Utah driving law, answered
Every answer here comes from Utah Driver Handbook 2026-2027 and, where the manual is silent, the Utah Code: Title 41, Chapter 1a, Part 1: Motor Vehicle Act -- Administration, Title 41, Chapter 1a, Part 2: Registration, Title 41, Chapter 1a, Part 4: License Plates and Registration Indicia, Title 41, Chapter 1a, Part 5: Titling Requirement, Title 41, Chapter 1a, Part 7: Transfer of Ownership, Title 41, Chapter 1a, Part 12: Fee and Tax Requirements, Title 41, Chapter 1a, Part 13: Offenses and Penalties, Title 41, Chapter 6a: Traffic Code, Title 41, Chapter 8: Driving by Minors, Title 41, Chapter 12a: Financial Responsibility of Motor Vehicle Owners and Operators Act, Title 53, Chapter 3, Part 1: Driver License Division Administration, Title 53, Chapter 3, Part 2: Driver Licensing Act, Title 53, Chapter 3, Part 3: Impaired Persons Licensing Act, Title 53, Chapter 3, Part 6: Drivers' License Compact, Title 53, Chapter 3, Part 7: Nonresident Violator Compact, Title 53, Chapter 3, Part 9: Motorcycle Rider Education Act, Title 53, Chapter 3, Part 10: Ignition Interlock System Program Act, Title 32B, Chapter 4, Part 4: Sale, Purchase, Possession, and Consumption, with the page or the section it is in.
Statutes fetched on 8 October 2026; manuals fetched on 14 September 2026. How the answers are made
How far from a fire hydrant must you park?
A driver may not park within 15 feet of a fire hydrant. A hose has to reach the hydrant from the street. A parked car turns a two minute hookup into a broken window.
Within 15 feet of a fire hydrant.
As of 14 Sep 2026
How far from a crosswalk at an intersection must you park?
A driver may not park on a crosswalk or within 20 feet of one. A car at the corner hides a walking child from every driver approaching, and hides the traffic from the child.
On a crosswalk, or within 20 feet of a crosswalk.
As of 14 Sep 2026
May you park in or near an intersection?
A driver may not park in front of a public or private driveway, in an intersection, or on a sidewalk. Each of those is somebody’s only way in or out. Blocking it is the kind of parking that gets a car towed.
In front of a public or private driveway.
As of 14 Sep 2026
How far from a stop sign or traffic signal must you park?
A driver may not park within 30 feet of a flashing beacon, stop sign, yield sign, or traffic control signal. Parking under a sign is parking in front of it. The drivers behind you cannot obey what they cannot see.
Within 30 feet of any flashing beacon, stop sign, yield sign, or traffic control signal.
As of 14 Sep 2026
How far from a railroad crossing must you park?
A driver may not park on a railroad track or within 50 feet of the nearest rail of a railroad crossing. A train needs the whole crossing and a good deal either side of it. Fifty feet is the room it cannot give back.
On any railroad track or within 50 feet of the nearest rail of a railroad crossing.
As of 14 Sep 2026
How far from a fire station driveway must you park?
A driver may not park within 20 feet of a fire station driveway entrance, and where signs are posted may not park within 75 feet of it on the opposite side of the road. An engine leaving a station has to swing wide across the street. The far side matters as much as the near one.
Within 20 feet of the driveway entrance to any fire station, if signs are posted, you may not park on the opposite side of the road if you are within 75 feet of the fire station entrance.
As of 14 Sep 2026
How close to the curb must you park?
A vehicle finishing a parallel park should be no more than 12 inches from the curb. A foot is the whole allowance. Beyond it the car sticks into the lane and the maneuver has not worked.
The vehicle should be no more than 12 inches from the curb.
As of 14 Sep 2026
When must you stop for a school bus with flashing red lights?
A driver must stop immediately before reaching a school bus displaying alternating flashing red light signals visible from the front or rear. Those lights mean a child is about to step into the road. Stopping short of the bus is what leaves them a road to step into.
If a school bus displays alternating flashing red light signals visible from the front or rear. Stop immediately before reaching the bus.
As of 14 Sep 2026
How far behind a fire truck answering an alarm may you follow?
Unless on official business, a Utah driver may not follow within 500 feet of any fire vehicle responding to an alarm. Following a fire engine to the scene puts a car where the crew needs room to work.
Unless you are on official business, do not follow within 500 feet of any fire vehicle responding to an alarm.
As of 14 Sep 2026
When must you turn on your headlights?
Headlights and taillights must be illuminated from sunset to sunrise, or when people and vehicles are not clearly visible at 1,000 feet ahead. Lights are as much about being seen as about seeing. The distance is the test, not whether you feel you need them.
If your vehicle is being operated on a highway at any time from sunset to sunrise, or when persons and vehicles on the highway are not clearly discernible at a distance of 1,000 feet ahead due to insufficient light or unfavorable atmospheric conditions.
As of 14 Sep 2026
How far from an oncoming vehicle must you dim your high beams?
A driver with high beams on must dim them before coming within 500 feet of an oncoming car. High beams blind the oncoming driver for several seconds, and they are steering toward you the whole time.
