Wyoming small claims
How to fill out Wyoming's Small Claims Affidavit (SC-01)
Official form: SC-01 — Small Claims Affidavit · Walkthrough written against Form 1, Rules Governing Small Claims Cases — amended August 3, 2021, effective December 1, 2021
Download the official form — free, from the court
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Get the official SC-01 from the court's site →Link verified 2026-07-04. If it has moved, the court's forms index and clerk's office will have the current version — verify with the court before filing.
What this form is
Wyoming starts a small claims case with the Small Claims Affidavit — Form No. 1 in the appendix to the Rules and Forms Governing Small Claims Cases, commonly indexed as SC-01 — filed in circuit court. The rules adopt it, together with Form No. 2 (the Summons with Return), "for use in all circuit courts in processing small claims cases." Wyoming's small claims limit is $6,000.
It is a short sworn document: four numbered statements and a signature taken under oath before the clerk of court or a notary public. The same page carries a printed "Notice to Plaintiff and Defendant" telling both sides the case has been set for trial and that anyone appearing MUST bring the witnesses, papers, and evidence that prove their case or defend their position.
The surrounding rules are unusually plain-spoken and worth knowing because they shape the form: the filing fee is set by rule at ten dollars; no answer or responsive pleading is required from the defendant; strict rules of evidence don't apply at trial; and appeals to district court are limited to questions of law.
The form, field by field
What each part of the form asks for, in the form's own order. These are descriptions of the questions — what to answer depends on facts only you know, and the court clerk or the form's own instructions are the authoritative sources.
The caption
County / Circuit Court / Plaintiff / Defendant / Docket No.
Which county's circuit court, and both parties' names. Under the small claims venue rule (Rule 4, as amended effective December 1, 2021), a defendant may be sued in the county where the defendant has an address or where the cause of action — or some part of it — arose. The docket number is the court's.
The four numbered statements
1. "I, ___ (the Plaintiff) being duly sworn on oath, state the Defendant is justly indebted to me in the total sum of $___ and that said sum is due because:"
Your name, the total amount claimed (within the $6,000 limit), and lined space for the reasons the money is owed — the affidavit's core.
2. "Demand for payment has been made and refused."
Pre-printed text, not a blank — by signing the affidavit you swear that you asked the defendant for the money and were refused. It is Wyoming's built-in pre-suit demand statement.
3. "The Defendant's address and phone number are:"
The defendant's address and phone — this is where the sheriff serves the Summons and Small Claims Affidavit, so it needs to be a real, current location.
4. The judgment request
Pre-printed text requesting "judgment in the amount above stated, plus costs and such other amounts as I am legally and justly entitled." Costs ride on the request rather than being added into item 1's sum.
Signature and oath
Plaintiff's signature, address, phone — subscribed and sworn
You sign and add your address and phone number, and the "Subscribed and sworn to before me" block is completed — with seal — by the clerk of court or a notary public. Signing at the clerk's counter when filing takes care of the oath without a separate notary visit.
Notice to Plaintiff and Defendant
Printed text on the form notifying both parties that the case has been set for trial and that a party who chooses to appear MUST bring the witnesses, papers, and evidence that prove their case or defend their position.
Form No. 2 — the Summons with Return (companion form)
What the summons does
The Summons with Return is addressed to the county sheriff, commanding service of the summons and the Small Claims Affidavit on the defendant within stated dates, with the return of service filed afterward. Its defendant-facing text gives the trial date, time, and courtroom, asks the defendant to inform the court by phone or in person whether they intend to appear, and warns that judgment may be entered for the amount claimed if they don't. The court and sheriff complete it — it is described here so you know what travels with your affidavit.
Common reasons clerks reject this form
Clerks bounce filings for mechanical, fixable reasons. These are the patterns that come up with this particular form:
- ⚠An unsworn affidavit — the form requires signing under oath before the clerk of court or a notary, who completes the jurat block with seal; a merely signed copy is incomplete.
- ⚠Signing without having actually demanded payment — statement 2 ("Demand for payment has been made and refused") is pre-printed into what you swear to, so the demand has to have happened.
- ⚠Claiming more than $6,000 — that exceeds the small claims limit; larger claims use the circuit court's regular civil docket.
- ⚠A defendant address that can't be served — the sheriff serves the summons and affidavit at the address in statement 3.
- ⚠Filing in the wrong county — venue lies where the defendant has an address or where the cause of action (or part of it) arose.
- ⚠Reworking the form's structure — Form 1 is adopted by court rule for use in all circuit courts, and clerks expect the affidavit as the rules publish it.
What filing costs, and where it happens
Wyoming's small claims filing fee is set by court rule at $10 — Rule 3 of the Rules Governing Small Claims Cases says exactly that — making it one of the lowest in the country. Sheriff service of the Summons and Small Claims Affidavit costs extra, and the circuit court clerk can quote the service fee for your county. Verify the current totals with the clerk before filing.
You file with the clerk of the circuit court in the proper county, and filing in person lets the clerk administer the affidavit oath at the counter. The court issues the Summons with Return, the sheriff serves the defendant, and the case is set for trial — where, per the rules, no written answer is required of the defendant, strict evidence rules don't apply, and any appeal to district court is on questions of law only.
Published fees and court locations for your county are in our Wyoming small claims guide and the court directory. Fees change — verify the current amount with the clerk before filing.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I get Wyoming's Small Claims Affidavit?
From the Wyoming Judicial Branch website (wyocourts.gov) — the small claims page links the Rules and Forms Governing Small Claims Cases, which contain Form 1 (the affidavit) and Form 2 (the Summons with Return), free. Circuit court clerk offices also provide them.
How much can I sue for in Wyoming small claims?
Up to $6,000. Claims above that use the circuit court's regular civil procedure.
Does the affidavit need to be notarized?
It must be sworn — signed before the clerk of court or a notary public, who completes the subscribed-and-sworn block with a seal. Filing in person lets the clerk take the oath.
Does the defendant have to file an answer?
No — Rule 5 of the small claims rules says no answer or responsive pleading is required. The summons instead asks the defendant to tell the court whether they intend to appear, and warns that judgment may be entered for the amount claimed if they don't.
What does it cost to file?
$10 — the fee is fixed by Rule 3 of the Rules Governing Small Claims Cases — plus the sheriff's fee for serving the summons and affidavit. The circuit court clerk confirms the current service cost; verify before filing.
Related guides
Form link verified: 2026-07-04. Reviewed against our Editorial Standards.
This is general information to help you understand the form — not legal advice, and not a substitute for advice from a licensed attorney about your specific situation. Courts revise forms, fees, and procedures; the court's own instructions and your court clerk are the authoritative sources. Always verify with the court before filing.