US state guide
This guide is general information about the law in Wyoming, checked against the sources listed below on November 1, 2026. It is not legal advice. Laws change and every case is different: for advice on your situation, speak to a licensed attorney in Wyoming.
01Defamation law in Wyoming
Where the law comes from
Wyoming has no comprehensive defamation statute. The main rules come from court decisions, including Wyoming Supreme Court rulings on defamation claims, and from Article 1, Section 20 of the state constitution, which protects free speech while holding people responsible for abusing it. A short chapter of the Wyoming Statutes on libel and slander adds rules on broadcaster liability and privileged reports of public proceedings.
Sources1Wyo. Const. art. 1, § 202Wyo. Stat. §§ 1-29-101 to 1-29-1063Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, Anti-SLAPP Legal Guide: Wyoming
Is defamation a crime?
Wyoming's criminal code contains no criminal libel or defamation offense, and it abolishes common-law crimes, so conduct is a crime only if a statute describes it. Defamation disputes are therefore handled as civil lawsuits, although harassing conduct can still fall under separate crimes such as stalking.
Source4Wyo. Stat. § 6-1-102(a)
Statute of limitations
A lawsuit for libel or slander must be brought within one year after the cause of action accrues. Under a separate rule, a pending libel or slander lawsuit ends if either party dies.
Defamation per se
Wyoming recognizes defamation per se. In Hill v. Stubson (2018), the Wyoming Supreme Court upheld the dismissal of a defamation per se claim because the complaint did not allege that the statements accused the plaintiff of conduct involving moral turpitude or conduct for which she could be imprisoned.
Anti-SLAPP protection
Wyoming does not have an anti-SLAPP law. People sued over their speech must rely on ordinary court procedures, such as motions to dismiss or for summary judgment.
Sources3Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, Anti-SLAPP Legal Guide: Wyoming2Wyo. Stat. Title 1, Code of Civil Procedure (no anti-SLAPP provision)
Retraction and correction
Wyoming's libel and slander statutes do not set out a general retraction or correction procedure. One narrower rule applies to reports of court cases: a fair and impartial report of an indictment, warrant, arrest or court filing loses its privilege if it was published maliciously, if the publisher failed to run the plaintiff's reasonable written explanation or contradiction in the same manner, or if the publisher refused the plaintiff's request to publish the later outcome of the case.
Source2Wyo. Stat. § 1-29-105
Defenses and public figures
Under the Wyoming Constitution, truth published with good intent and for justifiable ends is a sufficient defense in libel cases. By statute, fair and impartial reports of legislative, executive and court proceedings are privileged unless published maliciously, and broadcasters are not liable for defamatory statements made by others on air unless they failed to use due care (or at all, for statements by political candidates). The Wyoming Supreme Court has required public figures to prove actual malice, as in Davis v. Big Horn Basin Newspapers (1994), and has treated some challenged statements as protected opinion rather than statements of fact.
Sources1Wyo. Const. art. 1, § 202Wyo. Stat. §§ 1-29-101, 1-29-102, 1-29-104, 1-29-1053Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, Anti-SLAPP Legal Guide: Wyoming (discussing Dworkin v. L.F.P., Inc., 839 P.2d 903 (Wyo. 1992), and Davis v. Big Horn Basin Newspapers, Inc., 884 P.2d 979 (Wyo. 1994))
02Online harassment, cyberstalking and doxxing in Wyoming
Cyberstalking
Wyoming's stalking law covers a course of conduct meant to harass a specific person, including communicating with them by electronic or written means in a harassing way and using electronic, digital or GPS devices to surveil them or their internet or wireless activity without permission. Stalking is a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail, and it becomes a felony punishable by up to ten years in situations such as a repeat conviction within five years, violation of a protection order or stalking of a minor by an adult. The offense can be treated as committed in Wyoming when a harassing communication is received by a victim in the state.
Source4Wyo. Stat. § 6-2-506
Online harassment
Harassing someone through repeated electronic messages, threats or lewd images can be prosecuted under the stalking statute when it forms a course of conduct likely to cause a reasonable person substantial emotional distress or fear. Wyoming separately makes it a misdemeanor to knowingly impersonate another person online without consent, including through an email account or profile in their name, in order to cause harm, harass someone or deceptively contact others, and a person harmed can also sue for damages and an injunction.
Sources4Wyo. Stat. § 6-2-506(a)(ii), (b)(i)4Wyo. Stat. § 6-3-902
Intimate images shared without consent
An adult who shares an intimate image of another person, including by posting it on social media, commits a misdemeanor if they knew or should have known the person expected it to stay private and did not expressly consent, and they intended to humiliate, harm, harass, threaten or coerce, or acted for sexual gratification; the penalty is up to one year in jail, a fine of up to $5,000, or both. Distributing realistic AI-generated or digitally altered sexual material of an identifiable person without consent, or threatening to do so to get a benefit, is a separate felony.
03How to remove defamatory content in Wyoming
How to remove defamatory content in Wyoming
A lawsuit is one route, but it is slow, costly and public. Much harmful content can come down sooner through the platform’s own reporting process, a legal notice to the site owner or host, or a removal request to search engines. The right route depends on where the content lives and on the law that applies to it.
Media Removal reviews each case and recommends the fastest route that fits it. Removal always depends on each platform and, where relevant, the courts.
04Frequently asked questions about defamation in Wyoming
How long do you have to sue for defamation in Wyoming?
Generally one year for both libel and slander, counted from when the claim accrues. A pending libel or slander lawsuit also ends if either party dies.
Is defamation a crime in Wyoming?
No. Wyoming's criminal code has no criminal defamation offense and abolishes common-law crimes, so defamation is handled through civil lawsuits.
Is truth a defense to defamation in Wyoming?
Yes. The Wyoming Constitution makes truth, published with good intent and for justifiable ends, a sufficient defense in libel cases.
Does Wyoming have an anti-SLAPP law?
No. Wyoming has no anti-SLAPP statute, so people sued over their speech rely on ordinary procedures such as motions to dismiss or for summary judgment.
Is it illegal to share intimate images without consent in Wyoming?
Yes, in many cases. An adult who shares an intimate image of someone who reasonably expected it to stay private, without that person's express consent and with intent to harm, harass or for sexual gratification, commits a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail, a fine of up to $5,000, or both.
