Expungement of arrest records and dismissed charges (W.S. 7-13-1401) in Wyoming: which records can be cleared
Each way to clear a record in Wyoming, what it covers, the exclusions and the effect.
Checked against official sources: October 25, 2026.
Short answer
In Wyoming it is called expungement: expungement seals the court file and classifies the record in the state central repository at the Division of Criminal Investigation. Some misdemeanor and felony convictions may be cleared.
- Main remedy
- Expungement of arrest records and dismissed charges (W.S. 7-13-1401)
- What it covers
- Arrests with no conviction, arrests where no charges were filed, and cases where all charges were dismissed by the prosecutor or court.
- Ways to clear a record
- 3
Ways to clear a record in Wyoming
Expungement — In Wyoming, expungement seals the court file (open only by court order) and classifies the record in the state central repository at the Division of Criminal Investigation so it is shared only with criminal justice agencies. The public cannot see it, but law enforcement still can.
Wyoming has 3 ways to clear a record. Each covers different records and has its own waiting period.
Expungement of arrest records and dismissed charges (W.S. 7-13-1401)
Arrests with no conviction, arrests where no charges were filed, and cases where all charges were dismissed by the prosecutor or court
| Kind of case | Waiting period | Counted from |
|---|---|---|
Arrest or dismissed charge, no conviction | See the rule At least 180 days must pass after the arrest or after the charges were dismissed. | The arrest or the dismissal of the charges |
- Not eligible
- Not available if formal charges are pending, or if any charge from the incident (including a lesser charge) was resolved by a deferral under W.S. 7-13-301 (first-offender deferral), W.S. 35-7-1037 (drug deferral) or former W.S. 7-13-203.
Law: W.S. 7-13-1401
Source: Official text
Expungement of misdemeanor convictions (W.S. 7-13-1501)
Misdemeanor convictions, including guilty and no-contest pleas
| Kind of case | Waiting period | Counted from |
|---|---|---|
Misdemeanor (non-status offense) | 5 years Wait 5 years after your sentence, probation and any ordered program are finished. | The end of the sentence, including probation and any court-ordered program |
Status offense (illegal only for a group, such as underage drinking) | 1 year Wait 1 year after the sentence ends. | The end of the sentence, including probation and any court-ordered program |
- Not eligible
- Misdemeanors that involved the use or attempted use of a firearm; offenses under W.S. 6-2-313 committed by a health care provider against a patient. The court must also find you are not a substantial danger to yourself, any victim or society.
- Limits
- You can get a misdemeanor conviction expungement under this section only once.
Law: W.S. 7-13-1501
Source: Official text
Expungement of felony convictions (W.S. 7-13-1502)
A first felony conviction (or several felonies from the same occurrence) not on the excluded list
| Kind of case | Waiting period | Counted from |
|---|---|---|
Eligible felony | 10 years Wait 10 years after your sentence and probation ended, any ordered program was completed and restitution was paid in full. Apart from the conviction(s) you want expunged, you must have no other felony conviction. | The end of the sentence including probation, completion of any court-ordered program, and full payment of restitution |
- Not eligible
- Any felony if you have another prior felony conviction; felonies involving the use or attempted use of a firearm; violent felonies under W.S. 6-1-104(a)(xii) (such as murder, manslaughter, kidnapping, robbery, aggravated assault, first or second degree arson, aggravated burglary); and offenses including aggravated vehicular homicide, drug-induced homicide, sexual assault crimes, a second or later domestic battery, child abuse, aggravated assault on a corrections officer, sexual exploitation of children, incest, endangering children with methamphetamine, bribery, disarming a police officer, escape, any offense under W.S. 6-8-101 or 6-8-102, and any offense requiring sex offender registration. The court must also find you are not a substantial danger to yourself, any victim or society.
- Limits
- You can get a felony conviction expungement under this section only once.
