Wyoming earns a D- for its civil forfeiture laws
Standard of Proof
Somewhat higher bar to forfeit: Prosecutors must provide clear and convincing evidence that property is connected to a crime.
Innocent Owner Burden
Poor protections for the innocent: Third-party owners must prove their own innocence to recover seized property.
Financial Incentive
Large profit incentive: Up to 100% of forfeiture proceeds go to law enforcement.
The letter grade reflects Wyoming’s forfeiture laws as of May 7, 2025. When we become aware of relevant reforms, we are updating the standard of proof, innocent owner burden, and financial incentive language above, but we are not updating the letter grade.
Note: Prosecutors need only meet their standard of proof—and owners can only prove their innocence—if owners make it to a judicial hearing. See flow chart.
Recent Reforms
Recommendations
What happens after personal property is seized in Wyoming?
Under Wyoming law, prosecutors’ and owners’ deadlines leading to a judicial hearing add up to 230 days, but the wait may be longer as there is no deadline for the hearing itself. While you wait, the government has your property, and you have no way to seek its return.
*If there are related criminal proceedings, prosecutors have 30 days from their conclusion to file a complaint.
For research methods and limitations, see “How We Documented Civil Forfeiture Processes From Seizure to Hearing.”
State and Federal Forfeiture Proceeds, 2000–2023
At least $14 million in state and federal forfeiture revenue
| Year | Wyoming Forfeiture Revenues | Dept. of Justice Equitable Sharing Proceeds | Treasury Equitable Sharing Proceeds | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | $122,385 | $0 | $0 | $122,385 |
| 2001 | $163,313 | $38,604 | $8,000 | $209,917 |
| 2002 | $681,761 | $715 | $228,000 | $910,476 |
| 2003 | $892,274 | $10,881 | $6,000 | $909,155 |
| 2004 | $705,927 | $18,250 | $43,000 | $767,177 |
| 2005 | $391,406 | $119,916 | $0 | $511,322 |
| 2006 | $500,956 | $260,660 | $0 | $761,616 |
| 2007 | $333,790 | $66,348 | $0 | $400,138 |
| 2008 | $383,596 | $113,176 | $0 | $496,772 |
| 2009 | $460,814 | $211,416 | $17,000 | $689,230 |
| 2010 | $242,631 | $211,769 | $270,000 | $724,400 |
| 2011 | $429,004 | $250,286 | $68,000 | $747,290 |
| 2012 | $296,879 | $47,619 | $0 | $344,498 |
| 2013 | $393,048 | $38,653 | $12,000 | $443,701 |
| 2014 | $301,392 | $28,429 | $10,000 | $339,821 |
| 2015 | $360,852 | $46,657 | $0 | $407,509 |
| 2016 | $902,866 | $150,044 | $48,000 | $1,100,910 |
| 2017 | $1,157,090 | $68,302 | $0 | $1,225,392 |
| 2018 | $147,522 | $36,097 | $194,000 | $377,619 |
| 2019 | $836,041 | $55,612 | $153,000 | $1,044,653 |
| 2020 | $473,106 | $105,726 | $38,000 | $616,832 |
| 2021 | $588,455 | $33,090 | $16,000 | $637,545 |
| 2022 | $492,461 | $33,604 | $57,000 | $583,065 |
| 2023 | $252,744 | $48,899 | $38,000 | $339,643 |
| Totals | $11,510,313 | $1,994,753 | $1,206,000 | $14,711,066 |
All revenue figures include both civil and criminal forfeitures. Revenues are not adjusted for inflation.
Federal Equitable Sharing
Wyoming does not prevent state and local law enforcement agencies from using the federal equitable sharing program to circumvent state forfeiture law. Since 2000, Wyoming agencies have generated more than $3.2 million in equitable sharing proceeds from the departments of Justice and the Treasury. And on average from 2019 to 2023, more than 17 Wyoming agencies, or an estimated 24% of all law enforcement agencies in the state, were certified for the program.
Forfeitures Under Wyoming Law: Key Facts
Median Value
$2,573
From 2019 to 2023, half of Wyoming’s currency forfeitures were less than $2,573.
Property Types
From 2019 to 2023, more than half of Wyoming’s forfeitures were of currency.
Proceeding Types
UNKNOWN
Wyoming does not report whether forfeitures are processed under civil or criminal forfeiture law.
Median Time to Return
8 months
From 2019 to 2023, when owners got their property back in Wyoming, it typically took almost eight months, though one-quarter of returns took at least 11 months.
Forfeiture Transparency and Accountability Report Card
Tracking Seized Property
CStatewide Forfeiture Reports
BPenalties for Failure to File a Report
FAccounting for Forfeiture Fund Spending
AAccessibility of Forfeiture Records
DFinancial Audits of Forfeiture Accounts
FFor full transparency and accountability grades, visit ij.org/TransparencyReportCards.
Data Notes
Statewide forfeiture reports with property-level data were obtained via public records requests to the state attorney general. Revenues for 2019–2023 represent the value of forfeited currency and property based on the calendar year in which the forfeiture case was initiated. Revenues for earlier years may not include forfeited property that was retained rather than sold but otherwise use the same methodology. Equitable sharing data are from DOJ’s and Treasury’s annual forfeiture reports. Due to differences in reporting and accounting practices, figures may not match aggregate numbers produced by the state or cover the same 12-month period as the federal data. The number of certified agencies was computed using the approved Equitable Sharing Agreement and Certification requests submitted by police, sheriff, and other local law enforcement agencies. The percentage of certified agencies was computed using that number and the total number of agencies reported in the 2018 Census of State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies.
Legal Sources
Standard of proof: Clear and convincing evidence.
Wyo. Stat. Ann § 35-7-1049(k).
Innocent owner burden: Owner.
Wyo. Stat. Ann. §§ 35-7-1049(m), -1050.
Financial incentive: Up to 100%.
Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 35-7-1049(r)(i)–(vi).
Process: Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 35-7-1049 (forfeiture procedure); Wyo. R. Civ. P. 4(w) (service of complaint), 12(a)(1)(A) (time to answer), 55 (default judgment).