Search free Wyoming divorce records on any resident.
Divorce records are important legal pieces of paper that mark the end of a marriage in the State Courts. In these documents, curious parties can find important details about the divorce — including when and where the couple got married, why they split up, and how their assets were divided.
Additionally, these records can be found free of cost from certain departments; the process of doing so is discussed below.
Can Anyone Access Divorce Records in Wyoming?
The state of Wyoming is regarded as a closed record state, meaning that they have set specific rules about who can request public records, including divorce records.1
Usually, only the people directly involved in the divorce or their respective lawyers can access them. However, for the general public these records become available only after 50 years from the date of divorce.
The records that are made public can also be obtained by third-party sites.
Looking at the divorce rates in Wyoming, in 2021 alone, there were 2,168 recorded per 578,803 of the population.2 This comes out at a rate of around 3.7 divorces per 1000 individuals. The privilege to access public records is protected under statute 16-4-204 by the state of Wyoming.
Divorce records can be obtained by the Vital Statistics Services Office and the Wyoming State Archives. The process of requesting these divorce records is detailed below.
How To Find Wyoming Divorce Records Throughout the Entire State
In Wyoming, important records like divorce decrees, papers and certificates can be obtained online. Vital Statistics Services is the department responsible for providing this information.
If inquirers meet certain conditions, such as being a person who was part of the divorce or their legal representative, they are permitted to request these records.
The process begins at the Wyoming Vital Records Portal.3 The portal does not offer a free public divorce records search, as each order (for searching records) comes with convenience fees – a minimum of one dollar and an additional 2.4% overall.
For citizens using this portal for the first time, it’s important to sign up before logging in. Also, creating an online profile becomes mandatory before placing any order for a record search. After logging into the portal successfully, you will decide what type of certificate you require and then hit the ‘request’ button. You must also fill out all the required fields with accurate information to proceed further.
Proof of identification will be needed from those requesting these documents – specifically a Valid Government issued ID that should be attached in the image section prior to processing orders.
Another way of acquiring these divorce records is through mail. Record seekers ought to submit requests along with the expected fee of $25. This cost applies to obtaining official matrimony or divorce certificates in the state. If a record isn’t found, remember that this payment also serves as a search fee.
To acquire a specific record, individuals should draft a request that entails a certified copy of the Vital Record Form and an attached photocopy ID proof. A check or money order worth $25 must be included as well and mailed to the following address:
Vital Statistics Services
2300 Capitol Ave, Hathaway Bldg.
Cheyenne, Wyoming – 82002
Phone: 307-777-7591
To receive your documents promptly, include a self-addressed and stamped envelope within your application package. Acceptance of personal checks only applies when the following two conditions are met: firstly, if you have entitlement over the requested record and secondly, when you provide bank-personalized checks using your personal account information while making such requests.
Citizens can also look up divorce records through third-party websites. These sites provide the requested records in exchange for a small fee.
Note, in Wyoming, there is no difference between the terms dissolution of marriage and divorce, and both terms are used interchangeably. Or in other words, records of these separations in Wyoming detail the end of a couple’s marital status.
However, common law marriages aren’t recognized in Wyoming and thus, common law divorce records cannot be found. The state also doesn’t recognize domestic partnerships and civil unions. In simpler terms, if a couple doesn’t have an official marriage license from the state, then they aren’t legally married under Wyoming law.
Furthermore, common law marriages from other states that allow this union are recognized in Wyoming. This is due to the Full Faith & Credit Clause of the U.S. Constitution.
Searching for Records of Divorce via Wyoming Counties
The state apparatus for finding divorce records in Wyoming allows for the broadest search results and may ask for more information in narrowing down the data. It is, therefore essential that curious parties also contact their respective County Clerk Offices to make the results more county specific.
The Clerk’s offices may be able to process the requests at an even faster rate than the state apparatus.
Laramie County: Obtaining divorce records for Laramie County, Wyoming, begins with the County Clerk’s Office, which holds public records.5 These records include information about divorces that took place in the county.
Record seekers looking to access these records can start by submitting a public request for them. To submit your request, you will need to fill out a Public Information Request form.
This form can be obtained from the official website of the Laramie County Clerk’s Office. Either party involved in the divorce can make this request, or their respective lawyers can act on their behalf.
To make the search for the record you are looking for easier and more accurate, you need to provide specific details relating to the divorce. These details range from names of those involved to dates when it happened, along with cities and courts where proceedings occurred.
Once filled out, email it officially at office@laramiecountywy.gov. The officials from the County Clerk’s Office will get back to you once they go through your request and will provide you with the records after viewing your credentials, within 30 days of having received the request (as mandated under W.S. 16-4-204).
Natrona County: The process of accessing Natrona County divorce records starts with a Public Records Request Form provided by the county.7
The first step is to fill out this form. Being detailed in your request helps speed things up significantly. Don’t worry about how you present your requests – Wyoming Public Record (WPR) accepts them in any format.
