Wyoming Small Claims Court: Limits, Fees, Forms, and Where to File
How small claims works in Wyoming: the $6,000 limit, $10 filing fee, forms, where to file, and the basic steps. Checked 2026-10-22.
Quick answer: Wyoming has no separate small claims court; small claims is a simpler procedure in the Circuit Court of every county. You can claim up to $6,000, not counting costs, and filing costs a flat $10. You must ask the other side to pay before you file. There's no jury, and either side can appeal to district court within 30 days, on questions of law only. Check your court's rules.
Filing in Wyoming? See a filled-in sample first.
Everything on this page is free. The Small Claims Playbook adds a filled-in sample of the information Wyoming's Small Claims Affidavit asks for, in a sample layout we made (get the real form from your clerk), using a made-up case, with a box-by-box guide. One membership covers every state. $149 for your first year (introductory offer), then $199 a year. Join now.
How small claims works in Wyoming
Wyoming has no separate small claims court. Small claims is a simpler procedure inside the Circuit Court, under W.S. 1-21-201 to 1-21-205 and the Rules and Forms Governing Small Claims Cases. The same limit, $10 fee and forms (SC 01 to SC 07) apply in the circuit court of every county.
Checked on 2026-10-22. Official sources are listed under Sources below.
What is the small claims limit in Wyoming?
$6,000 or less, not counting costs (W.S. 1-21-201). Small claims is for money only, and you must have asked the other side to pay and been refused before you file (W.S. 1-21-202(a)). If your claim is bigger, you can give up the amount over $6,000 or file your case in another court. Ask the clerk whether interest and attorney fees count toward the $6,000; check your court's rules.
For what it means when a court can order only money, or something else, see What Judges Can Actually Order.
How much does it cost to file small claims in Wyoming?
The filing fee is a flat $10 for any claim up to $6,000 (Small Claims Rule 3; W.S. 5-9-135). Service is paid separately, for each defendant.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Filing fee | $10 |
| Defendant's answer | None needed, no fee |
| Service by the sheriff | Set by each county, up to $50 for the first three tries (W.S. 18-3-608) |
| Service by a private process server | The server's own fee, where one is available |
| Service by certified mail from the court | check your court's rules |
Ask the circuit clerk which payment methods they accept. The winner is usually awarded the $10 filing fee and service fees in the judgment. For a fee waiver in small claims, ask the circuit clerk and check your court's rules.
Do I need a lawyer, and can a business sue in Wyoming?
No, you don't need a lawyer, and yes, a business can sue.
- People, businesses, the state and other government bodies can sue (W.S. 1-21-202(a)).
- You don't need a lawyer, but you can have one. If one side brings a lawyer, the other side can ask for a delay (a continuance) to get one (W.S. 1-21-202(b)).
- A business can sue in small claims without a lawyer. Corporations, partnerships, associations and other organizations can appear in person or through authorized employees (W.S. 1-21-202(b)). For LLCs and what proof of authority the clerk wants, check your court's rules.
- For how a minor sues or is sued, check your court's rules.
Where do I file a small claim in Wyoming?
File at the circuit court in the county where the defendant has an address, or where the claim (or part of it) arose (Small Claims Rule 4; W.S. 1-5-104(b)). Use the Wyoming Judicial Branch Find a Court page to get the clerk's address and phone number.
How to file in Wyoming: the basic steps
- Ask the other side to pay. You must have asked and been refused before you file (W.S. 1-21-202(a)).
- Fill out the SC 01 Small Claims Affidavit, but don't sign it until you're in front of the clerk or a notary. Bring the SC 02 Small Claims Summons and blank SC 03 and SC 04 service forms.
- File at the circuit court and pay the $10 filing fee. The clerk sets the hearing date.
- Have the defendant served, by the sheriff, a private process server where one is available, or certified mail from the court to a Wyoming address. Service must happen 12 to 20 days before the hearing (W.S. 1-21-204).
- Go to the hearing with three copies of every exhibit. The defendant doesn't file an answer; they just appear.
Ready to do these steps yourself?
