Wyoming Payment Bond Claim — The 60-Day First-Furnishing Notice to the General Contractor, the Jobsite Sign Rule and the Missing Suit Deadline (Wyo. Stat. § 16-6-121, 2026)
✓ Verified against Wyoming statutes · Reviewed October 2026 · By Michael Evan — Founder · 50 states · 799 rules
Wyoming mechanics lien deadlines at a glance
Preliminary Notice
None — N/A
Mechanics Lien
120 days — From last date of furnishing
Enforcement
180 days — From filing
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Why Wyoming Public Work Runs on a Bond, Not a Lien
On a private Wyoming job, an unpaid contractor files a lien statement within 150 days, and everyone else within 120 days, after the earlier of last furnishing or substantial completion under Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 29-2-106. The notice in the Wyoming notice of right to lien guide comes first. A Cheyenne school, a University of Wyoming building in Laramie, a WYDOT bridge on I-80 or a Casper water plant is different. Public property is not sold to satisfy a contractor’s debts, so the claimant’s protection is the bond the public entity required. Wyoming’s rules sit in Title 16, chapter 6, article 1. Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 16-6-112 requires the bond, § 16-6-113 gives claimants a right of action, and § 16-6-121 sets the notice. Wyoming does not use the federal model of a 90-day notice after the last delivery and a one-year suit. Its notice comes at the start of the job, it applies to every tier , and the statute has no deadline to sue . The Mechanics Lien Management Method treats a Wyoming public job as a day-one file . The deadline that matters most is set by your first delivery or first day of work, before anyone knows whether the job will pay.
The Bond: 100% of the Contract Price Over $150,000
Under Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 16-6-112(a), any contract with a public entity for a public work where the contract price exceeds $150,000 must require the contractor, before beginning work , to furnish a bond. The bond is for the use and benefit of anyone performing work or labor or furnishing materials or goods used in the work. It is conditioned on performance, compliance with the law, and payment as due of all just claims for labor and materials. It must be in an amount not less than 100% of the contract price , and it is approved by and filed with the public entity’s appropriate officer or governing body. At $150,000 or less , the entity may instead require any other form of guarantee it approves, in an amount it fixes. Under § 16-6-112(b), a bond or guarantee the entity accepts carries these payment obligations even if they are not written into it. Many older summaries say the Wyoming bond kicks in above $7,500 or $50,000. The statute in force today says $150,000 , and the § 16-6-121 notice rule uses the same threshold.
The 60-Day Notice of Right to Bond Protection
Section 16-6-121(a) says any subcontractor or materialman entitled to bond protection shall give notice of its right to that protection to the general contractor . Under (b), the notice is due no later than 60 days after the date on which services or materials are first furnished . Under (e), the section applies only where the general contractor’s contract exceeds $150,000. Under § 16-6-121(d), the notice must be in writing , state that it is a notice of a right to protection under the bond or guarantee , and be signed by the subcontractor or materialman. It must include: Under § 16-6-121(c), it is sent to the general contractor by certified mail or electronic means , or delivered to and receipted by the general contractor or its agent. Certified-mail and electronic notice is effective on the date it is mailed or sent. The penalty is waiver, with a condition. A claimant that fails to give notice to a general contractor that has complied with subsections (f) and (g) waives its bond protection. Under (f), the general contractor must post a prominent jobsite sign citing the section and warning that failure to give notice waives protection. Under (g), the owner must give written notice of the requirement in the project specifications . If the sign is missing, a late notice may survive, but that is something to argue later, not a plan.
Suing on the Bond, and the Deadline the Statute Leaves Out
Section 16-6-113 lets anyone entitled to the protection of the bond or guarantee maintain an action for the amount due . The claimant must notify the obligee named in the bond that the action has begun, giving the names of the parties, describing the guarantee and stating the amount and nature of the claim. No judgment may be entered for 30 days after that notice. The obligee and other claimants may join the case. If the bond is too small to pay everyone in full, the court distributes it pro rata . Neither § 16-6-112 nor § 16-6-113 sets a deadline to sue . The bond form may impose a contractual limit, and the general statute of limitations otherwise applies. Read the bond the day you get it. Two closeout statutes shape the timing. Under § 16-6-116, when the public entity certifies substantial completion it publishes notice once a week for two consecutive weeks in the nearest newspaper and posts it online. On the 41st day , it pays the general contractor its retainage and other amounts due. Under § 16-6-117, no payment goes out until the contractor files a sworn statement that all labor and material claims are paid. A disputed claim must be identified in the statement, and the claimant may file it as a claim against the surety bond. Payment is made regardless unless the entity knows the bond cannot cover known claims. Raise disputes early and in writing.
