The man on my child's birth certificate is not the biological father — how does this affect adoption in Wyoming?

Short answer: When the man on your child's birth certificate is not the biological father, who must consent or be notified in a Wyoming stepparent adoption depends on the facts of your family. Confirm that point with the District Court clerk in your county or an attorney before you file. The rules below apply no matter whose name is on the certificate.

What stays the same in Wyoming:

• Court: The adoption petition is filed in District Court (Wyo. Stat. § 1-22-104(a)).
• Who may file: A spouse may file when the other spouse is the child's parent (Wyo. Stat. § 1-22-104(b)).
• Residency: The adopting parent must have lived in Wyoming for 60 days immediately before filing (Wyo. Stat. § 1-22-103).
• Child's consent: A child who is 14 has a consent role in the adoption (Wyo. Stat. § 1-22-109).
• Home study: It is waived in a stepparent adoption (Wyo. Stat. § 1-22-111(a)(ii)).
• Timeline: Stepparent adoptions in Wyoming typically take 3-6 months.

Where the birth certificate question gets fact-specific:

• Which father's rights matter: The data we rely on does not say how Wyoming treats a man named on the certificate who is not the biological father, or a biological father who is not named. An attorney or the clerk can tell you how the court would view each of them in your situation.
• Abandonment: If the other parent's rights are an issue because he is out of the child's life, Wyo. Stat. § 1-22-110 governs abandonment. Wyoming sets no fixed number of months. The question turns on the parent's overall conduct, so a single missed period of contact does not settle it.
• Unknown or contested situations: If the biological father is unknown, disputes the adoption, or has been involved with your child, get advice specific to your case. This is the point where a family law attorney is worth consulting.
• Fees and notice steps: The filing fee and any notice requirements for a particular person are best confirmed with the District Court clerk in your county.

Practical steps:

• Gather the child's current birth certificate and note exactly who is named on it.
• Write down what you know about the biological father: whether he has ever been in contact, and whether any court has addressed paternity.
• Call the District Court clerk in your county with those facts and ask what the court needs for your situation.
• Questions about the birth certificate record itself can go to Wyoming Vital Statistics Services.

None of this means your adoption can't go forward. It means the answer for your family depends on details, and getting those confirmed early avoids delays later.

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 Wyoming county. You then file it yourself without an attorney. The cost is $349 for the first child and $99 for each additional child. Court-ready documents are delivered within 24-48 hours after you finish the questions, backed by our 100% court acceptance guarantee. We have helped 191 Wyoming families, and more than 34,000 families nationally since 2001.