Albany County Detention Center

For state charges, a judge sets bail at the person's first time in court (W.S. 7-10-104(a)). Here that judge sits in the Circuit Court of the 2nd Judicial District, 525 Grand Avenue, Room 400, Laramie, WY 82070, 307-742-5747. The person may stand in the courtroom or talk to the judge on a video screen from the jail.

The law says this must happen without waiting longer than needed. If police arrested someone without a warrant, a judge has 72 hours to decide there was good reason for the arrest. If not, the person must be let go (W.R.Cr.P. 5(a)). When a felony case moves to District Court, the bail stays the same unless a judge there changes it (W.S. 7-10-103).

City tickets work a little differently. Most come from Laramie police or University of Wyoming police. Those go to Laramie Municipal Court, 406 Ivinson Avenue, Laramie, WY 82070, 307-721-5205, which sets its own bond amounts.

A judge has a few choices. The written note the person sends from jail is one thing the judge reads before deciding (W.R.Cr.P. 46.1(a)(1)).

• Promise to appear. Nobody pays anything. The person signs a paper saying they will come back to court.
• Release with rules. The person goes home but must follow rules, like staying away from the alleged victim or not drinking.
• Cash bond. Someone pays the whole amount. The court keeps it until the case is over.
• Surety bond. A bail company promises the court the full amount. You pay the company a fee for that promise.
• Other security. State law talks about "cash, appearance bond or other security," so a judge may sometimes accept property (W.S. 7-10-103).

Small traffic and fishing or hunting tickets often have a set amount. If the officer marks the ticket that way, you can just pay it and skip court.

For smaller crimes, called misdemeanors, the Circuit Court uses Wyoming's Uniform Bail and Forfeiture Schedule. Each crime on the list has a letter. The price already includes $20 for court costs, a $40 automation fee and a $10 legal aid fee.

• Letter A: $85
• Letter B: $100
• Letter C: $150. One example is an open drink container in a moving car. Another is driving without a license.
• Letter D: $250, such as careless driving
• Letter E: $450, such as driving when your license is suspended or taken away
• Fishing with no license, for anyone 14 or older: $250
• Skipping court on a charge that needed you there: $250

Some charges are not on the list. For these, the person must see a judge, who picks the amount. They include drunk driving (DUI), stealing or shoplifting, hitting someone, hurting a family member or partner, having drugs, and going where you are not allowed.

Felonies are serious crimes that can bring more than a year behind bars. They have no set price. The judge looks at the charge, the person's past record and how tied they are to the area.

The jail at 420 Ivinson Avenue, Laramie, WY 82070 is open every hour of every day. That makes it the place to go at night or on a weekend. Follow these steps so you don't waste a trip:

1. Call 307-755-3521. Give the person's full name and birthday.
2. Ask how much the bond is, what the case number is and which court set it. A city case and a state case are paid separately.
3. Ask what kinds of payment they take, who to make a check or money order out to, and whether a bail company can be used.
4. Bring a photo ID and the exact amount.
5. Keep the receipt. Before you leave, look at the release papers for the next court date.

After the city court closes, its bonds are paid here too, and only cash is taken for those.

Yes, for city cases. You can pay at the Laramie Municipal Court window, 406 Ivinson Avenue, Laramie, WY 82070, 307-721-5205. It is open Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. It is closed Wednesdays and city holidays. The window takes cash only for bonds.

For a state case, call the Circuit Court clerk first at 307-742-5747. The office is at 525 Grand Avenue, Room 400, Laramie, WY 82070. Ask if you can pay at the counter or must go to the jail, and how you can pay. If a felony has moved up, call the District Court clerk in Suite 305 of the same building, 307-721-2508. That office is open weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

The city rules are simple. Laramie Municipal Court takes only cash for bonds, both at its window and at the jail after hours. Cards and personal checks work for city fines, but not for bonds.

If a ticket can just be paid instead of going to court, you can pay it on the Wyoming courts payment page. That page is for tickets only. It can't be used to get someone out of jail.

For a bond on a state charge, call the jail at 307-755-3521. Ask if they take cash, a cashier's check or a money order, and how a check should be filled out. Bring the exact amount. Never mail cash.

A bail bond agent works for a bail company. When a judge allows it, the agent promises the court the full bail amount. You pay the agent a fee for doing this. Wyoming's Supreme Court makes the rules on how courts decide a bail company can cover the money (W.S. 7-10-102).