If your vehicle’s high beam lights are on and a car is coming toward you, dim your lights before you get within 500 feet of the oncoming car.
As of 14 Sep 2026
Who must wear a seat belt?
Everyone in a vehicle in Utah must have a fastened safety belt or a child seat. A belt keeps you behind the wheel where the controls are, and keeps a passenger out of the person in front.
Always fasten your safety belt. Everyone in your vehicle must have a fastened safety belt or child seat.
As of 14 Sep 2026
When must a child ride in a car seat?
Every child aged eight and under must be properly secured in an approved child safety seat unless they are 57 inches tall. An adult belt across a small child lands on the neck and stomach. The seat lifts them until the belt fits.
All children aged eight and under must be properly secured in an approved child safety seat unless they are 57 inches tall.
As of 14 Sep 2026
What is the legal blood alcohol limit for adult drivers?
A Utah driver over 0.05 blood alcohol content is in violation of the law, and the figure is 0.04 for a commercial driver. Utah’s limit is the lowest in the country. A figure that is legal in the next state is an offense here.
If you are over 0.05 BAC (0.04 for CDL), you violate the law.
As of 14 Sep 2026
What is the blood alcohol limit for drivers under 21?
Under Utah’s Not-a-Drop Act a person under 21 driving with any measurable amount of alcohol in their body loses all driving privileges for six months on a first offense. Any measurable amount means any at all. For a driver under 21 there is no small amount that is still legal.
Not-a-Drop Act provides that a person under 21 years of age driving with any measurable amount of alcohol in their body will have all driving privileges denied for six months for a first offense.
As of 14 Sep 2026
May you use a handheld phone while driving?
A Utah driver may not use a handheld wireless communication device while driving to write, send, or read a written communication, dial a number, access the internet, view or record video, take a photograph, or enter data. Every one of those takes the eyes off the road for seconds at a time, which is hundreds of feet on a highway.
A person may not use an HWC device while operating a moving motor vehicle on a highway in this state to manually write, send, or read a written communication
As of 14 Sep 2026
May you text while driving?
A Utah driver may not use a handheld wireless communication device while driving to write, send, or read a written communication, dial a number, access the internet, view or record video, take a photograph, or enter data. Every one of those takes the eyes off the road for seconds at a time, which is hundreds of feet on a highway.
A person may not use an HWC device while operating a moving motor vehicle on a highway in this state to manually write, send, or read a written communication
As of 14 Sep 2026
How far before a turn must you signal?
A Utah driver must signal for two seconds before turning. Two seconds is what gives the driver behind time to lift off rather than brake hard.
For two seconds before turning.
As of 14 Sep 2026
May you turn right on a red light?
A Utah driver may turn right on a red light after coming to a complete stop, unless posted otherwise. The complete stop is the condition, not a formality. Turning without it is running a red light with an excuse.
You may turn right on a red light after coming to a complete stop unless posted otherwise.
As of 14 Sep 2026
May you turn left on a red light onto a one-way street?
(c) (i) (A) The operator of a vehicle facing a steady circular red signal may cautiously enter the intersection to turn right, or may turn left from a one-way street into a one-way street, after stopping as required by Subsection (4)(a). (B) If permitted by a traffic control device on the state highway system, the operator of a vehicle facing a steady red arrow signal may cautiously enter the intersection to turn left from a one-way street into a one-way street after stopping as required by Subsection (4)(a).
Utah law, Utah Code § 41-6a-305(4)(c)
As of 8 Oct 2026
Where are U-turns not allowed?
A driver may never make a U-turn on a railroad track, at a railroad grade crossing, or on a freeway. Two of those are places you must never stop at all, and the third is full of traffic arriving at seventy miles an hour.
Never make a U-turn on any curve near the top of a hill where you cannot see or be seen from both directions for 500 feet, where prohibited by an official traffic control device, on a railroad track, railroad grade crossing, or a freeway.
As of 14 Sep 2026
What is the speed limit on a residential street when no sign is posted?
The Utah speed limit in any business or residential area is 25 miles per hour where no sign is posted. These are the streets with driveways, parked cars and children. Twenty-five is what leaves room to stop for any of them.
25 miles per hour: • In any business or residential area.
As of 14 Sep 2026
What is the speed limit in a school zone?
(1) An individual may not operate a vehicle at a speed greater than 20 miles per hour in a reduced speed school zone as defined in Section 41-6a-303.
Utah law, Utah Code § 41-6a-604(1)
As of 8 Oct 2026
When may you pass another vehicle on the right?
(1) Subject to Section 41-6a-718, the operator of a vehicle may overtake and pass on the right of another vehicle only: (a) when the vehicle overtaken is making or preparing to make a left turn; or (b) on a roadway with unobstructed pavement of sufficient width for two or more lines of vehicles moving lawfully in the direction being traveled by the overtaking vehicle.
Utah law, Utah Code § 41-6a-705(1)
As of 8 Oct 2026
May you have an open container of alcohol in the car?
