Wyoming Garnishment Laws: Wage and Bank Account Collection Guide

Two Writs, Two Targets

Wyoming's garnishment system under Title 1, Chapter 15 gives judgment creditors two distinct tools. They look similar on the court forms, but they work very differently. Filing the wrong one wastes sheriff service fees and delays your collection by weeks.

Continuing Garnishment targets ongoing wages from an employer. Non-Continuing Garnishment targets a one-time grab from a bank account or other third-party debt owed to the judgment debtor.

Getting them confused is the single most common error self-represented creditors make at the Circuit Court clerk's counter.

Continuing Garnishment: Wages

A Writ of Continuing Garnishment under Wyo. Stat. § 1-15-502 attaches to the debtor's employer and stays in effect for 90 calendar days from the date of service. During that period, the employer withholds a portion of each paycheck and remits it to the Circuit Court clerk.

Only one continuing garnishment can be satisfied at a time. Under Wyo. Stat. § 1-15-504, ordinary competing writs are satisfied in service order, and a later writ served while an earlier one is in effect becomes effective when the earlier lien ends. A child-support income withholding order has priority.

How Much Gets Withheld

Wyoming follows federal garnishment caps under the Consumer Credit Protection Act. The employer withholds the lesser of:

• 25% of disposable earnings for that pay period, or
• The amount by which disposable earnings exceed 30 times the federal minimum wage ($7.25/hour)

For a weekly pay period, that means earnings at or below $217.50 are completely exempt — nothing gets garnished. Between $217.51 and $290.00, the employer withholds only the amount above $217.50. Above $290.00, the cap is 25% of disposable earnings.

Disposable earnings means gross pay minus mandatory deductions (federal tax, FICA, Medicare, mandated retirement). Voluntary deductions like health insurance or union dues don't reduce the garnishable amount.

The 60-Day Execution Trap

Here's where creditors lose money they've already collected. After the employer files a Garnishee Answer with the Circuit Court clerk (due within 10 days of the first affected payday, or 40 days of service — whichever comes first), you have 60 days to obtain a garnishee judgment and execute against the withheld funds under Wyo. Stat. § 1-15-424.

Miss that window and the writ is discharged. The garnishee must pay the debtor the nonexempt earnings it held under the writ. This deadline is not discretionary — it operates by law.

Non-Continuing Garnishment: Bank Accounts

A Writ of Non-Continuing Garnishment under Wyo. Stat. § 1-15-401 targets whatever the debtor has in a bank account at the moment the sheriff serves the writ on the bank, plus anything deposited within the next 30 days.

The bank must file a Verified Answer within 10 business days of service (excluding weekends and holidays), disclosing the account balance and any claimed exemptions.

The 20-Day Bank Deposit Protection

Under Wyo. Stat. § 1-15-408(a), the portion of disposable earnings protected by subsection (b) remains exempt if deposited into the debtor's bank account within 20 calendar days before service of a bank garnishment writ, on the service date, or within 10 business days after service. This prevents creditors from garnishing the same protected earnings through the bank account during that statutory window.

The statute does not require a financial institution to investigate the account or determine which funds a judgment creditor may reach.

When the Debtor Contests

Either type of garnishment can be challenged. The debtor receives notice and can file a claim of exemption — arguing that the funds being garnished are protected under Wyoming law (Social Security, disability benefits, veterans' payments) or that the wage calculations are wrong.

If the debtor files a timely objection, the court schedules an expedited hearing. No funds are disbursed to you until the judge rules. Getting this hearing resolved quickly matters — it's running against your 60-day execution clock.

Filing Either Writ

Both writs follow the same basic path:

1. Complete the appropriate Request for Writ form (available on wyocourts.gov under Self-Help Forms)
2. File with the Circuit Court clerk
3. The clerk issues the writ
4. Deliver it to the county sheriff with service instructions and a fee deposit ($25–$50 per service)
5. The sheriff serves it on the employer or bank
6. For a wage writ, obtain a garnishee judgment and execute against held nonexempt earnings within 60 days after the answer. The 60-day earnings deadline does not apply to a non-continuing bank writ.

The Wyoming judgment collection guide includes step-by-step instructions for both writ types, with the exact form names, filing sequences, and a garnishment calculation worksheet so you can estimate how much each paycheck will yield before you spend money on sheriff fees.

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