State guide
Wyoming
Wyoming has both police-tagged abandonment rules for highways and a separate 30-day private-property abandonment process that lets the landholder sell the vehicle. WYDOT’s abandoned-vehicle page and MV-220 form also tie together the abandoned, storage/mechanic lien, and bonded-title pathways.
Checked against official sources on October 4, 2026. Rules and links change; confirm with the office listed before you act.
Try a ZIP like 30303, “Travis County” or “Columbus, OH”
- When a vehicle counts as abandoned
- Under Wyoming Statutes 31-13-101, an abandoned vehicle includes one left on a highway more than 24 hours after a police notice of intent to impound, one left on public or private property more than five days after police notice, or one left on private property more than 30 days without consent.
- Removing one from private property
- Under Wyoming Statutes 31-13-109 and WYDOT’s abandoned-vehicle instructions, the owner or person in lawful control of private property may sell a vehicle left without consent for more than 30 days after reporting it to the department, notifying the sheriff, owner, and lienholders, and publishing notice.
- Getting title to an abandoned vehicle
- WYDOT directs the property owner or lawful possessor to use MV-220 for the title and lien search, send sale notices, publish notice, obtain the sheriff’s certificate of sale after compliance, and then use that paperwork for title; MV-220 also identifies bonded and storage/mechanic lien paths.
- State agency
- Wyoming Department of Transportation, Motor Vehicle Services
- Official forms or instructions
- Official page →
Official resources in Wyoming
WYDOT Abandoned Vehicles
Official WYDOT instructions for private-property abandoned vehicles, notices, sale, and sheriff certificate of sale.
WYDOT Title Search
Official page explaining title and registration searches used to identify owners and lienholders.
MV-220 Abandoned vehicle identification request / vehicle record release
Official WYDOT form used for abandoned-vehicle title searches and related title situations.
Wyoming Statutes Title 31 PDF
Official statutes PDF containing the abandoned-vehicle definitions and private-property sale procedure.
Key facts for Wyoming
- Wyoming Statutes 31-13-101: highway abandonment starts 24 hours after a police notice of intent to impound.
- Wyoming Statutes 31-13-101: public or private property abandonment starts after five days once police place notice.
- Wyoming Statutes 31-13-101 and 31-13-109: private-property sale cases use a separate 30-day without-consent rule.
- WYDOT says private-property owners must request a title and lien search before seeking ownership rights.
- WYDOT says notice of sale goes to the owner, lienholder, and county sheriff at least 10 days before sale.
- WYDOT says notice must also be published once per week for two consecutive weeks in a county newspaper.
City abandoned-vehicle reporting in Wyoming
| City | city | phone | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| City of Cheyenne Code Enforcement Laramie | Cheyenne | Not published* | City office for private-property non-compliant vehicles and nuisance complaints. |
| Cheyenne Police Department non-emergency dispatch Laramie | Cheyenne | Not published* | City contact for on-street vehicles, oversized vehicles and trailers, and parking-related calls. |
| City of Laramie RequestTracker Albany | Laramie | Not published* | City page says Police Department requests should go to non-emergency Dispatch, including police-related complaints. |
| City of Gillette Code Compliance Division Campbell | Gillette | Not published* | City office handling unlicensed, inoperable, wrecked, or junked vehicles on private property and taking complaints. |
* Not published: the official page doesn't list it. Call the office to confirm before you rely on it.
What to do next
- Record the exact date you learned the vehicle was left without consent, because Wyoming’s 30-day private-property period runs from that knowledge date.
- Request the WYDOT title and lien search before scheduling any sale, and keep copies of certified-mail receipts and publication proof.
- If you bought the vehicle without clear title, review the bonded-title box on MV-220 instead of the abandoned-vehicle box.
Not seeing your city or county?
Not every city publishes its rules online. Try these, in order:
- General Start with the statewide information above.
- Closest verified Nearest places where we have verified local data outside this state (distance from Wyoming's population center, for comparison only):
- Rapid City Police Department, South Dakota · about 210 miles
- Rapid City Code Enforcement, South Dakota · about 210 miles
- Crime Prevention Center, Montana · about 222 miles
- Call to confirm Ask the official office.WYDOT Abandoned Vehicles
Website →Phone: (307) 777-4709 (as listed on that page, checked Oct 4, 2026)Your city or county office: Wyoming County Commissioners Association →Not sure who handles it locally? USAGov's free help line, 1-844-872-4681, or the Wyoming page on USA.gov can point you to the right office. - Know the current info? Tell us with a link to the official page.