Expungement and Record Clearing in Gillette, WY

What Is Expungement in Wyoming?

Under W.S. § 7-13-1401(j), expungement means your record in the state central repository is reclassified so it cannot be released to the public. The court file is also sealed.

Sealing, Not Destroying

• Public background checks no longer show the record. 
• The court file can only be accessed by order of the court. 
• Law enforcement and criminal justice agencies may still have access to it. 
• Old news articles and police investigation files are not deleted. 

Juvenile records work differently in Wyoming. When a juvenile record is expunged, it is permanently destroyed and not just sealed.

Who Can See a Sealed Record?

Once an order has been granted, private employers and landlords usually can’t see the record and you don’t usually have to disclose it. For expunged arrests, the statute allows you to answer questions as if the arrest never occurred. A few narrow exceptions exist, so talk to us before filing a law enforcement or licensing application.

What Wyoming Will and Will Not Expunge

Three Paths to a Cleaner Record

• Arrests and dismissals under § 7-13-1401, with no conviction.
• Misdemeanor convictions under § 7-13-1501, if no firearm was involved. You get one.
• Non-violent felony convictions under § 7-13-1502, if you don’t have any other felonies on your record. Also, you get one.

Offenses That Can Never Be Expunged

The felony statute lists offenses that are permanently ineligible, including:

• Violent felonies, such as murder, manslaughter, kidnapping, robbery, sexual assault, and aggravated assault.
• Sex offenses, including any offense that requires sex offender registration.
• Child abuse and sexual exploitation of children.
• Aggravated homicide by vehicle, drug-induced homicide, and other aggravated homicides.
• Felonies involving the use of firearms and weapons, including felony weapons offenses.
• Repeat domestic battery, bribery, and escape.

The Deferred Sentence Gap

If your case was dismissed after a deferral under W.S. § 7-13-301, you might assume that clearing it is easy. However, this is not the case. The arrest statute specifically excludes these cases, and the judicial branch says they do not qualify under the misdemeanor statute either. If this is your situation, please call us before filing anything.

The Expungement Petition Process in Campbell County

1. Pull your Wyoming criminal history. Request a report from the Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) to find out exactly what’s in their files and when each case was closed.
2. File a verified petition with the convicting court. The petition has been sworn and it will be heard by the court that originally heard your case.
3. Serve the right parties. The Campbell County Attorney must be served. For conviction petitions, DCI must also be served. The prosecutor then notifies any identifiable victims.
4. Wait out the objection window. The prosecutor has 20 days to object to an arrest petition, 30 days for a misdemeanor, and 90 days for felony. No order can be entered before that window closes.
5. Hearing and ruling. Without objection, the judge may grant a petition without hearing. If there is an objection, a hearing is set by the court to decide whether you are eligible and whether you pose a “substantial danger” to yourself, the victim, or society.

Firearm and Voting Rights After Expungement

State Firearm Rights

Since 2023, Wyoming has barred anyone with a felony conviction from owning firearms. Felony expungements under § 7-13-1502 restore the rights lost due to that conviction, including state firearm rights. Some non-violent first-time offenders can also regain these rights five years after their sentences end.

Federal Law Is a Separate Question

Federal law under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g) has its own rules, and the exact wording of your expungement order matters. Domestic violence convictions are the most common trap. Do not buy or possess a firearm after expungement until an attorney has reviewed your federal status.

Voting Rights

If your record has a single non-violent felony, Wyoming automatically restores your voting rights when you complete your sentence, and the Department of Corrections will issue a certificate. Felony expungements restore any rights that have been lost.