• The fee is how the agent gets paid. You don't get it back, even if the charges are dropped.
• The agent may want something valuable held as a backup, like a car title. This is called collateral.
• The agent may ask a friend or family member to sign too.
• If the person skips court, anyone who signed may owe the whole bail.
• Get the fee, the collateral deal and how you get it back in writing before you sign.

Some judges don't allow a bail company on some cases. Call the jail at 307-755-3521 to find out before you pay an agent.

One bond only covers one case. Here are common reasons a person still can't leave:

• They have a second case, like a city charge and a state charge from the same night. Each one has its own bond.
• Another Wyoming county wants them on a warrant. If a judge there set bond over video, the person has 24 hours to pay it here before they are moved (W.R.Cr.P. 46.1(g)).
• Their probation or parole officer put a hold on them.
• A federal agency or immigration officers asked the jail to hold them.

Before you pay anything, call the jail at 307-755-3521 and ask if there are any other holds.

Almost everyone has a right to bail. The Wyoming Constitution says bail must be allowed for every crime except one that could bring the death penalty when the proof is very strong. It also says bail can't be too high (Wyo. Const. art. 1, sec. 14; W.S. 7-10-101(b)). If a judge thinks a person is dangerous or might run, the judge usually sets a high amount or strict rules instead of saying no. Breaking those rules can send the person back to jail.

The prosecutor is the lawyer who brings the charges and asks for these terms. In this county that is the Albany County and Prosecuting Attorney's Office, 525 E Grand Avenue, Suite 100, Laramie, WY 82070, 307-721-2552. It is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The first chance is the note the person writes from jail before bail is set. It can be handwritten. It helps to list a job, a home address, family nearby and how they will get to court.

Later, a lawyer can ask the judge to lower the amount or change the rules. If the case is a felony, a judge at District Court can look at bail again too (W.S. 7-10-103). That court is at 525 Grand Avenue, Suite 305, Laramie, WY 82070, 307-721-2508.

For a city case, fill out a Bond Modification Form at Laramie Municipal Court, 406 Ivinson Avenue, Laramie, WY 82070, 307-721-5205, during open hours.

A public defender is a free lawyer paid for by the state. The court decides if a person is "needy" enough to get one (W.S. 7-6-106). It looks at income compared to the federal poverty level:

• Below 125% of that level: needy.
• Between 125% and 218%: might be needy.
• Above 218%: not needy, except in rare felony cases.
• Anyone on public help, like Medicaid or SSI, counts as needy. So does someone in jail with no money they can use.

Free lawyers are given for every felony. They are also given for misdemeanors when jail time is a real chance. Ask for one at the first court date. Later, the court may order the person to pay some of it back. For questions, call the Wyoming State Public Defender Administration Office, 316 West 22nd Street, Cheyenne, WY 82002, 307-777-7519, weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Circuit Court handles misdemeanors, first court dates and early felony hearings: 525 Grand Avenue, Room 400, Laramie, WY 82070, 307-742-5747.
• District Court handles felonies and cases about kids: 525 Grand Avenue, Suite 305, Laramie, WY 82070, 307-721-2508, weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Laramie Municipal Court handles city tickets: 406 Ivinson Avenue, Laramie, WY 82070, 307-721-5205.
• Court Supervised Treatment Programs run the adult drug court and diversion: 1050 N. 3rd Street, Suite A, Laramie, WY 82070, 307-721-3817.
• U.S. District Court hears federal cases: Joseph C. O'Mahoney Federal Center, 2120 Capitol Avenue, Room 2131, Cheyenne, WY 82001, 307-433-2120.

Rock River cases go to the county courts on this list.

If the person goes to every court date, cash bail is given back after the case ends. Laramie Municipal Court pays back bonds by check only, and only when the case is all done. It works on refunds on Wednesdays and mails checks on Fridays. If the person ignores a court order there, the bond money goes toward their fines.

For a state case, call the clerk of the court that has the case. That is the Circuit Court at 307-742-5747 or the District Court at 307-721-2508. Ask when the money comes back, who the check is made out to, and if any of it will pay fines.

Missing court can mean the money is kept. Lost bail goes to the county to help pay for public schools (W.S. 7-10-105). A bail company can also go after anyone who signed for the full amount.

While a person is in jail, family can add money to their phone and tablet account. You can do it online, by calling 866-516-0115, or at the kiosk in the jail lobby. Our guide to sending money explains each way.

When the person is let go, they get back the clothes and things taken when they were booked. To ask about leftover account money, things another person needs to pick up, or a release that happens while you are driving over, call the jail at 307-755-3521.

