Rule 83.Rules by courts of record; judge's directives
Group X: General Provisions · Last amended March 1, 2017 · Last verified July 14, 2026
In one sentenceRule 83 authorizes district court conferences to adopt uniform local rules, subject to Supreme Court approval, and limits how those local requirements can be enforced against parties who were not on notice of them.
(1)In General. — A court conference, acting by a majority of the judges of the conference and approval by the Supreme Court, may adopt and amend uniform rules governing its practice. A uniform rule must be consistent with — but not duplicate — Wyoming statutes and rules. A uniform rule takes effect on the date specified by the Supreme Court and remains in effect unless amended by the court. Approved uniform rules shall be published in the Wyoming Court Rules volume.
(2)No court may establish rules of procedure applicable only in that court.
(3)Requirement of Form. — A uniform rule imposing a requirement of form must not be enforced in a way that causes a party to lose any right because of a nonwillful failure to comply.
(b)Procedure When There is No Controlling Law. — A judge may regulate practice in any manner consistent with state law, rules, and the uniform rules. No sanction or other disadvantage may be imposed for noncompliance with any requirement not in state law, state rules, or the uniform rules unless the alleged violator has been furnished in the particular case with actual notice of the requirement.
Amendment History
Added February 2, 2017, effective March 1, 2017.
Plain-English Summary
Courts often need rules to manage their own dockets — filing formats, scheduling practices, and the like — that supplement the statewide civil procedure rules without duplicating them. Rule 83 gives a court conference, acting by majority vote and with Supreme Court approval, the power to adopt and amend these uniform rules. Any such rule must be consistent with existing statutes and rules, takes effect on a date the Supreme Court sets, and gets published in the Wyoming Court Rules volume so it is publicly accessible. No individual court may adopt procedural rules that apply only to itself.
Rule 83 also protects litigants from being blindsided by local formatting requirements or unwritten practices. A uniform rule about form cannot be enforced so strictly that a party loses a right merely by failing to comply through no fault of their own. And when a judge handles a matter not addressed by any state law, state rule, or uniform rule, the judge may regulate practice consistently with those sources — but cannot penalize a party for failing to follow a requirement the party was never told about.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can create a uniform local rule under Rule 83?
A court conference, acting by majority vote of its judges, with the Supreme Court's approval. A single court cannot adopt procedural rules that apply only to itself.
Can a local rule contradict a statewide civil procedure rule?
No. A uniform rule must be consistent with Wyoming statutes and rules, and it cannot duplicate them either — it is meant to fill gaps, not compete with existing law.
Can I lose my case just because I didn't follow a local formatting rule?
Rule 83 says a uniform rule imposing a requirement of form cannot be enforced in a way that causes a party to lose a right because of a nonwillful failure to comply. Honest mistakes about form should not be case-ending.
What happens when a situation isn't covered by any rule at all?
A judge may regulate practice in a manner consistent with state law, the statewide rules, and any applicable uniform rules — but cannot sanction a party for violating an unwritten requirement unless that party had notice of it in the specific case.
Where can I find a court's uniform rules?
Approved uniform rules are published in the Wyoming Court Rules volume, making them available to anyone who needs to know a particular court's local practices.
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
Also known as:uniform rules of courtlocal court rules Wyomingjudge discretion no controlling rulecourt conference rulemakinglocal rule notice requirement