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Wyoming trust law and key features
Wyoming trust law rests on the Uniform Trust Code in Title 4, chapter 10 of the Wyoming Statutes, with a qualified spendthrift trust and a 1,000-year limit in Title 34. Below are the governing law, who is eligible as trustee, and the features and limits, each with its source; take them to your lawyer before the deed is drafted.
Reviewed by a senior trust administrator, updated
The legal frame at a glance
What the law provides, with the source number for each item.
Key facts
- Perpetuity period
- Non-real property can stay in trust for up to 1,000 years[2]
- Asset protection rule
- Creditor claims must follow the Uniform Fraudulent Transfer Act[1]
- Foreign law rules
- Forced heirship and legitime claims cannot be raised against the trust[1]
Numbers in brackets point to the Sources list at the end of this page.
Swipe sideways to see the whole diagram.
- SettlorSets up the structure and transfers assets into it
- transfers assetsPrivate trust companyActs as trustee, owned and run for one family or group
- holds and distributesBeneficiariesPeople who benefit from the trust under its terms
- Board of the private trust company makes its decisionsBoard of the private trust companyDirectors who take the decisions of the company in the structure
- Private trust company holds legal titleTrust assetsThe property held in the structure
Roles and notes
| Part of the structure | What it does |
|---|---|
| Settlor | Sets up the structure and transfers assets into it |
| Private trust company | Acts as trustee, owned and run for one family or group |
| Board of the private trust company | Directors who take the decisions of the company in the structure |
| Beneficiaries | People who benefit from the trust under its terms |
| Trust assets | The property held in the structure |
- A family can set up a private trust company to act as trustee, with family members or advisers on its board.
- State law defines a private family trust company as one serving family members only and not supervised by the state banking division.
- The private trust company holds legal title to the trust assets; the trust deed still governs every decision it takes.
- We provide the administration: board papers, minutes, accounts and the records the trustee must keep.
- A Wyoming lawyer confirms the rules that apply to the private trust company before it is formed.
The governing law
Wyoming has adopted the Uniform Trust Code, which sits in Title 4, chapter 10 of the Wyoming Statutes.
The code adds a qualified spendthrift trust, at W.S. 4-10-510 to 4-10-523 (source: Wyoming Statutes: Title 4, chapter 10, Uniform Trust Code).
A settlor creates one with an instrument that says so and expressly chooses Wyoming law.
The instrument must also be irrevocable. It is not treated as revocable because the settlor keeps certain powers, such as a veto on distributions or the right to add or remove a trustee, protector or advisor (same source).
Each qualified transfer needs an affidavit sworn by the settlor.
Perpetuities sit in Title 34, and trust company law in Title 13, chapter 5.
Who may act as trustee
A qualified transfer needs at least one qualified trustee. A natural person qualifies if resident in Wyoming.
An entity qualifies if Wyoming law authorises it to act as trustee and it keeps custody of trust property, keeps trust records, prepares the fiduciary tax returns, or otherwise takes a real part in running the trust in the state.
The settlor does not count as a qualified trustee, and neither does a non-resident individual. Other trustees can sit beside a qualified one, because a transfer to several trustees still qualifies if at least one of them does.
A family can also use a private trust company of its own.
Wyoming law defines a private family trust company as one that serves family members only and is not subject to supervision by the state banking division (source: Wyoming Statutes: Title 13, chapter 5, Trust Companies).
Before forming one, a family asks its Wyoming lawyer which rules apply.
Features the law allows
A Wyoming asset protection trust is built from a few statutory tools. The deed can name a trust protector, with the powers it defines, and a trust advisor.
- Settlor powers. The settlor may veto distributions and serve as investment advisor without making the trust revocable.
- Protector and advisor. The deed can give a protector powers such as reviewing accountings, appointing a successor or changing the governing law, within the statute.
- Long duration. Up to 1,000 years for non-real property if Wyoming law governs and the trustee does business, administers it or lives in the state (source: Wyoming Statutes: Title 34, Property, Conveyances and Security Transactions).
- Dynasty use. The same rule is why families consider a Wyoming dynasty structure for assets held across generations.
Each feature is a tool, not a result. Whether it works for your family depends on your residence, your assets and the law of the places where they sit.
Limits and requirements
The same statute sets limits. A Wyoming domestic asset protection trust is not a shield against every claim.
An action against qualified trust property, or to set aside a qualified transfer, must be brought under the Uniform Fraudulent Transfer Act.
The statute does not apply to a person owed child support if the settlor is 30 days or more in default.
Nor does it apply to a lender to which the settlor listed the assets on a credit application, or to property the settlor received by a fraudulent transfer.
A creditor cannot raise a claim for forced heirship or legitime against the trust.
The 1,000-year rule is for non-real property only. Real property in a trust follows the older rule in the same title, which limits vesting to 21 years after a life in being.
Your lawyer confirms how it applies to your deed.
Sources and review dates
Every fact above comes from the Wyoming Legislature site, accessed on 2026-11-05 from the official statute files for Titles 4, 13 and 34.
We review the facts on this page when the law changes. The overview of Wyoming trusts puts them in context, and the common questions page answers the practical ones. The cost guide explains who charges for the work.
If you plan a long-term structure with advisers, see our wealth structuring service and then ask for a quote.
Frequently asked questions
Which law governs a trust in Wyoming?
The trust instrument chooses the law. For a qualified spendthrift trust it must expressly name Wyoming law, and the Uniform Trust Code in Title 4, chapter 10, then applies. Other statutes, such as the perpetuities rule in Title 34, apply alongside it.
Who may act as trustee in Wyoming?
Any trustee the deed names, but a qualified transfer needs at least one qualified trustee: a Wyoming-resident individual, or an entity that Wyoming law lets act as trustee and that carries out a trust task in the state. The settlor does not count.
Can a trust in Wyoming have a protector?
Yes. State law defines a trust protector as a disinterested party named in the deed, with the powers the deed gives, and it separately provides for a trust advisor. Examples are checking the trustee's accounts, naming a replacement trustee or moving the trust to another governing law, all within the statute. Your lawyer sets the wording of each power.
Sources
- Wyoming Statutes: Title 4, chapter 10, Uniform Trust Code, read 2026-11-05.
- Wyoming Statutes: Title 34, Property, Conveyances and Security Transactions, read 2026-11-05.
- Wyoming Statutes: Title 13, chapter 5, Trust Companies, read 2026-11-05.