Federal charges skip the county courts. They go to the U.S. District Court for the District of Wyoming, Joseph C. O'Mahoney Federal Center, 2120 Capitol Avenue, Room 2131, Cheyenne, WY 82001, 307-433-2120. It is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to noon and from 1 to 5 p.m.

At the first court date, a federal judge holds a hearing to decide if the person stays locked up. The defense can ask for up to five days to get ready, and the government can ask for up to three. The person stays in custody while they wait (18 U.S.C. 3142(f)). U.S. Pretrial Services, in Room 7008 of the same building, 307-433-2300, gives the judge a report. The U.S. Marshals Service in Suite 1100, 307-829-3710, keeps the person until trial. The Laramie jail is one place where it houses federal prisoners. After sentencing, use the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator.

No. Bail only takes care of the state case. ICE is the federal agency that handles immigration. Here is how its hold, called a detainer, works:

1. ICE sends the jail a form, the I-247A. It asks the jail to call ICE before the person leaves and to keep holding them.
2. The jail may hold the person up to 48 hours after they would otherwise be released (8 CFR 287.7(d)).
3. ICE officers pick the person up and take them to an immigration center that ICE chooses.
4. Look for them on the ICE Online Detainee Locator. Use their A-number, or their exact name and the country they were born in.

This county is served by ICE's office at 7052 Commerce Circle, Suite 130, Cheyenne, WY 82007, 307-432-7440. It reports to the Denver Field Office, 12445 E. Caley Avenue, Centennial, CO 80111, 720-873-2899. A 2025 state law stops cities, counties and the state from making rules that limit working with immigration officers (W.S. 9-25-102).

Time for a misdemeanor is served in the county jail. A felony prison sentence sends the person to the Wyoming Department of Corrections. New prisoners first go to a center where staff test them and decide their security level. Then they are sent to a prison that fits them.

To find someone after that move, use the WDOC offender locator. Type their inmate number, or at least the first two letters of their last name. It only shows people who have reached the state system. Our Wyoming state prisons page lists every prison. The main office is at 1934 Wyott Drive, Suite 100, Cheyenne, WY 82002, 307-777-7208.

A child taken in by police must be sent home with a parent, guardian or other trusted adult. The only exceptions are when holding them is needed to keep others safe or to stop them from running away. Police must tell the parent as soon as they can (W.S. 14-6-206). A child who is held gets a short hearing within 48 hours, not counting weekends and holidays. They must be kept in a place just for young people (W.S. 14-6-207 and 14-6-209). Cases for kids are heard in District Court and are kept private.

Wyoming has four detention centers for young people. The closest one to Laramie is the Laramie County Juvenile Services Center, 13794 Prairie Center Circle, Cheyenne, WY 82009, 307-775-7301. To find out where a child was taken, call the Albany County Sheriff's Office, 525 E Grand Avenue, Suite 101, Laramie, WY 82070, 307-755-3520.

In Wyoming, it comes down to the longest possible sentence. A crime that can bring more than one year in prison is a felony. Every other crime is a misdemeanor (W.S. 6-10-101).

• Circuit Court takes every misdemeanor from beginning to end. It also sets bail and holds the first big hearing in felony cases.
• District Court takes felonies after that first big hearing. It also hears cases where kids are accused of crimes.
• City court only hears cases about breaking city rules, called ordinances.

Albany and Carbon counties share one judicial district, the 2nd. Federal crimes are heard in Cheyenne.

• Circuit Court of the 2nd Judicial District: 525 Grand Avenue, Room 400, Laramie, WY 82070, 307-742-5747. It handles misdemeanor trials, first court dates, early felony hearings, protection orders and small claims.
• District Court and its clerk: 525 Grand Avenue, Suite 305, Laramie, WY 82070, 307-721-2508, Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. It handles felony cases and cases about kids.
• Court Supervised Treatment Programs: 1050 N. 3rd Street, Suite A, Laramie, WY 82070, 307-721-3817. It runs an adult drug court, an adult diversion program and a program for teens. Diversion is a path outside the usual court process. These programs are for people whose cases are tied to drugs or alcohol.

Clerks can help with forms, fees and dates. They can't tell you what to do about your case.

Yes. Laramie Municipal Court is in City Hall, 406 Ivinson Avenue, Laramie, WY 82070, 307-721-5205. It hears tickets for breaking city rules, mostly from city police and University of Wyoming police. Drunk driving is usually the most serious case it sees.