(3) A person may not keep, carry, possess, transport, or allow another to keep, carry, possess, or transport in the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle, on a golf cart, on a motor assisted scooter, or on an electric assisted bicycle, when the vehicle is on any highway or waters of the state, any container that contains an alcoholic beverage if the container has been opened, the container's seal broken, or the contents of the container partially consumed.
Utah law, Utah Code § 41-6a-526(3)
As of 8 Oct 2026
How old must you be to get a learner's permit?
An applicant must be at least 15 to hold an entry-level learner permit. Fifteen is where Utah starts. It is the age the whole graduated system is built up from.
You have reached a minimum age of 15.
As of 14 Sep 2026
How long must you hold a learner's permit before a license?
A 16 or 17 year old must have completed driver education and held a learner permit for at least six months before being licensed. Six months covers a winter or a summer. It stops a teenager from passing the test on a two weeks of easy weather.
You have completed driver education and held a learner permit for at least six months if you are 16 or 17 years of age. If you are 19 years or older, you must hold the learner permit for 90 days.
As of 14 Sep 2026
Who must ride with you when you drive on a learner's permit?
A 16 year old with a learner permit must have a licensed parent, stepparent, foster parent, legal guardian, approved driving instructor, or responsible adult 21 or over in the front seat. The front seat is the only place a supervisor can reach the wheel or see what you see. Utah names who may sit there.
Front seat passenger must be a licensed parent, stepparent, foster parent, legal guardian, approved driving instructor, or responsible adult 21 or over
As of 14 Sep 2026
What hours may a provisional driver not drive?
A licensed 16 year old in Utah may not drive between 12 am and 5 am. Those five hours are the worst of the week for a new driver. Empty roads, tired eyes, and drivers who have been drinking.
If you have a driver license (not permit) 12 am - 5 am
As of 14 Sep 2026
How many passengers may a new provisional driver carry?
A licensed Utah driver aged 16 may carry only immediate family members in the vehicle until six months from the license issue date. A car full of friends is the loudest thing a new driver has ever had to ignore. Six months of practice comes first.
If you have a driver license (not permit) immediate family members only in vehicle until six months from issue date
As of 14 Sep 2026
What is the penalty for littering from a vehicle?
(1) Except as provided in Subsection (3), an individual who violates any of the provisions of Section 41-6a-1712 is guilty of an infraction and shall be fined: (a) not less than $200 for a violation; or (b) not less than $500 for a second or subsequent violation within three years of a previous violation of this section.
Utah law, Utah Code § 41-6a-1713(1)
As of 8 Oct 2026
How long is your license suspended for a first drunk-driving conviction?
A first DUI conviction for a Utah driver 21 and older suspends the driver license for 120 days, and a second or subsequent offense for two years. Four months for the first one. The step up to two years is what a second conviction actually costs.
On the first conviction of a DUI for a driver 21 and older, the driver license will be suspended for 120 days and two years for a second or subsequent offense.
As of 14 Sep 2026
For how many years does a prior drunk-driving conviction count against you?
(iv) has one prior conviction within 10 years of: (A) the current conviction under Subsection (1); or (B) the commission of the offense upon which the current conviction is based.
Utah law, Utah Code § 41-6a-502(2)(b)
As of 8 Oct 2026
How many points on your license lead to a suspension?
A Utah driver over 21 who acquires 200 or more points within a three year period is asked to appear for a hearing. Two hundred points is roughly four serious violations. The hearing is where somebody decides whether you keep driving.
OVER 21 YEARS OF AGE-if you acquire 200 or more points within a three year period, you will be asked to appear for a hearing.
As of 14 Sep 2026
What is the fine for texting while driving?
A Utah texting violation is a Class C misdemeanor with a maximum fine of $100, or a Class B misdemeanor where the driver inflicts bodily injury or has a previous violation. It is a criminal offense rather than a ticket, and hurting somebody moves it up a class straight away.
A person convicted of a texting violation is guilty of a Class C misdemeanor with a maximum fine of $100 or a Class B misdemeanor if they inflict bodily injury or have a previous violation for this offense.
As of 14 Sep 2026
Who must wear a protective helmet while operating or riding a motorcycle?
Any Utah motorcycle operator or passenger under 21 years of age must wear an approved DOT helmet. Twenty-one is the line Utah draws, and below it the helmet is law rather than advice.
Any motorcycle operator or passenger who is under 21 years of age must wear an approved DOT helmet.
As of 14 Sep 2026
How much distance must you leave when passing a bicycle?
Utah law requires a minimum of three feet of distance when passing any bicyclist or vulnerable user of the highway. Three feet is the room a cyclist needs to wobble round a drain without being under your wing mirror.
Utah law requires a minimum of three feet of distance from any bicyclist or vulnerable user of the highway you are passing.
As of 14 Sep 2026
Must a vehicle driving slower than other traffic keep to the right lane?
(3) A person operating a vehicle on a roadway at less than the normal speed of traffic shall operate the vehicle in the right-hand lane then available for traffic, or as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway, except when: (a) overtaking and passing another vehicle proceeding in the same direction; (b) preparing to turn left; or (c) taking a different highway or an exit on the left.
Utah law, Utah Code § 41-6a-701(3)
As of 8 Oct 2026
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