After a debt judgment in Wyoming: garnishment, bank levy, exemptions

Garnishment, bank levies and exemptions, with the deadline to claim them.

Checked against official sources: Oct 24, 2026.

Short answer

After a judgment, the creditor can ask the court to take part of your pay or freeze your bank account, but some money is exempt (protected by law). You will get a Notice of Right to Hearing. If you think the money is exempt (for example Social Security, veterans' benefits, workers' compensation, unemployment, retirement, or protected wages), first try to resolve a miscalculation with the garnishee within 5 business days of receiving its calculation.

How long it lasts
5 years
Interest after the judgment
10%
Exemption form
Official exemption form

Claiming what the law protects in Wyoming

You will get a Notice of Right to Hearing. If you think the money is exempt (for example Social Security, veterans' benefits, workers' compensation, unemployment, retirement, or protected wages), first try to resolve a miscalculation with the garnishee within 5 business days of receiving its calculation. If not resolved, the money is paid to the clerk, and you must file a written Objection to Garnishment and Request for Hearing with the clerk, and mail a copy to the creditor or its lawyer, within 5 business days after the clerk receives the money. If you do not, the clerk pays the money to the creditor. Either party may also file a reply to the garnishee's answer within 10 days after it is filed.

Law: Wyoming Circuit Court form, Notice of Right to Hearing and Objection to Garnishment; Wyo. Stat. §§ 1-15-409, 1-15-412

Official exemption form

Count your deadline to claim an exemption

The date is counted in your browser.

Read the notice you got from the court, your bank or your employer.

An estimate from our state data, not legal advice. Court holidays and local rules can change a deadline. File early, and ask the court clerk if you are not sure.

Exemption claim cover letter

When a creditor freezes your account in Wyoming

The clerk issues a writ of garnishment that is served on your bank; within 5 days the person who served it must mail you a copy. The bank must answer within 10 business days. Wages deposited in your account within 20 days before the writ (or on the day of, or within 10 business days after, service) keep the same protection as wages, and if your pay was already garnished, the rest of that paycheck in your account is fully exempt.

Law: Wyo. Stat. § 1-15-408(a)

Your bank must protect up to two months of Social Security, SSI, VA and some other federal benefits that were paid into your account by direct deposit. You don't have to ask.

Law: 31 CFR 212.5, 212.6

How long a judgment lasts in Wyoming

Interest after the judgment

10% a year from the date of judgment until paid. If the judgment is based on a contract that set an interest rate, the judgment carries that rate.

How long it lasts

A judgment becomes dormant if no execution is issued within 5 years after it is entered, or if 5 years pass between executions; it then stops being a lien. A dormant judgment can be revived by an action brought within 10 years after it became dormant.

Law: Wyo. Stat. § 1-16-102; § 1-17-307; § 1-16-503

Judgment interest and how long a judgment lasts, by state

Wage garnishment in Wyoming

The federal limit applies — no more than 25% of disposable earnings, or the amount above 30 times the federal minimum wage per week, whichever is less.

Law: Wyo. Stat. §§ 1-15-408(b), 1-15-511

These garnishment limits are from our sister site, which checks them against official sources: Debt Collector Map: Wyoming

For an ordinary debt, a creditor can take at most 25% of your take-home pay, or the part above 30 times the federal minimum wage if that is less. Many states protect more.

Law: 15 U.S.C. 1673(a)

Steps to protect your money in Wyoming

  1. Open every letter

    Deadlines to claim exemptions can be days, not weeks. Read each notice the day it comes.

  2. Collect your records

    Get bank statements and benefit award letters: they prove the source of the money.

  3. File the claim on time

    How it works in Wyoming: You will get a Notice of Right to Hearing. If you think the money is exempt (for example Social Security, veterans' benefits, workers' compensation, unemployment, retirement, or protected wages), first try to resolve a miscalculation with the garnishee within 5 business days of receiving its calculation.

  4. Attend the hearing

    A judge decides disputed claims; bring every paper.

Free help in Wyoming

Questions about collection after a judgment in Wyoming

What is the judgment interest rate in Wyoming?

10% a year from the date of judgment until paid. If the judgment is based on a contract that set an interest rate, the judgment carries that rate.

When does a judgment expire in Wyoming?

A judgment becomes dormant if no execution is issued within 5 years after it is entered, or if 5 years pass between executions; it then stops being a lien. A dormant judgment can be revived by an action brought within 10 years after it became dormant.

Can my wages be garnished in Wyoming?

The federal limit applies — no more than 25% of disposable earnings, or the amount above 30 times the federal minimum wage per week, whichever is less.

Can my bank account be frozen in Wyoming?

The clerk issues a writ of garnishment that is served on your bank; within 5 days the person who served it must mail you a copy. The bank must answer within 10 business days. Wages deposited in your account within 20 days before the writ (or on the day of, or within 10 business days after, service) keep the same protection as wages, and if your pay was already garnished, the rest of that paycheck in your account is fully exempt.

What is the deadline to claim an exemption in Wyoming?

You will get a Notice of Right to Hearing. If you think the money is exempt (for example Social Security, veterans' benefits, workers' compensation, unemployment, retirement, or protected wages), first try to resolve a miscalculation with the garnishee within 5 business days of receiving its calculation. If not resolved, the money is paid to the clerk, and you must file a written Objection to Garnishment and Request for Hearing with the clerk, and mail a copy to the creditor or its lawyer, within 5 business days after the clerk receives the money. If you do not, the clerk pays the money to the creditor. Either party may also file a reply to the garnishee's answer within 10 days after it is filed.

Keep reading about Wyoming

Sources

Sources

Last checked: Oct 24, 2026.

Federal sources