First hearings in person are at 9 a.m. on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. You can also do your first hearing on Zoom. To set that up, email the court your full legal name and birthday. You can walk up to the front window 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, or 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Fridays. Nobody staffs it on Wednesdays or city holidays. You can pay fines online, by phone, by mail or in person.

Rock River is the county's only other town. Tickets written there by deputies or state troopers go to Circuit Court.

The first hearing is in Circuit Court. The person may be in the room or on a video call from the jail. The judge explains the charge and gives them a copy of the written charges, called the complaint. The judge also tells them three things. They can hire a lawyer or ask for a free one. They don't have to say anything. If they are locked up, the judge explains how they could get out (W.R.Cr.P. 5).

The next step depends on how serious the charge is. For a misdemeanor, the person may be asked to plead guilty or not guilty that day or at a later date. For a felony, nobody pleads yet. The judge sets a date for the next hearing and decides about release. If police made the arrest without a warrant, a judge has three days to find a good reason for it. If no judge does, the person goes free.

A misdemeanor stays in Circuit Court from start to finish. Usually the person is formally charged in court, which is called an arraignment, and then pleads. After that, the case may end in a deal, a trial or a dismissal. The person can ask for a jury. The pleas allowed are not guilty, not guilty because of mental illness, guilty, or no contest if the court agrees (W.R.Cr.P. 11). No contest means you don't fight the charge but don't admit it.

The most a person can get for the charges families ask about most:

• Any misdemeanor with no set penalty: 6 months in jail, a $750 fine, or both (W.S. 6-10-103).
• Battery, meaning hurting someone: 6 months, $750, or both. Simple assault means trying to hurt someone without injuring them. It brings a fine of up to $750 (W.S. 6-2-501).
• First domestic battery, meaning hurting a family member or partner: 6 months, $750, or both. A second one within five years can bring 1 year and $1,000 (W.S. 6-2-511).
• Stealing something worth less than $1,000, including shoplifting: 1 year, $1,500, or both. This went up on July 1, 2026 (W.S. 6-3-402).

Most people found guilty also pay a $40 court computer fee and a $10 legal aid fee.

1. First hearing in Circuit Court. The judge deals with bail and a lawyer.
2. Preliminary hearing in Circuit Court. It happens within 10 days if the person is in jail, or 20 days if they are out. A judge decides if there is enough proof to go on. If not, the charge is dropped. The defense can choose to skip this hearing (W.R.Cr.P. 5(c) and 5.1).
3. Arraignment in District Court. This is where the person pleads.
4. Trial within 180 days of the arraignment, unless the court allows more time (W.R.Cr.P. 48(b)).
5. Sentencing. The person must be there in person, not on video.

Each felony has its own top penalty. Burglary can bring up to 10 years and a $10,000 fine (W.S. 6-3-301). Stealing something worth $1,000 or more can bring up to 10 years. The same is true for stealing a gun, horse or farm animal of any value. Since July 1, 2026, a third theft of any amount is a felony too (W.S. 6-3-402).

The punishments get much bigger. Aggravated assault includes hurting someone with a weapon or threatening them with one. It can bring up to 10 years, and some kinds bring 5 to 25 years (W.S. 6-2-502). Aggravated burglary is a break-in where the person is armed or hurts someone. It brings 5 to 25 years and a fine of up to $50,000 (W.S. 6-3-301(c)). A third domestic battery within ten years turns into a felony with up to 10 years.

Judges decide release terms one case at a time. In a case that could bring the death penalty, bail can be refused when the proof is very strong (Wyo. Const. art. 1, sec. 14). A 14-year-old charged with a violent felony can be tried as an adult. Anyone facing charges like these should ask for a lawyer at the very first hearing.

The lawyers who bring state charges work at the Albany County and Prosecuting Attorney's Office, 525 E Grand Avenue, Suite 100, Laramie, WY 82070, 307-721-2552. This office handles felony, misdemeanor and juvenile cases. Its doors are open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesday.

If you can't afford a lawyer, the Wyoming State Public Defender may give you one for free. Its Administration Office is at 316 West 22nd Street, Cheyenne, WY 82002, 307-777-7519. A judge decides who qualifies. People earning under 125% of the federal poverty level qualify. People on Medicaid, SSI or similar help are expected to qualify too (W.S. 7-6-106). Ask for a lawyer at the first hearing. The city court finds its own lawyers for city cases.

The fastest way is to call the clerk. Have the person's full legal name and birthday ready.

• Misdemeanors and early felony hearings: Circuit Court clerk, 307-742-5747.
• Felonies after the preliminary hearing: District Court clerk, 307-721-2508.
• City tickets: Laramie Municipal Court, 307-721-5205.

