Wyoming Eviction Laws
Wyoming rules on eviction for renters and landlords, with the statute or official page behind each answer. Last verified: 2026-10-22.
Short answer: 3-day notice to quit. FED is allowed after rent is 3 days past due, and the written notice to leave must be served at least 3 days before the action is filed. W.S. 1-21-1002(a)(i), 1-21-1003
The rules in Wyoming
| Notice for unpaid rent | 3-day notice to quit. FED is allowed after rent is 3 days past due, and the written notice to leave must be served at least 3 days before the action is filed. Serve by leaving a written copy with the tenant, or at the tenant's usual place of abode or business if the tenant cannot be found. Court instructions say the complaint must list the same reasons as the notice (https://www.wyocourts.gov/app/uploads/2025/03/FED-05-Instructions-for-Complaint-09-24.doc). Source: W.S. 1-21-1002(a)(i), 1-21-1003 |
|---|---|
| Notice for lease violations | 3-day notice to quit, with no statutory right to cure. FED is available against renters who violate the duties in W.S. 1-21-1204 or the prohibitions in 1-21-1205 (damage, interfering with others' peaceful enjoyment, unreasonably denying access). |
| Lockouts & utility shutoffs | No statute — Wyoming has no law that expressly bans landlord lockouts or utility shutoffs. The statutes provide a court process instead: a landlord who wants a tenant out files a forcible entry and detainer (FED) case, and after judgment an officer executes the writ of restitution; only then may the sheriff remove the renter's belongings and prevent reentry. No statute expressly banning landlord lockouts or utility shutoffs was found; a tenant locked out without a court order may have claims under the lease or general law and should seek legal help. Removal after an FED judgment is done by an officer executing a writ of restitution (W.S. 1-21-1013) or by the sheriff (W.S. 1-21-1211(a)). The 2025 unauthorized-occupant law (W.S. 1-21-1401 et seq.) does not apply to current or former tenants. |
How an eviction case works in Wyoming
Eviction cases are heard in: Circuit court (Forcible Entry and Detainer, 'FED').
- Serve a written Notice to Quit at least 3 days before filing (W.S. 1-21-1003)
- File the FED complaint, summons, and affidavit with the circuit court clerk
- Summons must be served 3 to 12 days before the trial date set by the judge (W.S. 1-21-1004)
- Trial on the return day; no written answer required. A continuance over 2 days requires the tenant to post a bond (W.S. 1-21-1006, 1-21-1007)
- Judgment for restitution, plus rent due, costs, and lease-based attorney fees in nonpayment cases (W.S. 1-21-1008)
- Writ of restitution issued at the landlord's request (W.S. 1-21-1012)
- Officer executes the writ within 2 days of receiving it (Sundays excepted); the sheriff may remove the renter's possessions and prevent reentry (W.S. 1-21-1013, 1-21-1211)
Landlords: how to evict a tenant in Wyoming — steps, costs, timeline and forms.
Free calculators
- Notice Deadline Calculator — Enter the date a notice was delivered and see the date it runs out under your state's law.
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Related questions
- Can a landlord evict you without going to court, change the locks or shut off utilities?
- How long does an eviction take?
- How much notice does a landlord have to give before an eviction?
