Are there any special requirements for adoption in Wyoming?

Wyoming's requirements at a glance

A few details behind that table:

• Who can file. A petition can come from a single adult, from a husband and wife who maintain their home together, or from either spouse when the other spouse is the child's parent (Wyo. Stat. § 1-22-104(b)). That last one is you: a stepparent filing with your spouse's support.
• No age gap. Wyoming's adoption statutes, found in Wyoming Statutes Title 1, Chapter 22, set no required age difference between you and your stepchild.
• No separate termination case. You don't file a stand-alone case to end the other parent's rights first. It is handled inside the adoption petition.
• Privacy. Adoption hearings are closed unless the court orders otherwise (Wyo. Stat. § 1-22-105).
• Filing fee. Your county clerk sets the court filing fee. Call the clerk's office to confirm the amount and ask whether the county has any local form requirements.

Consent: what actually happens with the other parent

Families often assume the other parent has to sign or the adoption is dead. That isn't how these cases go. Judges see stepparent adoptions every day, and many involve a parent who hasn't been part of the child's life for a long time.

The common situations look like this:

• The other parent stopped contact or support. Wyoming doesn't tie abandonment to a set number of months. The court looks at the parent's overall conduct (Wyo. Stat. § 1-22-110). A long stretch of no calls, no visits and no support tells that story.
• The other parent can't be found. You give notice by the methods the court allows, including publication when needed. These are routine steps, and we prepare those documents for you.
• The other parent has died. You file with a copy of the death certificate, and there is no one to get consent from.
• The other parent signs. Sometimes they agree, and that makes things smoother. It's welcome but not required for most families.

Courts like a child to have the security of active legal parents, and a stepparent who has been raising the child fits that picture. If the other parent actively shows up to fight the adoption in court, some families choose to add an attorney for that hearing.

Your stepchild's consent. If your stepchild is 14 or older, they must consent (Wyo. Stat. § 1-22-109). We build that consent form into your package. Younger children don't sign.

Your spouse's role. Your spouse is the child's legal parent and joins you in the case. You file as the adopting stepparent, and your spouse's parental rights stay exactly as they are.

How the process works in Wyoming

Here is the usual path from start to decree:

• Confirm you meet residency. You need 60 days of living in Wyoming immediately before you file. There is no longer waiting period and no required length of marriage in the Wyoming data we work from.
• Prepare the petition and supporting papers. This covers the petition, consents where they apply, notice to the other parent, and the proposed decree. The papers are formatted for your county's District Court.
• File with the clerk of the District Court. You file in the county where you live. Cheyenne, Casper, Laramie, Gillette and Rock Springs families all go through the same statewide process, each in their own county court.
• Notice goes to the other parent. If they're reachable, they're served. If they aren't, the court-approved alternative is used.
• No home study. Wyoming waives the investigation for stepparent adoptions (Wyo. Stat. § 1-22-111(a)(ii)). That removes a step that adds weeks in many states.
• Final hearing and decree. The judge reviews the case, usually in a short closed hearing, and signs the decree. Stepparent adoptions in Wyoming usually take 3-6 months from filing.

After the decree, you use it to update the child's records, including the birth certificate through Wyoming Vital Statistics Services.

Adopting an adult stepchild in Wyoming

Wyoming allows adult adoption, but the rules are narrower than for children. You can adopt an adult only if you were a stepparent, grandparent or other blood relative, foster parent or legal guardian who took part in raising that person when they were a child (Wyo. Stat. § 1-22-102(b)). If you raised your stepchild, you qualify.

• Adult's consent. The adult files a consent with the court (Wyo. Stat. § 1-22-102(b)). They are served with the petition and a summons. If they object, the petition is dismissed. If they consent, the petition shall be granted (Wyo. Stat. § 1-22-113).
• Where they live. The adult may live inside or outside Wyoming. You, the adopter, must have lived in Wyoming for the 60 days before filing (Wyo. Stat. § 1-22-103), and the court must find you fit and competent to be a parent.
• Parents' consent. No consent from the adult's biological parents is stated for adult adoption.
• Court and hearing. You file in District Court (Wyo. Stat. § 1-22-104(a)). A hearing isn't expressly required once the adult consents, and any hearing is closed unless the court orders otherwise (Wyo. Stat. § 1-22-105).
• Home study. The investigation provision is written for a child, so adult cases are not set up around one.
• Timeline. Adult adoptions usually take 4-8 weeks.

If your situation has an unusual wrinkle, call us at (855) 924-0450 and we'll tell you how we handle it.

Questions families ask next

Does the other parent still have to pay child support after the adoption? No. The other parent's duty to pay support going forward ends when the adoption is final, because their parental rights end. Whether past-due support can still be collected depends on Wyoming law.

How long does abandonment have to last? Wyoming sets no fixed number of months. The court looks at the parent's overall conduct (Wyo. Stat. § 1-22-110).

Can we do this without a lawyer? Yes. Many families file on their own with a complete, county-specific document package. We prepare it and support you through the decree.

Do we both have to live in Wyoming for 60 days? The residency requirement is for the adopting adult: you must have lived in Wyoming for the 60 days immediately before filing (Wyo. Stat. § 1-22-103).

Does my stepchild have to agree? Only if they are 14 or older (Wyo. Stat. § 1-22-109).

Getting started with us

StepParent Adoption 360 is a document preparation service, not a law firm. You answer questions online, and we prepare the complete court package for your county. You file it yourself, and we support you until the decree. The price is $349 for the first child (or for one adult adoptee) and $99 for each additional child. Court-ready documents arrive within 24-48 hours after you finish the questions, backed by our 100% court acceptance guarantee. We've helped 191 Wyoming families and more than 34,000 families nationally since 2001. Call (855) 924-0450 with any questions.