You can also read public case files on computers at the courthouse. The release papers from the jail list the next date too. Appeals sent to the Wyoming Supreme Court can be followed for free in its public case search.

A warrant is a judge's order to arrest someone. Sheriff's deputies serve warrants in this county. To ask if someone has one, call the Albany County Sheriff's Office at 307-755-3520. A phone call is the way to check, because Wyoming has no statewide warrant search. You can also read case files on the courthouse computers. To clear a warrant, plan with a lawyer to turn yourself in at the jail, 420 Ivinson Avenue, Laramie, WY 82070. Or ask the Circuit Court clerk about a new court date: 525 Grand Avenue, Room 400, Laramie, WY 82070, 307-742-5747.

Federal charges from here go to the U.S. District Court for the District of Wyoming, Joseph C. O'Mahoney Federal Center, 2120 Capitol Avenue, Room 2131, Cheyenne, WY 82001, 307-433-2120. A magistrate judge usually handles federal misdemeanors.

At the first hearing, the judge decides if the person stays locked up until trial (18 U.S.C. 3142). Either side can ask for a short delay: up to five days for the defense and three for the government. Pretrial Services in Room 7008, 307-433-2300, gives the judge advice about release. People held before trial are in the care of the U.S. Marshals Service, Suite 1100, 307-829-3710. The Marshals can keep them in county jails, including the one in Laramie. Federal case files are on the court's electronic filing system, which needs a PACER account. After sentencing, the BOP inmate locator shows which prison they are in.

The criminal case goes on either way. But an ICE hold, called a detainer, changes what happens when the person would normally walk out:

1. ICE, the federal immigration agency, sends the jail Form I-247A. It asks the jail for a warning and a hold.
2. The jail may keep the person up to 48 hours after they would otherwise be released (8 CFR 287.7(d)). This can happen even if the charge is dropped or bail is paid.
3. ICE takes the person and moves them to a detention center it picks.
4. Search the ICE detainee locator using an A-number, or a full name plus birth country.

Albany County is served by ICE's Cheyenne office, 7052 Commerce Circle, Suite 130, Cheyenne, WY 82007, 307-432-7440. Since March 2025, Wyoming law bans local rules that hold back help to immigration officers (W.S. 9-25-102). Pleading guilty can affect a person's immigration status. Anyone who is not a U.S. citizen should tell their lawyer before they plead.

If the sentence is for a misdemeanor, it is spent in the county jail. If a judge orders prison time on a felony, the Wyoming Department of Corrections takes over. Its staff first check each new prisoner and decide how much security they need. Then the person is sent to the prison that fits.

To look someone up, use the state offender locator. Enter their WDOC number, or type just the start of the last name. Two letters is enough. It covers people in prison and on probation or parole. Each prison is listed on our Wyoming state prisons page. The department's main office is at 1934 Wyott Drive, Suite 100, Cheyenne, WY 82002, 307-777-7208.

When a child is accused of a crime, the case goes to District Court, 525 Grand Avenue, Suite 305, Laramie, WY 82070, 307-721-2508. These records are private. The prosecutor decides where each case starts. A team from the County Attorney's juvenile division meets every week to choose between court and a program that keeps the child out of court.

State law sets the limits (W.S. 14-6-203). A child under 13 accused of a felony stays in juvenile court. A 17-year-old charged with a felony can be tried as an adult. So can a 14-year-old charged with a violent felony. A judge can move a case between the two courts after looking at the crime, how mature the child is and their past record (W.S. 14-6-237). Most smaller crimes by kids can go to Circuit Court or city court. Kids who must be held go to a youth center, such as the Laramie County Juvenile Services Center, 13794 Prairie Center Circle, Cheyenne, WY 82009, 307-775-7301. They are kept away from adult inmates.

Wyoming has a Victim and Witness Bill of Rights (W.S. 1-40-201 to 1-40-210). It gives victims these rights:

• To be told when the accused person is let out before trial or sentencing.
• To go to court any time the accused person does, unless a judge has a good reason to say no.
• To tell the judge how the crime hurt them before sentencing. This is called a victim impact statement.

The County Attorney runs a local Victim Witness Program at 112 South 5th Street, Laramie, WY 82070, 307-721-1845. Help across the state comes from the Attorney General's Division of Victim Services, 320 West 25th St., 2nd Floor, Cheyenne, WY 82002, 307-777-7200. Anyone can sign up for free alerts about a person's custody through VINE or by calling 866-994-8463.