Wyoming Statutes

Wyo. Stat. § 8-1-103 (2026)

Rules of construction for statutes.

✓ current as of May 2026
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     (a) The construction of all statutes of this state shall
be by the following rules, unless that construction is plainly
contrary to the intent of the legislature:

          (i) Words and phrases shall be taken in their
ordinary and usual sense, but technical words and phrases having
a peculiar and appropriate meaning in law shall be understood
according to their technical import;

           (ii) Words importing joint authority to three (3) or
more persons shall be construed as authority to a majority of
those persons, unless otherwise declared in the law giving the
authority;

          (iii) Reference to a numbered section, subsection,
paragraph, subparagraph or other subdivision "of the statutes"
and the abbreviation "W.S." when used in conjunction with a
statute section number or its designation or identification
means the Wyoming Statutes in their most recently published form
including amendments to original enactments;

          (iv)   Words in the present tense include the future
tense;

          (v) Words in the plural form include the singular and
words in the singular form include the plural;

          (vi) Words in the masculine gender include the
feminine and neuter genders;

          (vii) Any uniform act shall be interpreted and
construed to effectuate its general purpose to make uniform the
law of those states which enact it;

          (viii) If any provision of any act enacted by the
Wyoming legislature or its application to any person or
circumstance is held invalid, the invalidity does not affect
other provisions or applications of the act which can be given
effect without the invalid provision or application, and to this
end the provisions of any such act are severable;

          (ix) Reference to legislative salary, per diem or
compensation in any statute establishing the amount of salary,
per diem or compensation to be paid a person who is not a
legislator, shall be deemed a reference only to the rate of
legislative salary, per diem or compensation set by statute and
shall not be construed to authorize the payment of salary for
meeting preparation days as provided for legislators under W.S.
28-5-101(e)(iii) or the payment of salary for travel days
provided for legislators under W.S. 28-5-101(e)(iv);

