Wyoming Vital Records: Divorce

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The State of Wyoming did not begin to keep track of divorces until 1941. Prior to 1941, the county district court file was the only official record of a divorce. 

• County District Court Case Files: From organization of the county to present. In Wyoming, divorce case files are open public records, though there may be restrict or redacted documents within the file that may be pulled before the file can be viewed.

In some cases, the courts have transferred the actual files to the Wyoming State Archives but have retained the indexes. Contact the county's Clerk of District for a case number and to find the location of the actual file. 

• An individual can only file for a divorce in a county they have been a resident in for at least 60 days immediately preceding filing. If you do not find a divorce record where you expect it to be, check surrounding counties and the hometowns of parents and children  

Did the divorce happen UNDER 50 years ago? 

The state-issued certificate is not yet an open public record. Contact Wyoming Vital Statistics. Or contact the county's Clerk of District Court office for a case number. Depending upon the county, actual case files may still be with the court or have been transferred to the Wyoming State Archives (without the index).

Did the divorce happen OVER 50 years ago but after 1941? 

The certificate is an open public record. Contact or visit the Wyoming State Archives.

Are they available online?

Yes, we have partnered with Ancestry.com to make divorce certificates available through their platform, 1941-1971. Don't have an Ancestry.com account? Your local public library may have a subscription or you can contact the WSA directly.

State-issued Record of Divorce for Bong Lee and Rose Galvin Lee, married in Littleton, Colorado in 1945 and divorce in Laramie, Wyoming in 1951. Bong was Chinese and Rose was white. (Wyoming Vital Records divorce certificate #579, 1951)

A state-issued Record of Divorce or Divorce Certificate contains a synopsis of the court record, including:

• Names of the parties
• Place of filing for divorce and docket/case number 
• Date and place of marriage
• Which party was the plaintiff (who filed the petition for divorce)
• Date of filing of the Petition for Divorce
• Current residence of both parties
• Date Divorce was granted, to whom, and the cause or grounds for divorce
• Number of children affected by the decree

The certificate may also include:

• Race of both parties
• Age of both parties
• Number of previous marriages and divorces or spousal deaths
• Occupation of both parties

For more information on a divorce, or to find corroborating records, look for:

• Court appearance and filing announcements and legal notices in the local newspaper

• County District Court case file

Divorce certificates and the information they contain is very useful to identity thieves. To better protect Wyomingites, the Wyoming Department of Health has restricted these state-issued records for 50 years and require an application and proof of identity to view those created less than 50 years ago. After that time has passed, the certificates become open public records, available to anyone without an application.

Yes. Divorce certificates were created at the time of the divorce and the information was provided by the individuals themselves (1st hand account) through court records they filed.

Citations are an important part of documenting your search and add credibility (and reliability) to your research.

[Name of person], [year/certificate number], divorce certificate, Vital Statistics Unit, Wyoming Department of Health, [repository].

For Example:

Bong Lee and Rose Galvin Lee, #579/1951, divorce certificate, Vital Statistics Unit, Wyoming Department of Health, as on file at the Wyoming State Archives.