Statute of limitations on debt in Wyoming
In Wyoming, a creditor or debt collector has 10 years to sue on a written contract, 8 years on an oral agreement, and 8 years on an open account such as a credit card (Wyo. Stat. § 1-3-105(a)(i) (written contracts, 10 yrs); § 1-3-105(a)(ii)(A) (contracts not in writing, express or implied, 8 yrs)). For medical bills, the operative number is 8 years — Wyoming has no medical-debt-specific or open-account-specific limitations statute; an ordinary medical bill is a 'contract not in writing, either express or implied' under Wyo. Stat. § 1-3-105(a)(ii)(A) (8 years), while a bill based on a signed written agreement would fall under the 10-year written-contract period of § 1-3-105(a)(i) — 8 years is the shortest defensible period for a typical unpaid bill (some secondary sites claim 4 years for open accounts, but no such category exists in the statute's text, which I verified directly).
| Written contracts | 10 years |
| Oral agreements | 8 years |
| Open accounts (credit cards) | 8 years |
| Medical debt | 8 years |
How the limitation works
- It limits lawsuits, not the debt. A time-barred debt still exists; what expires is the collector’s ability to win in court.
- It is a defense you must raise. Courts don’t apply it for you. If you are sued and don’t respond, the collector wins by default — even on a time-barred debt.
- The clock usually runs from last activity — typically your last payment — not from when the debt was sold. A debt buyer inherits the original clock.
- Threatening to sue on time-barred debt is illegal. Federal Regulation F (12 C.F.R. §1006.26) bars collectors from suing or threatening suit on time-barred debt, whether or not they knew it was time-barred.
The restart trap
Yes — under Wyo. Stat. § 1-3-119, a payment on a contract debt, a written acknowledgment of it, or a signed promise to pay restarts the limitations period from the date of that payment, acknowledgment, or promise.This is the single most expensive mistake people make with old debt: a small “good-faith” payment on a nearly-expired account can hand the collector a fresh lawsuit window. Confirm the dates before paying anything on an old account.
What to do with an old collection notice
- Find the date of last activity — your own bank records beat the collector’s letter.
- Count forward using the table above. Older than the period? The debt may be time-barred in Wyoming.
- Send a written validation request — it forces the collector to document the debt and pauses collection until it does (15 U.S.C. §1692g). Generate it free →
- Do not acknowledge the debt in writing or pay anything until you know where the clock stands.
- If you’re sued, respond by the deadline and raise the statute of limitations. Your state’s legal aid can help free: Wyoming Attorney General, Consumer Protection and Antitrust Unit.
Wyoming’s own collection law
The None (no comprehensive mini-FDCPA); the Wyoming Collection Agency Act governs collector licensing and conduct (Wyo. Stat. § 33-11-101 et seq.; Wyoming Consumer Protection Act, Wyo. Stat. § 40-12-101 et seq.) Wyoming has no FDCPA-style debt-collection practices statute; consumers rely on the federal FDCPA, the Collection Agency Act's licensing and disciplinary regime administered by the Collection Agency Board, and the Wyoming Consumer Protection Act's ban on deceptive trade practices. Yes — no person may operate a collection agency or act as a debt collector in Wyoming without a license from the Wyoming Collection Agency Board, applied for through NMLS, with each office licensed separately and licenses renewed annually (Wyo. Stat. §§ 33-11-101 through 33-11-116).
Common questions
What is the statute of limitations on debt in Wyoming?
Wyoming allows 10 years to sue on written contracts, 8 years on oral agreements, and 8 years on open accounts such as credit cards (Wyo. Stat. § 1-3-105(a)(i) (written contracts, 10 yrs); § 1-3-105(a)(ii)(A) (contracts not in writing, express or implied, 8 yrs)). Medical debt is generally treated as an open account or per its own rule here — 8 years.
When does the clock start?
Generally from the date of default or last activity on the account — commonly the last payment or charge — not from when the debt was sold to a collector. Selling a debt does not reset the statute of limitations.
Does paying something on an old debt restart the statute of limitations in Wyoming?
Yes — under Wyo. Stat. § 1-3-119, a payment on a contract debt, a written acknowledgment of it, or a signed promise to pay restarts the limitations period from the date of that payment, acknowledgment, or promise.
Can a collector still contact me about a time-barred debt?
Yes — the statute of limitations limits lawsuits, not requests to pay. However, under federal Regulation F (12 C.F.R. §1006.26), a collector may not sue or threaten to sue on a time-barred debt — the ban applies whether or not the collector knew the debt was too old.
What should I do if I get sued on an old debt?
Respond by the court deadline — never ignore a summons, because a default judgment revives everything. If the debt is older than the limitations period, raise the statute of limitations as an affirmative defense in your answer. Many defendants win on this alone.
How is a judgment different?
Once a creditor wins a judgment, a separate and much longer enforcement period applies, and judgments can often be renewed. That is why responding before judgment matters more than anything else on this page.
Keep reading
- Medical debt laws in Wyoming
- Free debt validation letter generator — no account needed
- Look up a debt collector — CFPB complaint records for the biggest agencies
- Charity care: hospital financial assistance, applied
- Medical debt laws in Connecticut
- Medical debt laws in Indiana
- Medical debt laws in Massachusetts
- Medical debt laws in Nevada
- Medical debt laws in Ohio
- Medical debt laws in Tennessee
Legal information, not legal advice. Statutes change and courts interpret them — for advice on your situation, talk to a lawyer or your state’s legal aid office. Last reviewed AUG 2026.