Rule 34.Producing documents, electronically stored information, and tangible things, or entering onto land for inspection and other purposes
Group V: Depositions and Discovery · Last amended March 1, 2017 · Last verified July 14, 2026
In one sentenceRule 34 lets a party request that another party produce documents, electronically stored information, or tangible things for inspection, or allow entry onto land for inspection and testing, and sets the deadlines and procedures for responding.
(a)In General. — A party may serve on any other party a request within the scope of Rule 26(b):
(1)to produce and permit the requesting party or its representative to inspect, copy, test, or sample the following items in the responding party’s possession, custody, or control:
(A)any designated documents or electronically stored informationincluding writings, drawings, graphs, charts, photographs, sound recordings, images, and other data or data compilations-stored in any medium from which information can be obtained either directly or, if necessary, after translation by the responding party into a reasonably usable form; or
(B)any designated tangible things; or
(2)to permit entry onto designated land or other property possessed or controlled by the responding party, so that the requesting party may inspect, measure, survey, photograph, test, or sample the property or any designated object or operation on it.
(A)must describe with reasonable particularity each item or category of items to be inspected;
(B)must specify a reasonable time, place, and manner for the inspection and for performing the related acts; and
(C)may specify the form or forms in which electronically stored information is to be produced.
(2)Responses and Objections. —
(A)Time to Respond. — The party to whom the request is directed must respond in writing within 30 days after being served. A shorter or longer time may be stipulated to under Rule 29 or be ordered by the court.
(B)Responding to Each Item. — For each item or category, the response must either state that inspection and related activities will be permitted as requested or state with specificity the grounds for objecting to the request, including the reasons. The responding party may state that it will produce copies of documents or of electronically stored information instead of permitting inspection. The production must then be completed no later than the time for inspection specified in the request or another reasonable time specified in the response.
(C)Objections. — An objection must state whether any responsive materials are being withheld on the basis of that objection. An objection to part of a request must specify the part and permit inspection of the rest.
(D)Responding to a Request for Production of Electronically Stored Information. — The response may state an objection to a requested form for producing electronically stored information. If the responding party objects to a requested form — or if no form was specified in the request — the party must state the form or forms it intends to use.
(E)Producing the Documents or Electronically Stored Information. — Unless otherwise stipulated or ordered by the court, these procedures apply to producing documents or electronically stored information:
(i)A party must produce documents as they are kept in the usual course of business or must organize and label them to correspond to the categories in the request;
(ii)If a request does not specify a form for producing electronically stored information, a party must produce it in a form or forms in which it is ordinarily maintained or in a reasonably usable form or forms; and
(iii)A party need not produce the same electronically stored information in more than one form.
(c)Nonparties. — As provided in Rule 45, a nonparty may be compelled to produce documents and tangible things or to permit an inspection.
Amendment History
Added February 2, 2017, effective March 1, 2017.
Plain-English Summary
Rule 34 covers two related kinds of requests, both limited to matters within the scope of discovery defined by Rule 26(b). The first lets a party ask another to produce documents or electronically stored information -- writings, photographs, sound recordings, data compilations, anything storing information in some retrievable form -- or tangible things, so the requesting party can inspect, copy, test, or sample them. The second lets a party ask to enter land or other property the responding party possesses or controls, in order to inspect, measure, survey, photograph, test, or sample the property or something on it. Either kind of request has to describe what is being sought with reasonable particularity, propose a reasonable time, place, and manner for the inspection, and may specify the form electronically stored information should take when it is produced.
The responding party has 30 days to answer in writing, absent a different schedule agreed to under Rule 29 or set by the court, and has to address each requested item or category individually -- either agreeing to permit what was asked or stating the specific grounds for objecting, including whether anything responsive is being withheld on that basis. A party can offer to produce copies rather than allow an inspection, and once it does, the production has to happen by the time specified in the request or another reasonable time stated in the response. Objections have to be narrowed to the part of a request they apply to, leaving the rest of the request open to inspection. For electronically stored information, if the requesting party did not specify a form, or the responding party objects to the form requested, the responding party has to say what form or forms it intends to use instead. Absent a different agreement or order, documents get produced either as they are kept in the ordinary course of business or organized and labeled to match the categories in the request, and a party need not produce the same electronically stored information in more than one form. Rule 34(c) reminds parties that a nonparty is not reached by this rule directly -- getting documents or an inspection from someone outside the case requires a subpoena under Rule 45.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a request for production under Wyoming procedure?
A request for production, sometimes called an RFP, is a written discovery device under Rule 34 asking another party to produce documents, electronically stored information, or tangible things for inspection, copying, testing, or sampling, or to allow entry onto land the party possesses or controls.
How long does a party have to respond to document requests?
Rule 34(b)(2)(A) gives the responding party 30 days after being served to respond in writing, unless the parties agree to a different time under Rule 29 or the court orders otherwise.
Can I request entry onto someone's property to inspect it?
Yes. Rule 34(a)(2) allows a party to request entry onto land or other property possessed or controlled by another party, in order to inspect, measure, survey, photograph, test, or sample the property or an object or operation on it.
What form does electronically stored information have to be produced in?
If the request specifies a form, the responding party generally must produce the information that way unless it objects and proposes an alternative. If no form was specified, Rule 34(b)(2)(E)(ii) requires production in the form the information is ordinarily maintained in, or in a reasonably usable form, and the same information does not need to be produced in more than one form.
Can I get documents from someone who is not a party to my lawsuit?
Not directly through Rule 34. Rule 34(c) makes clear that reaching a nonparty for documents or an inspection requires a subpoena issued under Rule 45.
Source & verification. Rule text and amendment history are
reproduced verbatim from the Wyoming Rules of Civil Procedure, adopted by the
Supreme Court of Wyoming. Last verified July 14, 2026. ·
Official source
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