Before you file: Wyoming requires you to ask the other side to pay first. The steps above are free. The Playbook helps you do each one, with a filled-in sample of the Wyoming affidavit layout and every box explained, plus your Wyoming Playbook section: the basic filing steps, the Wyoming forms, serving the other side, what to expect at your hearing, appeals, and collecting a judgment.
You also get prep guides that work in any state: a document checklist, exhibit labels, a prep timeline and a hearing-day outline. $149 for your first year (introductory offer), then $199 a year. Join now.
Small claims court by Wyoming county
In every Wyoming county, you file at the circuit court in the county where the defendant has an address or where the claim arose. The ten largest counties, largest first (U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2023 estimates):
- Laramie County
- Natrona County
- Campbell County
- Sweetwater County
- Fremont County
- Albany County
- Sheridan County
- Park County
- Teton County
- Lincoln County
Know your county? Next, get your proof in order.
You can present your own case. The Playbook's exhibit-label guide and hearing-day outline help you put your documents in order and explain them clearly, step by step. General legal information, not advice about your case.
Wyoming small claims FAQ
What is the small claims limit in Wyoming?
$6,000 or less, not counting costs (W.S. 1-21-201). Small claims is for money only.
How much does it cost to file small claims in Wyoming?
A flat $10, plus a service fee. Sheriff service is set by each county, up to $50 for the first three tries.
Where do I file small claims in Wyoming?
The circuit court in the county where the defendant has an address, or where the claim arose.
Do I need a lawyer for small claims in Wyoming?
No. You can represent yourself. If the other side brings a lawyer, you can ask for a delay to get one.
Can a business sue in Wyoming small claims?
Yes. Corporations, partnerships, associations and other organizations can sue in person or through authorized employees, without a lawyer.
Where do I find Wyoming small claims forms?
Use SC 01 Small Claims Affidavit and SC 02 Small Claims Summons from the Wyoming Judicial Branch Self-Help Forms page, Small Claims tab.
Can I appeal a Wyoming small claims judgment?
Yes. File a notice of appeal with the circuit court clerk within 30 days after judgment. The district court reviews questions of law only; there's no new trial.
Sources
- Wyoming Judicial Branch: Small Claims
- Rules and Forms Governing Small Claims Cases
- Wyoming Judicial Branch: Self-Help Forms
- Wyoming Judicial Branch: Find a Court
- Wyoming Statutes Title 1 (W.S. 1-21-201 to 1-21-205)
- Wyoming Statutes Title 5 (W.S. 5-9-135, fees)
Checked on 2026-10-22.
Related guides: Ready to sue · Just got sued · Small claims court basics · 10 things to do before you sue · How to save text messages as evidence · Sued in small claims? What to do next
Free: the Small Claims Starter Kit (basic timeline and checklists).
What's in the Wyoming Playbook section
- Before you file in Wyoming
- How to file in Wyoming: the basic steps
- Wyoming small claims forms
- How to serve the other side in Wyoming
- What to expect at your Wyoming small claims hearing
- Appeals in Wyoming small claims
- Collecting after you win in Wyoming
- Suing or defending a business in Wyoming
- What a debtor can keep in Wyoming
- Printable checklist
- Common mistakes and a printable checklist
You do the work. The Playbook hands you the plays.
This page covers the Wyoming rules. The Playbook coaches you from filing to hearing day: a filled-in sample of the Wyoming affidavit layout, your Wyoming Playbook section, and step-by-step prep guides. Every state and DC has a filled-in sample claim (for Mississippi, Oklahoma and Wyoming it's a sample layout we made, so you'd get the real form from the court clerk). One membership covers every state.
Small Claims Coach is built to help you handle your case yourself, without a lawyer — but if your situation is complicated, does not fit our samples, or a deadline is close, you may want to call a lawyer.
Small Claims Coach uses public information to build the Playbook, which coaches you as you organize and present your own case. We are not your lawyer, there is no attorney-client relationship, and we don't want the details of your case.
This information is for educational purposes only. It is not legal advice.