July 1, 2014, or § 6-2-511(b)(iii))
- Child abuse under Wyo. Stat. § 6-2-503
- Aggravated assault and battery on a corrections or detention officer under Wyo. Stat. § 6-2-508(b)
- Sexual exploitation of children under Wyo. Stat. § 6-4-303(b)(i) through (iii)
- Incest under Wyo. Stat. § 6-4-402(b)
- Endangering children with controlled substances under Wyo. Stat. § 6-4-405
- Bribery under Wyo. Stat. § 6-5-102
- Disarming a peace officer under Wyo. Stat. § 6-5-204(c)
- Escape and violent jailbreak under Wyo. Stat. §§ 6-5-206 and 6-5-207
- Weapons offenses under Wyo. Stat. §§ 6-8-101 and 6-8-102
- Sex offender registration crimes under Wyo. Stat. § 7-19-302(g) through (j)
(Wyoming Judicial Branch, wyocourts.gov, 2026)
Restoration of Firearm Rights
Expungement in Wyoming seals the conviction record, but the restoration of firearm rights is not automatic. Wyoming law and federal law both impose separate restrictions on firearm possession following a felony conviction. Under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1), a federal prohibition on firearm possession by a person convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year applies unless and until that conviction has been expunged, set aside, or pardoned, or the person's civil rights have been restored under state law. Wyoming's expungement statutes do not include an explicit firearm-rights restoration clause comparable to those found in some other states.
Because a Wyoming felony expungement does not automatically satisfy every federal firearms prerequisite, a person who receives a felony expungement under § 7-13-1502 should consult a licensed Wyoming attorney before possessing or purchasing a firearm. The federal restriction may remain enforceable depending on how a federal court interprets the scope of the Wyoming expungement order. This area requires careful legal analysis that goes beyond the face of the state statute (Wyoming Judicial Branch, wyocourts.gov, 2026).
Juvenile Record Expungement: Wyo. Stat. § 14-6-241
Juvenile records in Wyoming are handled separately from adult criminal records and can be expunged under Wyo. Stat. § 14-6-241. To qualify, the petitioner must be at least 18 years old, must not have any subsequent felony convictions as an adult, and must have no pending felony cases. The original juvenile adjudication must have involved a non-violent felony or a lesser offense. The court and the prosecutor must find that the petitioner has been rehabilitated and that expungement is in the interest of justice. This is a discretionary standard, meaning the judge weighs the circumstances rather than applying a purely mechanical test.
A granted juvenile expungement seals the juvenile court file from public access, allowing the individual to move forward without the juvenile record appearing in standard employment or housing background checks. Law enforcement retains access to sealed juvenile records for law enforcement purposes (Wyoming Judicial Branch, wyocourts.gov, 2026).
How to File a Petition for Expungement in Wyoming
The Wyoming expungement process follows a consistent set of steps regardless of which statute applies. Each step must be completed in the correct sequence, and missing a service requirement can result in the court denying or delaying the petition.
- Identify the originating court. File the Petition for Expungement in the district court that handled the original arrest, charge, or conviction.
- Prepare the petition. The petition must identify the offense or arrest, the date, the relevant statute, and the grounds for expungement eligibility.
- Serve all required parties. Wyoming requires service on the county prosecutor's office, the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI), and any crime victims who have requested notification. Proof of service must be filed with the court.
- Attend the hearing if objections are filed. If the prosecutor or another party objects to the petition, the court schedules a hearing. At the hearing, the petitioner must demonstrate eligibility and argue against any objections.
- Obtain the signed Order for Expungement. If the court grants the petition, the judge signs an Order for Expungement.
- Court notifies DCI. After the order is signed, the originating court seals its records and sends the expungement order to the Wyoming DCI. DCI then updates the state criminal history database to reflect the expungement.
Wyoming does not publish a standard statewide fee schedule for expungement filings; filing fees vary by county. The Wyoming Judicial Branch's self-help page at wyocourts.gov recommends consulting an attorney for assistance with the petition, and Court Navigator assistance is available in Natrona and Uinta Counties (Wyoming Judicial Branch, wyocourts.gov, 2026).
Disclaimer: This article provides general legal information about Wyoming expungement law as of May 29, 2026. It is not legal advice and does not apply to every individual situation. Statutes may have been amended after the verification date. Consult a licensed Wyoming attorney before filing a petition or making any decisions about your criminal record.
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Sources
The legal information in this article is drawn from the Wyoming Judicial Branch self-help page on expungement (wyocourts.gov, verified May 29, 2026), which cites Wyo. Stat. §§ 7-13-1401, 7-13-1501, 7-13-1502, and 14-6-241 as the governing statutes.
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RecordingLaw.com provides legal information, not legal advice. Verify all statutes with the Wyoming Legislature (wyoleg.gov) or a licensed Wyoming attorney before acting.