Every Wyoming Public-Project Claim Deadline in One Table
The Mechanics Lien Management State System calendars the 60-day bond notice from the first-furnishing date you enter. Private-work rules are on the Wyoming lien statutes page, and the calculator is on the Wyoming mechanics lien hub . Wyoming has a lot of federal work: F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, and Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service projects statewide. Federal prime contracts run under the federal Miller Act, which counts its 90-day notice and one-year suit from the claimant’s last furnishing. A supplier working both kinds of jobs needs two different calculations.
Send the Notice at Mobilization, Then Watch Closeout
Wyoming Public Works Workflow At contract or first delivery, confirm the prime contract exceeds $150,000 and get a copy of the bond. Within 60 days of first furnishing, send a signed notice of right to bond protection to the general contractor by certified mail or email. Photograph the jobsite sign. Watch for the substantial completion notice, and if you are unpaid, sue on the bond and notify the obligee. Pair it with these resources: Because the claim may end in a lawsuit against the surety, connect early with a Wyoming construction attorney through the Mechanics Lien Management network, or request a formal attorney review of the claim file.
Your First Delivery Starts the Clock
The Mechanics Lien Management deadline calculator tracks the 60-day bond notice on every Wyoming public job from the day you start. Miss the deadline and you lose your claim rights entirely.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the deadline for a Wyoming payment bond notice?
No later than 60 days after the date the subcontractor or materialman first furnishes services or materials. Under Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 16-6-121(b), the clock runs from the first day on the job, not the last. The notice goes to the general contractor and tells it that the claimant has a right to protection under the bond or guarantee approved by the public entity.
Who must send the Wyoming bond notice?
Any subcontractor or materialman entitled to the protection of a bond or guarantee approved under Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 16-6-112. Section 16-6-121(a) does not exempt first-tier subcontractors, so a sub hired directly by the general contractor sends it too. The section applies only where the general contractor's contract exceeds $150,000 (§ 16-6-121(e)).
What must the Wyoming notice of right to bond protection say?
It must be in writing, state that it is a notice of a right to protection under the bond or guarantee, and be signed by the subcontractor or materialman. Under § 16-6-121(d) it must include the claimant's name, address, phone number and a contact person; the name and address of the claimant's vendor (the party it is selling to); and the type or description of the materials or services provided.
How is the Wyoming bond notice delivered?
By certified mail, by electronic means, or by delivery to the general contractor or its agent with a receipt. Under Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 16-6-121(c), notice by certified mail or electronic means is effective on the date it is mailed or sent electronically, so keep the mailing receipt or the sent-email record.
What happens if I miss the Wyoming 60-day notice?
Failure to give notice to a general contractor who has complied with § 16-6-121(f) and (g) waives your protection under the bond. Subsection (f) requires the general contractor to post a prominent jobsite sign citing the section and warning of the waiver, and (g) requires the owner to give written notice of the requirement in the project specifications. Whether both steps were taken is a fact question, so do not rely on the contractor's failure.
When is the deadline to sue on a Wyoming public works bond?
Wyoming's public works bond statutes, Wyo. Stat. Ann. §§ 16-6-112 and 16-6-113, do not set one. Section 16-6-113 lets a protected person maintain an action for the amount due, requires notice to the obligee when the action begins, bars judgment for 30 days after that notice, and splits an insufficient bond pro rata. The bond form may impose its own limit, so read it and act promptly.
Which Wyoming public jobs require a payment bond?
Any contract with a public entity for a public work where the contract price exceeds $150,000. Under Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 16-6-112(a), the contractor must furnish the bond before beginning work, in an amount not less than 100% of the contract price, for the use and benefit of anyone performing labor or furnishing materials used in the work. At $150,000 or less, the public entity may require another approved form of guarantee in an amount it fixes.