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How to Find an Inmate in Wyoming
If someone you love was just arrested or sent to prison in Wyoming, the first thing you need is also the hardest to get: a straight answer about where they are. Wyoming does not have one single database that lists everyone in custody. The person you are looking for could be in a county jail, a state prison, federal custody, or immigration detention, and each of those is searched a different way. This guide walks you through all four, in the order most families need them, and tells you what to do when someone does not show up at all.
Wyoming is the least populous state, with only 23 counties, so the system is smaller than most. That can make searching simpler, but it also means a person can be moved a long way across a rural state, or even out of state, especially in federal and immigration cases. The sections below cover that.
Start here: figure out which system is holding them
Before you search anything, answer one question, because it tells you which tool to use.
How long ago were they taken into custody, and what happened? Someone who was arrested in the last few days is almost always in the county jail for the county where the arrest happened. They stay there through booking, the first court appearance, and often through their entire case if it is a local charge. People do not go to state prison when they are arrested. They go to state prison only after they have been sentenced and physically transferred into the custody of the Wyoming Department of Corrections, which can take time after sentencing.
So the rule of thumb is simple. Recently arrested, case still pending, or a short sentence: look in the county jail. Sentenced to state prison time and transferred: look in the Wyoming Department of Corrections. Federal charge: look in the federal system. Immigration hold: look in ICE custody. Most families searching for someone newly arrested waste time on the state prison site when their person is sitting in a county jail.
Searching the Wyoming state prison system (WDOC)
The Wyoming Department of Corrections, or WDOC, holds everyone serving a state prison sentence. Its public Offender Locator lets you look a person up by their WDOC inmate number or by name, and you can search with as little as the first two letters of the last name, then narrow the results with filters. The results show the person's name, inmate number, current location, projected discharge date, parole eligibility, and offense information.
The state prisons include the Wyoming State Penitentiary in Rawlins, which is the maximum-security facility, the Wyoming Medium Correctional Institution in Torrington for men, and the Wyoming Women's Center in Lusk for women, along with the Honor Conservation Camp, Boot Camp, and Honor Farm. One thing to know: the WDOC locator only covers people in state custody or under state supervision. It does not list people held in a county or city jail, it does not list recent arrestees, and it does not list juveniles. So if your person was just arrested and is not in the WDOC results, that is expected. It means they are still in the county system below, not that they cannot be found.
Searching county jails in Wyoming (recently arrested)
Wyoming has 23 counties, and each county jail is run by the county sheriff. Some towns also run small holding facilities for short stays. There is no statewide county jail search, so you have to find the roster for the specific county where the arrest happened.
If you know the county, search for that county's jail roster directly, or find the facility on InmateAid and use the search link on its page. The most populous counties, where arrests are most common, are Laramie (Cheyenne), Natrona (Casper), Campbell (Gillette), Sweetwater (Rock Springs), and Fremont (Lander and Riverton). Laramie County alone holds roughly one in six Wyoming residents. Because the state is rural, some county sheriff's offices post online rosters and others do not, in which case calling the sheriff's office directly is the fastest route.
To search a county roster you typically need the person's full name. A booking number, if you have it, finds the record immediately. If you are not certain which county made the arrest, the town where it happened tells you: look up which county that town sits in, then search that county's jail.
Federal inmates from Wyoming (BOP)
If the charge was federal, the person is in the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons, not the state, and you search the BOP's own national inmate locator rather than any Wyoming tool. It covers everyone in federal custody from 1982 to the present and searches by name or by federal register number.
Here is something specific to Wyoming: the state has no federal prison inside its borders. Someone arrested on a federal charge in Wyoming is typically held in a county jail under a federal contract, held for the US Marshals, and then, once sentenced, sent to a Bureau of Prisons facility in another state, often in Colorado. So if you are looking for a federal defendant, check the county jail where the arrest happened in the early stages, and use the BOP locator to find them once they have been moved into a federal facility. The locator will show wherever they are, in any state.
ICE detainees in Wyoming
If the person is being held on an immigration matter, they are in ICE custody, which is a civil detention system separate from criminal jail and prison. ICE detainees are not criminals serving sentences; they are held while their immigration cases are decided. You search for them using the federal ICE Online Detainee Locator, which works by the detainee's A-Number (a nine-digit immigration identification number) or by their full name, country of birth, and date of birth.
Wyoming does not have a standalone ICE detention center. Instead, ICE holds detainees inside county jails under agreements with the federal government, often for short periods before moving them elsewhere. Jails that have held immigration detainees include the Sweetwater County Detention Center in Rock Springs, the Natrona County Detention Center in Casper, and the Uinta County jail in Evanston, near the Utah border. Because Wyoming sits between several states and has spare jail space, its jails are also used to hold detainees arrested in other states, including people picked up in Utah, when detention centers there are full. People are frequently moved between facilities and out of state, sometimes within days. Because of all that movement, the A-Number is the most reliable way to find someone and to keep track of them. This area has been changing quickly through 2025 and 2026 as more Wyoming counties sign agreements with federal immigration authorities, so getting legal help early is worthwhile.
When you cannot find them anywhere
If you have searched and your person is not turning up, work through these explanations before assuming the worst.