To request the records, you need two key items: First is submitting a fully filled-out Divorce Application and second, providing valid identification documents. These may include:
- State ID card
- A photocopy of a driver’s license
- Passport of the person making the certificate request
One thing to remember is that there’s no one-stop office for these WPR requests within the county. This means you have to send your form directly to the department holding the divorce records, which here would be the Vital Statistics Services. Individuals will need to mail the form along with other documents to the following address:
Vital Statistics Services
2300 Capitol Ave, Hathaway Building
Cheyenne, Wyoming, 82002
Phone: 307-777-7591
In some cases, requested records are not public ones. If such an issue arises, it’s the County Attorney who clarifies why these records aren’t publicly accessible. Only those listed on the record or their legal representatives can access these files.
Lastly, charges also apply in requesting these records: 50 cents for the first page (of the record file), while every following page costs 25 cents each. These formalities, if done right, will enable the successful requisition of Natrona County divorce records.
Campbell County: For requesting divorce records in Campbell County, Wyoming, interested parties need to access the county’s online portal. Here they must submit their request for public records.
Under the Wyoming Public Records Act W.S. 16-4-201 through 16-4-205, all records are open to the public unless classified as confidential under other statutes, such as W.S. 35-11-1101 or if protected by other legal provisions.
Most record request submissions are processed within a few days; nevertheless, complex cases may extend over months.
In the scenario of your request exceeding the standard duration of thirty days, rest assured you will receive notice from a representative of Campbell County explaining this delay.
Upon submission through their web portal comes a receipt of acknowledgement via email, so remember to check not only your main inbox but also auxiliary folders like spam.
However, if digital navigation does not appeal to you and direct contact suits you better, then communicating directly with the District Court Clerk’s office serves as another approach to access the records. The District Court Clerk’s office also provides paper copies of the records upon request.
Record seekers can contact the office directly via email at DCCInfo@campbellcountywy.gov or opt for an in-person visit at the following address:
Campbell County District Court Clerk’s office
500 South. Gillette Avenue, Suite 2600
Gillette, Wyoming – 82716
Phone: 307-682-3424
Hours: Monday – Friday (8 a.m. – 5 p.m.)
For those interested in finding records at city levels, unfortunately the state of Wyoming only maintains these records at either county level or state level. For people who have an interest in finding genealogy records and tracking their family lineage, they can find marriage and divorce records through the Wyoming State Archives.
Tracking Family Lineage & Genealogy via the Wyoming State Divorce Archives
Understanding your family history and origins often requires collecting various forms of information, and divorce records become key pieces in this pursuit. If a relative divorced over 50 years ago, their record could be searched within the Wyoming State Archives.9
The archives hold an impressive array of resources, from vintage newspapers to phone books to photographs that date back as far as 1867. They keep this information on their Vital Records Page. However, according to Wyoming laws, birth records remain sealed for an entire century, while death, marriage and divorce documents have only a half-century freeze.
The Wyoming State Archives also holds territorial divorces dating between the 1860s to 1870s originally handled by the Chancery Court. These files reveal the names of parties involved alongside custody arrangements immediately post-divorce. All of the records are available through their Vital Records Page.
Requesting photocopies of pages smaller than 11″ x 17″ cost $.50, while those larger than 11″ x 17″ cost around $5 (Black and White) to $10 (Colored). Requesting digital scans of documents cost around $0.25 (containing no photographs), while acquiring certifications of vital records or case files cost $3 per each record requested.
To access information pertaining to more recent divorces, though – ones less than fifty years old – individuals must get in contact with the Wyoming Vital Statistics Services Office instead.
Exploring Civil Case Files in District Courts can also prove valuable in finding old records. To go through these case files, you will need a case number. Case numbers could be found through Clerk Offices in District Courts across counties.10
These particular offices maintain indexes for many vital records, including divorce index lists, which contain case numbers that could be used in finding case files.
To find family history, people can also go through historical newspapers brimming with archived stories about past marriages. They could also go through family history books, as they might contain tales pertinent not only to nuptials but also to divorces.
Interested individuals can also view the Family History Library Catalog for comprehensive listings that feature notable Wyoming families.
How To Approach the Divorce Process in Wyoming: Filing & Addressing Divorce Papers
Understanding the process of divorce in Wyoming requires knowledge of some key facts.11
First, anyone seeking to file for divorce has to have lived in this state for at least two months. If the couple married in Wyoming but lives elsewhere, they can still file for divorce if the state remains their home base. All of the forms required to file a divorce are readily available on the Wyoming Judicial Branch’s website in the Family Law section.
The second vital fact is about the grounds for divorce. In Wyoming, divorce can be filed on no-fault grounds, meaning a person doesn’t need to show that the other spouse did something wrong. It’s enough that they have disagreements they cannot resolve.
There are three documents needed when starting a divorce case: A Civil Cover Sheet, the Complaint and a Summons form. The document called “Complaint” lays out why a party seeks a divorce, while the “Summons” have to be delivered to the other spouse officially.
