How old do you have to be to adopt in Wyoming?

In Wyoming, you must be an adult to adopt. The law says "any adult person" may adopt (Wyo. Stat. § 1-22-103), and adulthood means 18. The statutes don't set any higher minimum age for a stepparent.

Who can file. Under Wyo. Stat. § 1-22-104(b), a petition may be filed by:

• any single adult,
• a husband and wife together, if they maintain their home together, or
• either spouse, if the other spouse is the child's parent. This last one is the usual route for a stepparent adoption.

Age difference between you and the child. The adoption statutes in Wyoming Statutes Title 1, Chapter 22 do not list a required age gap. If you have a question about a particular age difference, the District Court clerk in your county or an attorney can confirm how it applies to you.

Other requirements that go with age.

• Residency: You must have lived in Wyoming for 60 days immediately before filing (Wyo. Stat. § 1-22-103). The court must also find you fit and competent to be a parent.
• Child's consent: Wyoming sets the child's consent age at 14 (Wyo. Stat. § 1-22-109). Whether a child's age affects your case is something the clerk can confirm.
• Home study: In a stepparent adoption, the home study is waived (Wyo. Stat. § 1-22-111(a)(ii)).
• Abandonment: If you are relying on abandonment by the other parent, Wyoming has no fixed number of months. It depends on the parent's overall conduct (Wyo. Stat. § 1-22-110). Because that turns on the facts, an attorney can advise on your situation.

Adopting an adult. Wyoming allows adult adoption, but only in limited situations. You must have been a stepparent, grandparent or other blood relative, foster parent, or legal guardian who took part in raising the person when they were a child (Wyo. Stat. § 1-22-102(b)). The adult being adopted files a consent with the court and may live inside or outside Wyoming. If the adult objects, the petition is dismissed. If the adult consents, the petition "shall be granted" (Wyo. Stat. § 1-22-113). The same 60-day residency requirement applies to you as the adopter.

Where and how long. Adoption petitions are filed in the District Court (Wyo. Stat. § 1-22-104(a)). Wyoming has 23 counties, including Cheyenne, Casper, Laramie, Gillette and Rock Springs. A stepparent adoption typically takes 3-6 months, and an adult adoption 4-8 weeks. For filing fees and local procedures, ask the District Court clerk in your county.

How we help. StepParent Adoption 360 is a document preparation service, not a law firm. You answer questions online, and we prepare the complete court document package for your county. You then file it yourself without an attorney. Court-ready documents are delivered within 24-48 hours after you finish the questions. The price is $349 for the first child (or one adult adoptee) and $99 for each additional child, and our 100% court acceptance guarantee applies. We have helped 191 Wyoming families, and 34,000+ families nationally since 2001.