          (x) Reference to the "cooperative tribal governing
body" means the inter-tribal council of the Eastern Shoshone and
Northern Arapaho tribes or its official successor joint
governing body. If the cooperative tribal governing body is a
party to a cooperative agreement or contract with the state or a
political subdivision under the laws of this state, a successor
joint tribal governing body or each tribe as an individual
sovereign shall remain a party to the agreement or contract
unless specified otherwise in the agreement or contract.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 32 cases (4 in the last 5 years), 1981–2026 · leading case: Air Methods/Rocky Mountain Holdings, LLC v. State ex rel. Dep't of Workforce Servs., Workers' Comp. Div., 432 P.3d 476 (Wyo. 2018).
Air Methods/Rocky Mountain Holdings, LLC v. State ex rel. Dep't of Workforce Servs., Workers' Comp. Div., 432 P.3d 476 (Wyo. 2018). · cites it 15× “Moreover, [§ 401(e) ] is severable [under Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 8-1-103 (a)(viii) ]....”
Cottonwood Steel Corp. v. Hansen, 655 P.2d 1226 (Wyo. 1982). · cites it 4× “1977, states: "Words and phrases shall be taken in their ordinary and usual sense, but technical words and phrases having a peculiar and appropriate meaning in law shall be understood according to their technical import.”
Thomson v. Wyoming In-Stream Flow Comm., 651 P.2d 778 (Wyo. 1982). · cites it 2× “Section 8-1-103(a)(i), W.S. 1977, provides the rule of construction for statutes unless "plainly contrary to the intent of the legislature: (i) Words and phrases shall be taken in their ordinary and usual sense * * *.”
Lewis Alan Dugan v. The State of Wyoming, 2019 WY 112 (Wyo. 2019). · cites it 2× “Dugan’s requested instruction and decided no instruction defining the term “obscene” was necessary because the ordinary and usual meaning applied, citing Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 8-1-103 (a)(i) (LexisNexis 2019) (“The construction of all statutes of this state shall be by the following…”
Bd. of Cty. Com'rs of Cty., Etc. v. Ridenour, 623 P.2d 1174 (Wyo. 1981). · cites it 5× “) To further bolster their position, plaintiffs point to § 8-1-103, W.S. 1977, 1980 Cum.Supp., which provides in part: "(a) The construction of all statutes of this state shall be by the following rules, unless that construction is plainly contrary to the intent of the…”
In the Matter of the Adoption Of: Atws, Minor Child, Ka v., 2021 WY 62 (Wyo. 2021). · cites it 2× “§ 8-1-103 (a)(i) (LexisNexis 2019) (“[U]nless that construction is plainly contrary to the intent of the legislature: (i) Words and phrases shall be taken in their ordinary and usual sense, but technical words and phrases having a peculiar and appropriate meaning in law shall be…”
Ronald S. Kammerer, Jr. v. The State of Wyoming, 2014 WY 50 (Wyo. 2014). · cites it 2× “Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 8-1-103 (a)(viii) provides as follows: (viii) If any provision of any act enacted by the Wyoming legislature or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the invalidity does not affect other provisions or applications of the act which can…”
Smith v. State, 902 P.2d 1271 (Wyo. 1995). · cites it 3× “§ 8-1-103 (1989) provides, in part: (a) The construction of all statutes of this state shall be by the following rules, unless that construction is plainly contrary to the intent of the legislature: (i) Words and phrases shall be taken in their ordinary and usual sense, but…”
Gordon v. State, 413 P.3d 1093 (Wyo. 2018). · cites it 2× “] Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 8-1-103 (a)(vii) (LexisNexis 2017).”
Williams Prod. Rmt Co. v. State of Wyoming Dep't of Revenue, 2005 WY 28 (Wyo. 2005). · cites it 2× “Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 8-1-103 (a)© (LexisNexis 2003); Amoco Production Co.”
Schulthess v. Carollo, 832 P.2d 552 (Wyo. 1992). · cites it 2× “Wyo.Stat. § 8-1-103(a)(i) (June 1989); DiVenere v.”
Halliburton Co. v. McAdams, Roux & Assocs., Inc., 773 P.2d 153 (Wyo. 1989). · cites it 2× “Wyo.Stat. § 8-1-103 (1977), rules of construction for statutes, must be noted but is more applicable to decipher the meaning of particular words within a statute.”
— Wyo. Stat. § 8-1-103(a)(i) — 5 cases
Thomson v. Wyoming In-Stream Flow Comm., 651 P.2d 778 (Wyo. 1982). “Section 8-1-103(a)(i), W.S. 1977, provides the rule of construction for statutes unless "plainly contrary to the intent of the legislature: (i) Words and phrases shall be taken in their ordinary and usual sense * * *.”
Schulthess v. Carollo, 832 P.2d 552 (Wyo. 1992). “Wyo.Stat. § 8-1-103(a)(i) (June 1989); DiVenere v.”
DiVenere v. Univ. of Wyoming, 811 P.2d 273 (Wyo. 1991).
Mendicoa v. State, 780 P.2d 1346 (Wyo. 1989).
— Wyo. Stat. § 8-1-103(a)(v) — 2 cases
Bd. of Cty. Com'rs of Cty., Etc. v. Ridenour, 623 P.2d 1174 (Wyo. 1981). “) To further bolster their position, plaintiffs point to § 8-1-103, W.S. 1977, 1980 Cum.Supp., which provides in part: "(a) The construction of all statutes of this state shall be by the following rules, unless that construction is plainly contrary to the intent of the…”
Bd. of Cnty. Commissioners v. Ridenour, 623 P.2d 1174 (Wyo. 1981).
— Wyo. Stat. § 8-1-103(a)(vii) — 1 case
— Wyo. Stat. § 8-1-103(a)(viii) — 1 case
Air Methods/Rocky Mountain Holdings, LLC v. State ex rel. Dep't of Workforce Servs., Workers' Comp. Div., 432 P.3d 476 (Wyo. 2018). “Moreover, [§ 401(e) ] is severable [under Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 8-1-103 (a)(viii) ]....”
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