Wyoming Squatters Rights and Adverse Possession Laws (2026)

Wyoming gives a squatter 10 years to ripen an adverse possession claim under Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 1-3-103. Property owners who discover an unauthorized occupant can remove that person through a forcible entry and detainer (FED) action in Wyoming circuit court.

Information last verified on May 27, 2026. This article provides general legal information, not legal advice.

Jurisdiction scope: This page covers Wyoming state law. For a comparison of every state, see the national squatters rights guide.

Adverse Possession in Wyoming: Period and Elements

The 10-Year Statutory Period

Wyoming sets a single 10-year clock for adverse possession. Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 1-3-103 bars any action to recover real property unless it is brought within 10 years. A squatter who occupies land for fewer than 10 continuous years acquires no rights whatsoever under Wyoming law.

Wyoming recognizes no shorter color-of-title track. In many states, a claimant who holds a defective deed can satisfy adverse possession in five or seven years. Wyoming imposes no such shortcut: the 10-year period applies regardless of whether the claimant holds a written instrument purporting to convey title.

Wyoming also imposes no tax-payment requirement. A squatter is not required to have paid property taxes during the 10-year period to perfect a claim, though payment of taxes may serve as evidence supporting other elements.

One statutory exception qualifies the 10-year clock. Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 1-3-104 provides that a person entitled to bring an action for the recovery of real property who is under any legal disability when the cause of action accrues may bring the action within 10 years after the disability is removed. Where the record owner was under a legal disability at the moment the cause of action accrued, the owner's window runs from the removal of that disability, so 10 years of possession alone does not necessarily bar the owner.

The Five Elements Wyoming Courts Apply

Wyoming courts do not apply a clear-and-convincing standard to adverse possession. They apply shifting presumptions instead. A presumption of ownership rests with the record title holder unless and until the adverse claimant makes out a prima facie case on each element. Once the claimant makes that showing, the presumption shifts in the claimant's favor and the burden shifts back to the record title holder to produce evidence that the possession was permissive. If the owner shows permissive use, such as a neighborly accommodation, whether the claimant adversely possessed the property becomes a question of weight and credibility for the trier of fact. See Sellers v. Claudson, 2024 WY 69, 550 P.3d 559 (Wyo. 2024); Braunstein v. Robinson Family Ltd. Partnership LLP, 2010 WY 26, 226 P.3d 826 (Wyo. 2010). Every element must coexist throughout the entire 10-year period.

Actual possession. The squatter must physically occupy and use the land in the way a typical owner would use property of that type. Fencing, farming, building, or making improvements all support actual possession. Sporadic visits do not.

Open and notorious possession. The occupation must be visible and obvious so that a reasonably attentive owner would notice it. Concealed or hidden occupation fails this element. Wyoming courts have held that open and notorious use puts the true owner on constructive notice of the adverse claim. See Doenz v. Garber, 665 P.2d 932 (Wyo. 1983).

Exclusive possession. The squatter must hold the property to the exclusion of the true owner and the general public. Shared or permissive use by the true owner breaks exclusivity. A claimant who shares the property jointly with the owner cannot satisfy this element.

Continuous possession. Possession must be uninterrupted for the full 10 years. Continuity does not require the claimant to be present every moment, but any significant gap or abandonment restarts the clock. Wyoming courts look to whether the use matches normal seasonal or agricultural patterns for land of that character. See Snell v. Ruppert, 582 P.2d 916 (Wyo. 1978).

Hostile possession. Hostile means the claimant holds the land without the owner's permission and under a claim of right. A tenant in lawful possession, a licensee, or anyone whose presence the owner has authorized cannot satisfy hostility. Hostility is a legal standard, not a requirement of ill will. Wyoming courts apply an objective test: the claimant must have acted as an owner would act, treating the land as their own. See Doenz v. Garber, 665 P.2d 932 (Wyo. 1983).

Tacking

A claimant may add together, or "tack," successive periods of adverse possession from prior occupants, provided there is privity of possession between the claimant and each predecessor. Tacking allows a squatter to combine their own period with that of a predecessor to reach the 10-year threshold.

