The Wyoming motion to dismiss: twenty days to answer, fourteen after a denial
Wyoming procedure · Last verified August 17, 2026
Wyoming adopted the restyled federal rule with one number changed. The answer period is 20 days, not 21.
That single day catches practitioners working from a federal calendar, and there is no grace for it.
The deadlines
| Event | Time |
|---|---|
| Answer a complaint | 20 days from service |
| After a denied motion, or a deferral to trial | 14 days from notice |
The seven defenses
Wyo. R. Civ. P. 12(b):
But a party may assert the following defenses by motion: (1) lack of subject-matter jurisdiction; (2) lack of personal jurisdiction; (3) improper venue; (4) insufficient process; (5) insufficient service of process; (6) failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted; and
The federal seven, in the federal order and the restyled wording, with venue at (3).
Where this connects
Wyoming's default rules give a broader list of representatives for a minor or incompetent person than most — including a trustee — and its Rule 60(d)(2) preserves relief "as provided by statute" outside the one-year limit. See setting aside a Wyoming default judgment.
For the answer itself, see responding to a Wyoming complaint.
How Wyoming compares
| Wyoming | Montana | Idaho | Federal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time to answer | 20 days | 21 days | 21 days | 21 days |
| After a denied motion | 14 days | 14 days | 14 days | 14 days |
| Enumerated grounds | seven | seven | eight | seven |
| Venue inside the rule | yes | yes | yes | yes |
A short checklist
- Diarise 20 days, not 21.
- Move before you plead if a further pleading is permitted.
- Put every available ground in one motion. Joining waives nothing.
- Include venue — Wyoming keeps it inside Rule 12.
- Plan for 14 days to answer if the motion is denied.
- Watch for conversion if you attach material outside the pleadings.
Where these rules live
- Wyo. R. Civ. P. 8 — General Rules of Pleading
- Wyo. R. Civ. P. 12 — When and how presented
- Wyo. R. Civ. P. 15 — Amended and Supplemental Pleadings
- Wyo. R. Civ. P. 56 — Summary Judgment
This page explains what the rules say. It isn't legal advice, and the standard for dismissal under Rule 12(b)(6) is developed in case law this site doesn't cover.