Wyoming vs. neighboring states
| State | Notice for unpaid rent | Notice for lease violations | Lockouts & utility shutoffs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wyoming | 3-day notice to quit. FED is allowed after rent is 3 days past due, and the written notice to leave must be served at least 3 days before the action is filed. W.S. 1-21-1002(a)(i), 1-21-1003 | 3-day notice to quit, with no statutory right to cure. FED is available against renters who violate the duties in W.S. 1-21-1204 or the prohibitions in 1-21-1205 (damage, interfering with others' peaceful enjoyment, unreasonably denying access). W.S. 1-21-1002(a)(vi), 1-21-1003, 1-21-1204, 1-21-1205 | No statute — Wyoming has no law that expressly bans landlord lockouts or utility shutoffs. The statutes provide a court process instead: a landlord who wants a tenant out files a forcible entry and detainer (FED) case, and after judgment an officer executes the writ of restitution; only then may the sheriff remove the renter's belongings and prevent reentry. W.S. 1-21-1001 to 1-21-1017, 1-21-1211(a) (Title 1, Ch. 21, Arts. 10 and 12 checked) |
| Colorado | 10-day written demand to pay rent or deliver possession. Exempt residential agreements get 5 days; employer-provided housing gets 3 days. The tenant may pay the full amount in the notice, plus any rent that has since come due, at any time until the judge enters a judgment for possession. Payment can go to the landlord or the court, and the case is then dismissed. For a "covered dwelling" under the federal CARES Act (for example, housing with a federal subsidy or a federally backed mortgage), the landlord must also follow the notice rule in 15 U.S.C. § 9058(c) as enacted on March 27, 2020 (a 30-day notice to vacate), even if federal law later changes (C.R.S. § 38-12-1502, since May 29, 2025). C.R.S. §§ 13-40-104(1)(d), 13-40-106, 13-40-115(4); 38-12-1502 (added by HB 25-1240) | 10-day written notice to comply with the violated condition or covenant, or deliver possession (5 days for exempt residential agreements, 3 days for employer-provided housing). A repeat violation of the same covenant after a prior notice allows termination 10 days after written notice, with no cure. Substantial violations, such as certain violent or drug-related criminal acts, are handled under § 13-40-107.5. C.R.S. §§ 13-40-104(1)(e), (1)(e.5), 13-40-107.5 | Unlawful for a landlord to remove or exclude a tenant without court process, including by willfully cutting utilities or removing doors, windows, or locks. Exceptions are abandonment, mutual consent, and meth-lab cleanup rules. The tenant is awarded statutory damages equal to actual damages plus the higher of three times monthly rent or $5,000, plus attorney fees and costs, and the court may restore possession. C.R.S. § 38-12-510 |
| Idaho | 3 days' written notice demanding payment of the amount due or possession. The notice must state the amount due and the tenant's post-judgment removal period (72 hours for residential tenants). Notice may be served within one year after rent is due. Idaho Code § 6-303(2) | 3 days' written notice requiring performance or possession; tenant may cure within the 3 days. No cure notice is needed if the breached covenant cannot later be performed. Assigning/subletting or committing waste contrary to the lease terminates it (3-day notice to quit). Controlled-substance activity: 3-day notice with no right to cure. Idaho Code § 6-303(3)-(5) | Self-help eviction is unlawful: a landlord may not shut off utilities, change locks, confiscate the tenant's property, or do anything other than file a lawful eviction. A party who recovers damages for forcible or unlawful entry or detainer may be awarded up to three times actual damages. Idaho AG Manual 'Unlawful Evictions'; Idaho Code § 6-317 |
| Montana | 3 days' written notice of nonpayment and intent to terminate; agreement terminates if rent is not paid within 3 days. Mont. Code Ann. § 70-24-422(2) | General noncompliance: 14 days' written notice (agreement ends unless remedied). 3 days for unauthorized pet, unauthorized persons residing in the unit, verbal abuse of the landlord, destroying/damaging the premises, or creating a reasonable potential for damage or harm to others. Repeat of substantially the same act within 6 months: at least 5 days. Mont. Code Ann. § 70-24-422(1), (3), (4) | Self-help eviction prohibited: landlord may not recover possession except by court action (or after abandonment/surrender), and may not purposefully cut heat, water, hot water, electricity, gas, or other essential services. Tenant may recover possession or terminate, and recover up to 3 months' periodic rent or treble damages, whichever is greater. Mont. Code Ann. §§ 70-24-428, 70-24-411 |
