Self Defense
W.S. 6-2-602 — reasonable force, a presumption at home, and no duty to retreat
Defensive force, threatened or used, is reasonable when it is what a reasonable person in the same circumstances would judge necessary to prevent an injury or loss, and no more. Deadly force is reasonable if it is necessary to prevent imminent death or serious bodily injury to the person using it or to someone else.
Who handles this in Wyoming: Wyoming State Bar, attorney referrals; and legal aid programs and the state offices, listed in the Wyoming directory.
Real or apparent. Necessary includes a necessity that comes from an honest belief that the danger exists, whether the danger is real or only apparent.
- A person is presumed to have reasonably feared death or serious bodily injury when using force on an intruder who was unlawfully and forcibly entering, or had entered, a home or habitation, or was taking someone out of it against their will, and the person knew or had reason to believe it.
- A habitation includes trailers, campers and tents.
- Someone who unlawfully forces their way into a home is presumed to intend an unlawful act of force or violence.
- The presumption does not apply against someone with a right to be there, like an owner or tenant, unless a domestic violence injunction or a no contact order is against them.
- It does not apply against a person taking their own child or grandchild, or one in their lawful custody.
- It does not apply against a peace officer or corrections employee entering on duty.
A person attacked anywhere they are lawfully present has no duty to retreat before using reasonable defensive force, unless they were the initial aggressor or were engaged in illegal activity. A person who uses reasonable defensive force is not criminally prosecuted for it.
Sources for this section (1)
- W.S. 6-2-602 — Use of force in self defense; no duty to retreat
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Wyoming attorney.