Bankruptcy in Wyoming
In Wyoming you use state exemptions only (exemptions are the property the law lets you keep). Your home (homestead): up to $100,000 in value, per person.
You file in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Wyoming.
Checked against official sources: October 25, 2026. · Free letter and checklist ↓
What you can keep in Wyoming
Exemptions are the property the law lets you keep. You use the Wyoming list. The federal list is not available in Wyoming.
Law: Wyo. Stat. 1-20-109
| What | Wyoming exemption |
|---|---|
Home (homestead) | Up to $100,000 in value, per person. The homestead can be a house on any number of acres, or a house trailer or other movable home. When two or more people jointly own and live in the same home, each one gets the exemption. It applies only while the owner or family actually lives there. It does not protect the home against the debt for its own purchase price. You must be a bona fide Wyoming resident. Law: Wyo. Stat. 1-20-101, 1-20-102, 1-20-104, 1-20-108 |
Car or other vehicle | Up to $5,000 in value in a motor vehicle. Law: Wyo. Stat. 1-20-106(a)(iv) |
Household goods and clothing | Furniture, bedding, food and other household articles up to $4,000 total, per person (each person living in the home gets a separate exemption). Necessary clothing up to $2,000 (no jewelry except wedding rings). The family Bible, pictures and school books. A cemetery lot. Up to 3 firearms worth up to $3,000 total, with up to 1,000 rounds of ammunition per firearm. Law: Wyo. Stat. 1-20-105; Wyo. Stat. 1-20-106(a)(i)-(iii), (v) |
Tools of your trade | Tools, team, implements or stock in trade used in your trade or business up to $4,000, or a professional's library, instruments and implements up to $4,000. Law: Wyo. Stat. 1-20-106(b) |
Wages | A continuing wage garnishment can take at most the lesser of 25% of weekly disposable earnings or the amount above 30 times the federal minimum hourly wage. If the creditor already garnished a paycheck, the rest of that pay deposited in your bank account is fully exempt. Law: Wyo. Stat. 1-15-511; Wyo. Stat. 1-15-408 |
Retirement accounts | Your interest in a retirement plan, payments from it, and inherited retirement plan interests are exempt. But contributions you made within 90 days before filing bankruptcy are not exempt. A former spouse or other alternate payee under a QDRO can still reach the plan. Law: Wyo. Stat. 1-20-110 |
Public benefits | Unemployment benefit rights are exempt, and benefits received stay exempt if not mixed with other money (except for debts for necessities during unemployment). Workers' compensation not yet paid out cannot be garnished or taken in execution. Law: Wyo. Stat. 27-3-319(c); Wyo. Stat. 27-14-702 |
Other exemptions |
|
Amounts: Wyoming Statutes Title 1 as published by the Wyoming Legislature (title01.pdf, file dated May 2026). Homestead raised to $100,000 effective July 1, 2023 (2023 Enrolled Act No. 39, HB0174). Amounts are not indexed for inflation.
The means test in Wyoming: first step
Official Form 122A-1 compares your household's yearly income with the median income in Wyoming. Here are the official medians:
- 1 person$71,745
- 2 people$91,502
- 3 people$98,476
- 4 people$110,297
- Each extra person+$11,100
Applies to cases filed on or after April 1, 2026. 1 = one earner; 2, 3, 4 = people in the household; add = amount added for each person over 4
Where to file in Wyoming
You file in the district where you lived (your domicile) for most of the last 180 days; all of Wyoming is one district, so every Wyoming filer uses the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Wyoming (Cheyenne or Casper office).
Law: 28 U.S.C. 1408
Divisions: One district for the whole state, with offices in Cheyenne and Casper.
Clerk's phone: 307-433-2200
Free help in Wyoming
Free letter and checklist
Letter: tell a creditor you filed bankruptcy
Notice to a creditor or debt collector with your case number, court, filing date and chapter.
Checklist: what to gather before you file
Income, tax returns, debts, property and budget papers the federal forms ask about, with Wyoming's courts.
Bankruptcy in Wyoming by topic
Exemptions in Wyoming
Home, car, household goods, wildcard and more, with the law for each.
The means test in Wyoming
The official median income and the first-step check.
Where to file in Wyoming
The bankruptcy courts, divisions, fees and the 341 meeting.
Good to know in Wyoming
- Wyoming has no wildcard exemption, and its vehicle exemption is $5,000.
Law: Wyo. Stat. 1-20-106
- Retirement contributions made in the 90 days before you file are not protected by the Wyoming retirement exemption.
Law: Wyo. Stat. 1-20-110(b)
- Each co-owner who lives in the home can claim the $100,000 homestead exemption.
Law: Wyo. Stat. 1-20-102(b)
Questions about bankruptcy in Wyoming
Can I use the federal bankruptcy exemptions in Wyoming?
No. Wyoming requires you to use the state exemptions.
What is the homestead exemption in Wyoming?
Up to $100,000 in value, per person. The homestead can be a house on any number of acres, or a house trailer or other movable home.
How much of a car can I keep in bankruptcy in Wyoming?
Up to $5,000 in value in a motor vehicle.
What household goods can I keep in Wyoming?
Furniture, bedding, food and other household articles up to $4,000 total, per person (each person living in the home gets a separate exemption). Necessary clothing up to $2,000 (no jewelry except wedding rings). The family Bible, pictures and school books. A cemetery lot. Up to 3 firearms worth up to $3,000 total, with up to 1,000 rounds of ammunition per firearm.
Are retirement accounts protected in bankruptcy in Wyoming?
Your interest in a retirement plan, payments from it, and inherited retirement plan interests are exempt. But contributions you made within 90 days before filing bankruptcy are not exempt. A former spouse or other alternate payee under a QDRO can still reach the plan.
Are my wages protected in Wyoming?
A continuing wage garnishment can take at most the lesser of 25% of weekly disposable earnings or the amount above 30 times the federal minimum hourly wage. If the creditor already garnished a paycheck, the rest of that pay deposited in your bank account is fully exempt.
Where do I file bankruptcy in Wyoming?
You file in the district where you lived (your domicile) for most of the last 180 days; all of Wyoming is one district, so every Wyoming filer uses the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Wyoming (Cheyenne or Casper office).
What is the median income for the means test in Wyoming?
For cases filed on or after April 1, 2026: 1 person: $71,745; 2 people: $91,502; 3 people: $98,476; 4 people: $110,297; Each extra person: +$11,100.
Where can I get free help with bankruptcy in Wyoming?
Legal Aid of Wyoming, Inc. and Wyoming State Bar (find a lawyer).