How to Remove a Squatter in Wyoming

Step 1: Confirm the Occupant's Status

Before filing any legal action, determine whether the person is a trespasser, a holdover tenant, or a squatter with a colorable adverse possession claim. A person who entered with permission (a former tenant or guest) is a holdover and the FED process applies on different grounds. A person who entered without any permission and has been present for only a short time may be removable by law enforcement as a trespasser.

If the occupant has been present for an extended period without permission and claims ownership, treat the matter as a squatter situation and proceed through the courts.

Step 2: Serve the Three-Day Notice to Quit

Written notice is a statutory prerequisite in Wyoming, not an optional courtesy. Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 1-21-1003 requires the party who wants to commence a forcible entry and detainer action to notify the adverse party to leave the premises, and that notice must be served at least three days before the action is commenced. The requirement is unconditional and applies to every FED plaintiff, not only to landlords with a lease.

The squatter case sits squarely inside the FED chapter. Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 1-21-1002(a)(v) allows forcible entry and detainer proceedings where the defendant is a settler or occupier of lands or tenements, without color of title, to which the complainant has the right of possession. The three-day notice to quit therefore applies to a squatter exactly as it applies to a holdover tenant.

Serve the notice by leaving a written copy with the occupant, or at the occupant's usual place of abode or business if the occupant cannot be found. Retain proof of delivery. An owner who files before the three days have run risks dismissal of the action.

Step 3: File a Forcible Entry and Detainer Action

The primary legal tool for removing a squatter in Wyoming is the forcible entry and detainer action governed by Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 1-21-1001 et seq. FED cases in Wyoming are filed in circuit court. Circuit courts handle these summary proceedings, which move faster than ordinary civil actions.

Once the three-day notice period under § 1-21-1003 has run, the property owner submits a complaint to the circuit court in the county where the property is located, pays the filing fee, and serves the occupant with a summons. The circuit court schedules a hearing, typically within a short time after service. At the hearing, the judge determines who has the right to possession. If the court rules for the property owner, it issues a judgment for possession and, if necessary, a writ of restitution directing the sheriff to remove the occupant.

Step 4: Enforce the Writ of Restitution

Once the court issues a writ of restitution, the county sheriff carries out the removal. The property owner should not attempt a self-help eviction by changing locks, removing belongings, or cutting off utilities while the occupant is still present. Self-help eviction exposes the owner to civil liability in Wyoming.

No Expedited Anti-Squatter Law as of May 2026

As of May 2026, Wyoming has not enacted any expedited squatter-removal statute separate from the standard FED process. Several states passed anti-squatter bills in 2023 and 2024 creating fast-track administrative or law enforcement removal procedures, but Wyoming was not among them. Property owners in Wyoming must follow the standard FED court process.

When Law Enforcement Can Help

Sheriff or police involvement is appropriate when the occupant is clearly trespassing with no colorable claim to the property and no prior permission to be there. In those circumstances, a property owner can report a trespass under Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 6-3-303. However, if the occupant asserts any ownership or tenancy claim, law enforcement will typically decline to act and direct the owner to civil court.

Legal disclaimer: This page provides general legal information about Wyoming squatters rights and adverse possession law. It is not legal advice. Laws change, and every situation is different. If you face a squatter situation or wish to bring or defend an adverse possession claim in Wyoming, consult a licensed Wyoming real estate attorney.

Sources

• Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 1-3-103 (10-year limitation on actions to recover real property)
• Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 1-3-104 (10-year window runs from removal of a legal disability)
• Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 1-21-1001 et seq. (forcible entry and detainer)
• Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 1-21-1002(a)(v) (FED against a settler or occupier without color of title)
• Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 1-21-1003 (notice to quit premises required; 3 days before commencing the action)
• Sellers v. Claudson, 2024 WY 69, 550 P.3d 559 (Wyo. 2024) (shifting presumptions and burdens in adverse possession)
• Braunstein v. Robinson Family Ltd. Partnership LLP, 2010 WY 26, 226 P.3d 826 (Wyo. 2010) (presumption favoring the record title holder)
• Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 6-3-303 (trespass)
• Doenz v. Garber, 665 P.2d 932 (Wyo. 1983) (open and notorious; hostile possession elements)
• Snell v. Ruppert, 582 P.2d 916 (Wyo. 1978) (continuity of possession)

For state-by-state comparisons, visit the national squatters rights guide.

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