Law: W.S. 7-13-1502
Source: Official text
Records from when you were under 18
If you were adjudicated delinquent for anything other than a violent felony, you can petition the juvenile court to expunge the record once you turn 18. If the prosecutor objects, the court must find you have no felony conviction since, no felony case pending, and that you are rehabilitated. Juvenile expungement destroys the records, and you may answer as if the case never happened. Minors' misdemeanor, municipal, diversion and dismissed cases can be expunged the same way (W.S. 14-6-241). DCI deletes a person's juvenile state criminal history at 18 unless the person was convicted as an adult.
Source: DCI FAQ
After your record is cleared
After expungement of an arrest or dismissed charge, you may answer any inquiry as though the arrest or charges did not occur, unless a law says otherwise (W.S. 7-13-1401(f)). The court file is sealed and the repository record is available only to criminal justice agencies. A felony expungement restores rights lost because of the conviction (W.S. 7-13-1502(m)). The Wyoming Judicial Branch says that after expungement you do not have to disclose the record to employers or anyone else, but news articles cannot be removed.
Pardons in Wyoming
- Who decides
- Governor of Wyoming
- How
- A person convicted of a felony applies to the Governor with their name, the offense, date and place of conviction, sentence imposed and served, any later arrests or convictions, and other information the Governor requests. The Governor notifies the district attorney at least 3 weeks before considering it.
Law: W.S. 7-13-803 to 7-13-806
In nearby states
- Colorado: Record sealing (expungement for juvenile records and mistaken-identity arrests)
- Montana: Expungement (misdemeanors); dismissal after deferred imposition of sentence
- Utah: Expungement
- Idaho: Expungement (non-conviction records), shielding from disclosure, and dismissal or reduction under I.C. § 19-2604
Steps to clear a record in Wyoming
Get your own record
Find out exactly what your record shows: every arrest, charge and outcome. Wyoming Judicial Branch / Equal Justice Wyoming: Expungements and Wyoming Judicial Branch: Expungement of Criminal Records handout (rev. July 2026).
See if enough time has passed
The law sets a wait for each kind of case. Waiting periods.
Ask the court
Most remedies start with a petition to the court. How to file.
Get help
Free help: Legal Aid of Wyoming and Equal Justice Wyoming: Find Legal Services.
Free help in Wyoming
Questions about clearing a record in Wyoming
What is clearing a record called in Wyoming?
Expungement. In Wyoming, expungement seals the court file (open only by court order) and classifies the record in the state central repository at the Division of Criminal Investigation so it is shared only with criminal justice agencies. The public cannot see it, but law enforcement still can.
Can convictions be cleared in Wyoming?
Expungement of arrest records and dismissed charges (W.S. 7-13-1401): Arrests with no conviction, arrests where no charges were filed, and cases where all charges were dismissed by the prosecutor or court. Expungement of misdemeanor convictions (W.S. 7-13-1501): Misdemeanor convictions, including guilty and no-contest pleas. Expungement of felony convictions (W.S. 7-13-1502): A first felony conviction (or several felonies from the same occurrence) not on the excluded list.
Can juvenile records be cleared in Wyoming?
If you were adjudicated delinquent for anything other than a violent felony, you can petition the juvenile court to expunge the record once you turn 18. If the prosecutor objects, the court must find you have no felony conviction since, no felony case pending, and that you are rehabilitated. Juvenile expungement destroys the records, and you may answer as if the case never happened. Minors' misdemeanor, municipal, diversion and dismissed cases can be expunged the same way (W.S. 14-6-241). DCI deletes a person's juvenile state criminal history at 18 unless the person was convicted as an adult.
Who can still see a cleared record in Wyoming?
After expungement of an arrest or dismissed charge, you may answer any inquiry as though the arrest or charges did not occur, unless a law says otherwise (W.S. 7-13-1401(f)). The court file is sealed and the repository record is available only to criminal justice agencies. A felony expungement restores rights lost because of the conviction (W.S. 7-13-1502(m)). The Wyoming Judicial Branch says that after expungement you do not have to disclose the record to employers or anyone else, but news articles cannot be removed.