Insurance appraisal in Wyoming
Wyoming does not write an appraisal clause into its insurance code, so the wording of your policy controls the process. The code does define the roles. An appraiser places a value on the loss, an umpire is chosen by the appraisers or, failing that, by a court or hearing officer, and neither is treated as an adjuster for licensing.
At a glance
- Name an appraiser
- Set by your policy. Most forms give each side 20 days from the written demand.
- Choose an umpire
- Set by your policy. Most forms give the appraisers 15 days to agree on an umpire.
- If they cannot agree
- By the statutory definition, the court or hearing officer handling the dispute (Wyo. Stat. § 26-9-202(a)(xxvii)). Common forms let either side ask a judge of a court of record in the state.
- Does appraisal pause the deadline to sue?
- Do not assume it does. We found nothing in Wyoming's insurance code that sets a suit period for property policies or pauses one for appraisal, so the suit clause in your policy controls. Note the date before you demand appraisal.
- Who may serve
- No license. An appraiser or umpire is not an adjuster for licensing purposes (§ 26-9-202(a)(xxv)), and an appraiser may not negotiate settlements or apply policy terms to the facts (§ 26-9-202(a)(xxvi)). More below
Deadlines in Wyoming
The clock
- Day 0Written demandEither party, in writing
- By day 20Appraisers named20 days for each side
- By day 35Umpire chosen15 days, or a court appoints
- On siteInspectionBoth estimates, line by line
- The awardAward signedAny two of three
- After the awardPayment45 days from the claim and supporting bills (Wyo. Stat. § 26-15-124(b))
Appraisal starts with a written demand from one side to the other. The days run from that demand: first the period to name an appraiser, then the period for the two appraisers to agree on an umpire. Common forms use 20 days and 15 days, but your policy sets them. We suggest certified mail with a return receipt.
Wyoming has one general payment clock. Under Wyo. Stat. § 26-15-124(b), a property or casualty insurer must accept or reject a claim and pay it within 45 days after receiving the claim and supporting bills. The statute does not tie that period to an appraisal award, so ask the carrier in writing when it will pay once the award is signed.
What the panel decides
Value of the loss
Wyoming's definition of an appraiser is narrow. An appraiser is a person selected by the insurer or the insured to place a value on or estimate the amount of loss. An appraiser does not negotiate settlements and does not apply the facts of a claim to the policy provisions (§ 26-9-202(a)(xxvi)).
That fits the usual clause: the panel sets the amount of loss, and a court decides whether the policy covers it and how its words are read. We found no Wyoming appellate decision on whether a dispute about cause belongs in appraisal, so raise any cause or coverage disagreement before you demand appraisal.
Who may serve
Wyoming needs no license for an appraiser or umpire. The adjuster definition in § 26-9-202(a)(xxv) states that an appraiser or umpire is not an adjuster. The policy usually requires each appraiser to be competent and impartial, and some forms say disinterested. A person paid to negotiate the claim for you is acting as a public adjuster (defined in § 26-9-202(a)(xxiii)), which is a different role from an appraiser.
The award
Under common forms, a written award signed by any two of the three (two appraisers, or one appraiser and the umpire) sets the amount of loss. Wyoming's insurance code has no provision on setting an appraisal award aside, and we found no Wyoming decision on it. Courts elsewhere review awards narrowly, for example for fraud, bad faith, or a panel that did not do the task the clause gave it.
Points particular to Wyoming
Wyo. Stat. § 26-9-202(a)(xxv) to (xxvii) came from a 2022 amendment (2022 Enrolled Act No. 30, HB0062). It adds definitions of adjuster, appraiser and umpire and says the umpire is chosen by the two appraisers or, if they cannot agree, by the court or hearing officer charged with resolving the issues the appraisers could not.
Wyo. Stat. § 26-15-112, which is sometimes cited for this, only says that insurance contracts must contain any standard or uniform provisions the code requires for a kind of insurance. It does not itself require an appraisal clause, and we found no standard fire policy or appraisal statute in Title 26.
Under Wyo. Stat. § 26-15-124(c), if an insurer refuses to pay the full amount of a covered loss and the refusal is unreasonable or without cause, a court that enters judgment for the claimant may also award a reasonable attorney's fee and interest at 10 percent a year.
Wyoming's unfair claims practices law, Wyo. Stat. § 26-13-124, includes compelling insureds to sue by offering substantially less than the amount later recovered, and failing to give a reasonable explanation for a denial or compromise offer. It sets no fixed number of days for payment.
Common losses in Wyoming
Each one links back to how we look at that kind of loss.
Questions
Does my Wyoming homeowners policy have an appraisal clause?
Most property policies do, but Wyoming does not require it by statute, so check yours. Look in the conditions section under the heading Appraisal. If your policy has no clause, appraisal only happens if both sides agree to it.
How long do we have to name an appraiser in Wyoming?
Your policy sets it. Most forms say each side must name an appraiser and tell the other within 20 days of the written demand.
Who chooses the umpire in Wyoming if the appraisers cannot agree?
Wyoming's statute defines the umpire as chosen by the two appraisers or, if they cannot agree, by the court or hearing officer. Common forms give the appraisers 15 days and then let either side ask a judge of a court of record in the state to choose.
Can the appraisers decide whether my loss is covered in Wyoming?
No. Wyoming's statute describes an appraiser's job as placing a value on or estimating the loss, not negotiating settlements or applying the policy to the facts. Coverage is for a court.
Does demanding appraisal pause the deadline to sue in Wyoming?
Do not count on it. We found no Wyoming rule that pauses the deadline during appraisal, and the deadline comes from your policy. Find it and note the date before you send the demand.
Do appraisers need a license in Wyoming?
No. Wyoming Statute 26-9-202 says an appraiser or umpire is not an adjuster for purposes of the producer licensing chapter. Adjusters who investigate and negotiate claims do need a license.
Before you decide anything
Has a claim in Wyoming stalled on the number?
Tell us what happened and where. We'll read the policy and tell you plainly whether appraisal fits.
When you write to us
- We read the policy, the estimates on both sides and the letters that came with them.
- We tell you plainly whether appraisal fits the disagreement, and if it doesn't, who can help.
- If it fits, we confirm next steps in writing before anything starts.
Reviewed against the sources listed, October 2026. General information, not legal advice.