Filing Satisfaction of Judgment in Wyoming

The Obligation Most Creditors Forget

You spent weeks or months collecting your Wyoming small claims judgment — through garnishment, execution, a lien payoff, or the debtor finally writing you a check. The money is in hand. The case is over, right?

Not quite. Under Wyoming law, once a judgment is paid in full, the creditor has a legal duty to file a formal Satisfaction of Judgment. Skip this step and you leave an active judgment on court records and potentially on the debtor's credit history. That can expose you to liability.

What Filing Requires

The Satisfaction of Judgment is a written document confirming that the debtor has fully paid the judgment — principal, post-judgment interest at 10% per annum under Wyo. Stat. § 1-16-102, all court costs, and any recoverable sheriff service fees.

Here's the process:

1. Draft the satisfaction. It must identify the case (parties, docket number, court, judgment date) and state that the judgment has been satisfied in full.

2. Sign and date the release. For a Circuit Court judgment, Wyo. Stat. § 1-21-401 requires the satisfaction and release to be dated and signed. A notarization is not required for the court-docket endorsement. For a recorded lien release, follow the County Clerk's recording requirements.

3. File with the Circuit Court clerk. Endorse each payment, including partial payments, on the original judgment docket within 15 days after payment. When paid in full, endorse the satisfaction and release there within 15 days as required by Wyo. Stat. § 1-21-401.

4. Record with the County Clerk (if you filed a lien). If you recorded a Transcript of Judgment with the County Clerk under Wyo. Stat. § 1-17-306, record a release there too so the real estate records reflect satisfaction. Follow that clerk's document and acknowledgment requirements.

5. Notify third parties. If any garnishment writs or execution writs are still active, notify the sheriff, employer, or bank to terminate them. Continued withholding after full payment is unauthorized collection.

What Happens If You Don't File

Under Wyo. Stat. §§ 1-21-401 and 1-21-402, a person who collects on a Circuit Court judgment must endorse each payment and any satisfaction and release on the original judgment docket within 15 days. The endorsement must be dated and signed; failure to comply is a misdemeanor punishable by a $25 to $200 fine for each offense.

Beyond the legal exposure, an unsatisfied judgment sitting on court records can interfere with the debtor's ability to obtain credit, buy property, or pass background checks. Courts take this obligation seriously.

Partial Satisfaction

If the debtor has made substantial payments but not yet paid in full, you don't file a full Satisfaction of Judgment. Under § 1-21-401, endorse each partial payment on the original judgment docket within 15 days, and maintain your ledger tracking principal reductions and interest accruals. The full satisfaction only happens when the total balance — principal, accrued interest, and all recoverable costs — reaches zero.

If you and the debtor agree to settle for less than the full amount, the satisfaction should clearly state the agreed terms. A partial payment accepted as full settlement still requires a filed satisfaction to clear the record.

Getting It Right

The Wyoming judgment collection guide includes the complete satisfaction protocol — from drafting through filing and lien release — along with a payment ledger template that tracks when you've actually reached zero balance, accounting for interest that accrues right up until the final payment.

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