After the divorce papers reach the other party, he or she gets 20 days (30 if living outside the state) to submit a response – failing to do so could lead to what’s called a ‘default.’’ So if a citizen is on the receiving end of the divorce documents, their first step is to take notice of the deadline stated in them. Ignoring these won’t stop the court from processing the divorce documents. This will eventually result in an uncontested divorce.
Filing costs might change depending on location, yet typically sit somewhere around $70-$100. From start to end, a typical time frame extends over approximately 80 days, given everything runs smoothly. Legal separation also carries similar weight and time as does divorcing in Wyoming.
In a divorce in Wyoming, several issues are addressed. For instance, there may be issues of property distribution. In Wyoming, this is handled on a fair basis, case by case, according to the court’s judgment.
The judge takes into account who acquired that property and how much each party benefits from it post-divorce. So it’s not 50/50 but weighed according to many factors that directly affect both parties.
Then comes child support, which depends on the income levels of both parents as well as the number of their children. The Wyoming government provides an online calculator that estimates the amount of child support a parent gets after getting a divorce.12
The ability of each parent to provide healthcare through employment benefits also comes into play for deciding child support.
Alimony also varies based on quite a few factors, such as length of marriage and earning capacities along with the age and health condition of the parties involved.
In divorce cases, one course of action is mediation, where potential settlements are discussed. This is an option if there has been a response to the divorce petition from the other party despite disagreements between the two sides, potentially making proceedings cost-effective.
In cases involving alimony claims or children, addressing these issues becomes crucial when responding to said papers. If both parties are willing to settle on some matters, negotiation and arbitration can be an option instead of litigation.
If either party thinks that things are not going to work out, then they could also go for annulment. In Wyoming, this means proving that a marriage was never valid to begin with. However, this only applies if 60 days have passed since becoming a resident in the county.
After filing, this complaint follows a hearing where evidence decides whether an annulment gets granted. Wyoming laws also accommodate legal separations as another recourse besides divorces and annulments.
Divorce records in Wyoming are only accessible to people who have been a party to the case or hold legal authority to view these records (if the records haven’t been released for public viewing). However, individuals interested in finding Wyoming divorce records can use this resource to search for these files.
Those seeking other documentation or details of residents throughout the state can check out either the Wyoming marriage record lookup tutorial or the instructions for accessing free WY public records (includes inmates, court cases, arrests, warrants, births, deaths, and more).
References
1Wyoming Department of Health. (n.d.). Vital Statistics Services. Retrieved November 10, 2023, from <https://health.wyo.gov/admin/vitalstatistics/vital-record/#:~:text=After%20100%20years%20from%20the,information%20to%20locate%20the%20record.&text=After%2050%20years%20from%20the,locate%20the%20record%20in%20question>
2Wyoming Department of Health. (2021). 2021 Divorce Rate by County of Occurrence. Retrieved November 10, 2023, from <https://health.wyo.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/2021ARV02-DivorceRate.pdf>
3Wyoming Department of Health. (n.d.). Vital Statistics Services Portal. Retrieved November 10, 2023, from <https://wyomingvitalrecords.wyo.gov/>
4Wyoming Department of Health. (2022). Request for Certified Copy of a Wyoming Vital Records. Retrieved November 10, 2023, from <https://health.wyo.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/WDH_VSS-Application-for-Certified-Copy-2022-Form-1a-Marriage-Divorce.pdf>
5Laramie County Clerk’s Office. (n.d.). Public Records Information Requests. Retrieved November 10, 2023, from <https://www.laramiecountyclerk.com/public_records.aspx>
6Laramie County Clerk’s Office. (2019, June). Government Public Record Request. Retrieved November 10, 2023, from <https://www.laramiecountyclerk.com/_pdfs/2019/Public_Information_Request_Form_6-19.pdf>
7Natrona County Government. (n.d.). Wyoming Public Records Request. Retrieved November 10, 2023, from <https://natrona.net/760/Wyoming-Public-Records-Request>
8Campbell County Clerk’s Office. (n.d.). Request Public Records. Retrieved November 10, 2023, from <https://campbellcountywy.nextrequest.com/requests/new>
9Wyoming State Archives. (n.d.). Genealogical Resources. Retrieved November 10, 2023, from <https://wyoarchives.wyo.gov/index.php/find-it-in-the-archives/genealogical-resources>
10Wyoming Judicial Branch. (n.d.). District Court Locations. Retrieved November 10, 2023, from <https://www.courts.state.wy.us/district-courts/district-court-locations/>
11Wyoming Judicial Branch. (2014, July). Family Law Information and Instructions. Retrieved November 10, 2023, from <https://www.courts.state.wy.us/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/DNCD03.pdf>
12Wyoming Child Support Program. (n.d.). Guideline Calculator. Retrieved November 10, 2023, from <https://childsupport.wyoming.gov/calculator/index.html>