| Nebraska | 7 calendar days' written notice of nonpayment and intent to terminate; landlord may terminate if rent is not paid within that time. Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1431(2) | Written notice of a material breach or breach affecting health and safety: tenant has 14 days to remedy, and the agreement terminates on a date at least 30 days after receipt of notice if not remedied. Repeat of substantially the same breach within 6 months: termination on at least 14 days' written notice (no cure). Violent criminal activity, illegal drug sales, or other activity threatening health/safety: 5 days' written notice, no right to cure. Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1431(1), (4) | Prohibited. If a landlord unlawfully removes or excludes the tenant, or willfully interrupts electric, gas, water, or other essential service, the tenant may recover possession or terminate, and recover an amount equal to three months' periodic rent as liquidated damages plus a reasonable attorney's fee. Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1430 |
| South Dakota | No statutory notice to quit. The landlord may file a forcible entry and detainer (eviction) action once rent has been unpaid for three days after it is due. The first legal step is filing and serving a verified complaint and summons. SDCL 21-16-1(4); SDCL 21-16-6; SDCL 21-16-2 (repealed) | No statutory notice or cure period. An FED action lies when the tenant commits waste or does or fails to do an act that terminates the lease under its terms. The landlord may also end the lease early if the tenant uses the premises contrary to the lease or does not make required repairs within a reasonable time after a request. SDCL 21-16-1(7); SDCL 43-32-18 | If the landlord unlawfully removes or excludes the tenant, or willfully interrupts electric, gas, water, or other essential service, the tenant may sue for an injunction, recover possession, or end the lease. In any of these cases the tenant also recovers damages equal to two months' rent plus return of any advance rent and deposit. SDCL 43-32-6 |
| Utah | 3 business days' written notice to pay rent and other amounts due or surrender the premises. Utah Code 78B-6-802(1)(c) | 3 calendar days' written notice to perform the lease condition or surrender (cure allowed). 3 calendar days' notice to quit (no cure) for unauthorized assignment/subletting, waste, unlawful business, nuisance, or a criminal act on the premises. Utah Code 78B-6-802(1)(d)-(h) | Unlawful for an owner to willfully exclude a tenant from the premises in any manner except by judicial process (abandoned premises excepted). Utah Courts guidance: without a court order a landlord cannot change the locks, turn off utilities, or take the tenant's belongings. Utah Code 78B-6-814 |
More Wyoming rental law
- Wyoming Security Deposit Law
- Wyoming Notice to Vacate Rules
- Landlord Entry Rules in Wyoming
- Wyoming Repairs & Tenant Remedies
- Wyoming Rent Increase & Late Fee Laws
- Breaking a Lease in Wyoming
- Squatters' Rights in Wyoming
- Wyoming Rental Fee Rules
- Wyoming Section 8, Records & Right to Counsel
- Wyoming Mold, Pests, Heat & AC Rules
- Wyoming Privacy, Guests & Animal Rules
- Wyoming Landlord Selling the House
- Wyoming Lockouts, Utility Shutoffs & Retaliation
- Wyoming Subletting, Lease Endings & Tenant Death
- All Wyoming landlord-tenant rules
- Free legal help in Wyoming
Compare eviction in all 50 states and DC →
Wyoming Eviction Laws FAQ
How much notice does a landlord have to give before evicting for unpaid rent in Wyoming?
3-day notice to quit. FED is allowed after rent is 3 days past due, and the written notice to leave must be served at least 3 days before the action is filed. (W.S. 1-21-1002(a)(i), 1-21-1003)
How much notice is required to evict for a lease violation in Wyoming?
3-day notice to quit, with no statutory right to cure. FED is available against renters who violate the duties in W.S. 1-21-1204 or the prohibitions in 1-21-1205 (damage, interfering with others' peaceful enjoyment, unreasonably denying access). (W.S. 1-21-1002(a)(vi), 1-21-1003, 1-21-1204, 1-21-1205)
Can a landlord change the locks or shut off utilities in Wyoming?
No statute — Wyoming has no law that expressly bans landlord lockouts or utility shutoffs. The statutes provide a court process instead: a landlord who wants a tenant out files a forcible entry and detainer (FED) case, and after judgment an officer executes the writ of restitution; only then may the sheriff remove the renter's belongings and prevent reentry. (W.S. 1-21-1001 to 1-21-1017, 1-21-1211(a) (Title 1, Ch. 21, Arts. 10 and 12 checked))
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.