The booking is not complete yet. Newly arrested people can take hours to appear on a jail roster, and newly sentenced people can sit in a county jail for a while before showing up in the state system. Try again later. They were released, transferred, or moved between systems. In a rural state like Wyoming, someone can be moved a long distance, handed from county to federal or immigration custody, or sent out of state, and during the handoff they may briefly appear nowhere. The name does not match the record. People are booked under legal names, middle names, maiden names, or misspellings. Try variations, and search with less information rather than more. They are a minor. Juveniles are not listed in public adult locators at all, regardless of facility.
When the online tools fail, calling works. Call the jail or facility you believe is holding them, give the full name and date of birth, and ask the booking desk or records office to confirm custody status. That is often faster than any website. The WDOC central office in Cheyenne can also help point you to the right facility.
Get notified automatically: VINELink
Rather than checking rosters over and over, you can register with VINE, the free victim and family notification service Wyoming participates in. It lets you look up a person's custody status and sign up for automatic alerts about changes such as transfer or release. It is the simplest way to stop refreshing a website every day, and it is especially useful in a state where people get moved often.
Once you have found them
Finding the person is the first step. Staying connected is the next, and it matters more than most families realize for how someone gets through their time.
The best place to start is mail. Letters and photos reach almost everyone in custody, they are the most reliable form of contact, and a person who hears from home regularly does easier time. You address mail to the person at the facility holding them, with their name and WDOC or booking number. Phone calls are the next layer. Wyoming state prison calls run through the system's phone vendor, with a prepaid or debit account, and the federal rate caps that took effect in April 2026 help hold costs down. A practical note: prison phones are outgoing only, so your person calls you rather than the other way around, and you set up an account first so they can reach you. County jails set their own rates and vendors, so confirm the provider on the specific jail's page before funding anything. You can also send money to most facilities so your person can cover phone time, commissary, and basic needs.
To set any of this up for the specific facility holding your loved one, find that facility on InmateAid and follow the instructions on its page, since the rules, the phone carrier, and the mailing address are different at every facility. For someone held in immigration custody, remember to include the A-Number on mail and deposits.
[Internal link block to render at foot of article:]
- See every prison, jail, and detention center in Wyoming: /prisons/wyoming
- Understand the new 2026 call rates: link to FCC Prison Phone Rate Caps 2026 guide
- Search arrest records across Wyoming: Arrest Record Search (honestly labeled affiliate)
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Frequently asked questions
How do I find an inmate in Wyoming?
Decide which system holds them first. Recently arrested people are in the county jail where the arrest happened. People serving state prison time are in the Wyoming Department of Corrections. Federal charges mean the Bureau of Prisons, and immigration holds mean ICE. Search the matching system by name.
Is there one website for all Wyoming inmates?
No. Wyoming has no single combined database. County jails, the state prison system, the federal Bureau of Prisons, and ICE each maintain separate searches, and you have to use the one that matches the person's situation.
Where is someone just arrested in Wyoming?
In the county jail for the county where the arrest happened, not in state prison. People only enter the state prison system after sentencing and transfer.
How do I search the Wyoming DOC?
Use the WDOC Offender Locator with the person's WDOC inmate number or name. You can search with as little as the first two letters of the last name and narrow with filters. It shows the inmate number, current location, projected discharge date, and parole eligibility.
What is a Wyoming WDOC number?
It is the identification number the Wyoming Department of Corrections assigns to each person in state custody. Searching by WDOC number is the most precise way to find a state inmate, and you also use it to set up phone and money accounts.
Why can I not find my inmate in the state system?
The most common reason is that they are not in state prison. The WDOC locator only covers people in state custody or supervision. It does not show anyone in a county or city jail, which is where people awaiting trial or serving short sentences are held. Newly sentenced people also stay in a county jail for a while before transferring.
How do I find someone in a Wyoming county jail?
Find the roster for the specific county where the arrest happened, since each of the 23 counties runs its own jail. If you know the town, look up which county it is in, then search that county's jail. Some rural sheriff's offices do not post rosters online, so calling is often fastest.
Is there a federal prison in Wyoming?
No. Wyoming has no Bureau of Prisons facility within the state. A person with a federal case is usually held in a county jail for the US Marshals, then sent to a federal prison in another state, often in Colorado, after sentencing.
How do I find a federal inmate from Wyoming?
Use the federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator, which is national and searches by name or federal register number. It will show the person wherever they are held, including in another state, which is common for Wyoming federal cases.
How do I find someone in ICE custody in Wyoming?
Use the ICE Online Detainee Locator, searching by the detainee's A-Number or by full name, country of birth, and date of birth. Wyoming holds ICE detainees in county jails and moves them often, so the A-Number is the most reliable way to find and follow someone.
Does Wyoming have an ICE detention center?
Not a standalone one. ICE holds detainees inside county jails under federal agreements, including jails in Sweetwater, Natrona, and Uinta counties, often briefly before transferring them. Wyoming jails also hold detainees arrested in other states, and people are moved frequently.
Are Wyoming state prison calls free?
No. State prison calls run through the department's phone vendor on a prepaid or debit account, with rates held down by the 2026 federal caps. Calls are outgoing only. County jails set their own separate rates and vendors.
Can I get alerts when an inmate status changes?
Yes. Register with VINE, the free notification service, to get automatic alerts about transfers and releases instead of checking rosters manually. This is especially useful in Wyoming, where people are often moved.
What if no search finds the person?
Try again later in case booking or state intake is not complete, try name variations, and remember minors are never listed publicly. If your person was in federal or immigration custody, search the BOP or ICE locators by number, since they may be in another state. If the websites fail, call the facility directly with the full name and date of birth. =====================================================
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