Utah Driving Rules and Regulations

• Updated September 16, 2022.

Licensing and Regulations

• Applicants younger than 19 years must complete Drivers Ed.
• A license is a privilege to operate a motor vehicle, not a right.
• A Class D license allows operation of vehicles up to 26,000 lbs.
• Licenses are renewed every 5 years and can be renewed up to 6 months before expiration.
• A provisional license is held by those under 21 years old.
• Suspension means temporary withdrawal of a license.
• Revocation means a license is taken away for a long period.
• Nonresident Military Service Personnel do not need a Utah license.
• Address changes must be reported to the DLD within 10 days.
• Basic Speed Law dictates that you may not go faster than is safe.
• The Driver License Compact is an agreement with other states to share driver information.
• Getting a ticket in another state that's not in the Driver License Compact can still affect your license.
• To drive a motorcycle, one must still take Drivers Education.
• Anyone under 18 on a motorcycle must wear a helmet.

Accident Statistics and Safety Measures

• 70% of crashes occur at speeds under 40 mph.
• 3 of 4 crashes resulting in death occur within 25 miles of home.
• Seat belts are required for the driver and all passengers if seat belts are available.
• Airbags come out of the dashboard at up to 200 mph.
• Most accidents occur between 2pm to 6pm.

Child Restraint Laws

• Secure children 7 years of age or younger and shorter than 57 inches tall in a child restraint device.
• After eight years and 57 inches, children may use a regular seat belt.
• Rear-facing seats are for birth to at least 1-year-old and at least 20 pounds.
• Forward-facing toddler seats are for age 1 and 20 pounds to about age 4 and 40 pounds.
• Booster seats are from about age 4 to at least age 8, unless 4'9" tall.
• Safety belts are for age 8 and older or taller than 4'9" or 57".
• All children age 12 and under should ride in the back seat.

Driving Regulations and Restrictions

• No smoking in a car if a 15-year-old is present.
• Signal 2 seconds before turning, entering traffic, or changing lanes.

Speed Limits

• School zone: 20 mph
• Residential (neighborhood): 25 mph
• Minimum on freeway: 45 mph
• Maximum on freeway (when not posted): 65/70/80 mph

Turning and Following Distance

• When making a left turn from a shared lane, you may not enter more than 500 feet prior to making the turn unless the last car is more than 500 feet from the intersection.
• No U-Turns on curve, near top of hill, if you can't see 500 ft.
• You should remain at least 2 seconds in following distance behind the vehicle ahead.

Parking Regulations

• Fire hydrant: 15 feet
• Crosswalk or driveway: 20 feet
• Stop sign: 30 feet
• Railroad crossing: 50 feet
• Opposite side of fire station: 75 feet /20 feet on same side

Vehicle Operation and Safety

• Turn on headlights if you cannot see 1,000 feet ahead of you, especially in adverse conditions.
• Put emergency flares or triangles 200 to 300 feet behind your vehicle in emergencies.
• Stay at least 4 seconds back when following a motorcycle.

Large Vehicle Awareness

• Over 250,000 crashes occur between cars and large vehicles each year.
• A loaded truck at 55 mph takes at least 335 feet to stop, which is more than 1½ times a car's distance.
• Large vehicles have blind spots up to 200 feet behind them.
• Do not follow within 500 feet of any fire vehicle responding to an alarm unless on official business.

Pedestrian and Vehicle Regulations

• A pedestrian vehicle must be less than 48 inches wide, have an engine displacement of less than 300 cubic centimeters and less than 12 brake horsepower, and not be capable of exceeding 30 mph.
• Dim headlights when approaching a car within 500 feet or following within 300 feet.

Restrictions and Legal Requirements

• Do not park closer than 50 feet from a railroad crossing unless signs indicate otherwise.
• When stopping at a crossing, you must be between 15-50 feet from the nearest rail.
• The Department of Motor Vehicles is required to revoke registration unless insurance is purchased within 30 days.
• Contact the police if the crash results in death, injury, or at least $1500 of damage.

Alcohol and Driving

• A BAC of .08 makes you 6 times more likely to crash.
• Over 16,000 crashes are caused by drinking each year.
• Refusing to test for alcohol results in an 18-month first offense and a 36-month second offense.
• Under 21 DUI can result in license revocation, with the first offense being 2 years and the second 36 months.
• License suspension for those 21 or older is 120 days, or for one year, or until you reach the age of 21.

Point System and Record Clearing

• Point system for people under 21: 70 points; for people 21 and over: 200 points.
• People under 21 can lose their license for one ticket if the points are 70 or over.
• Clear your record by driving with no tickets for 1 year (½ points removed) or 2 years (all points removed), or by taking a defensive driving course (50 points removed).
• Points and driving accidents are on your record for 3 years.
• Must have a minimum of 3 feet of distance when passing a bicycle.

Passing and Right-of-Way Rules

• Be able to get back in your lane within 100 feet of the vehicle and before coming within 200 feet of any vehicle from the opposite lane when passing with two-way traffic
• DO NOT PASS: railroad crossing, intersection, when another car is coming, when another car has stopped at crosswalk, hills, curves, school bus lights are flashing, by a bridge, tunnel, solid double yellow lines, or solid yellow line is on your side.
• Right of Way at four-way stop – person who gets there first; (both cars arrive at same time) – car on left yields to person on right
• Emergency Vehicles: stay behind 500 feet – must yield the right of way, drive to the right side of the road and stop
• Pedestrians: drivers must yield to walking or running people
• Stopping: stop at flashing red light – treat as a stop sign, red light, stop sign, school bus with flashing red lights
• you always stop for flashing red lights on a bus UNLESS: 1. divided highway 2. Bus is stopped at an intersection or other place controlled by a light 3. a highway of five or more lanes
• Do not park in or on: Sidewalk, in front of driveway, intersection, crosswalk, bridge/tunnel, shoulder, red curb

Parking Regulations

• Uphill with curb – turn wheels away from curb
• Downhill - turn wheels to curb
• Uphill without curb – turn wheels to right so if car moves it will swing around on sidewalk and hit someone, but not hit a car
• Park no more than 12 inches from curb.

Sign Identifications

• Red: stop, do not enter, not allowed
• Black on white speed limits : regulatory
• Yellow caution, warning
• Orange highway construction
• Blue services
• Brown state and federal parks
• Green guidance
• Regulatory signs control movement of traffic
• Octagon Stop
• Triangle Yield
• Vertical Rectangle Regulatory
• Round Railroad
• Pentagon School
• Pennant no passing
• Diamond Warning
• Horizontal Guide
• Stripes on barricades the direction to follow if road ahead is closed
• Zero-mile marker starts at the: West and South ends of state South western skies
• Red light- stop, Yellow light- clear the intersection, before light turns red. , Green light- go only if the intersection is clear of cars and people, Flashing yellow light proceed with caution

Other important information

• No seat belt = 23 times chance of being thrown.
• Leading cause of death 1 to 24 years = car crashes.
• Motorcycle helmets required for under 18.
• Use lights when you can't see 1,000 ahead.
• Turn lights on no later than ½ hour after sunset and keep on until ½ hour before sunrise
• Skidding turn wheel into the skid
• Railroad crossing never drive around railroad gates
• Occupants of the vehicle 19 years and older may be cited for a seat belt violation if stopped for some other reason.
• 44% of kids actually ride in a safety seat in Utah.
• 1,400 Utah children under the age of five are injured and 15-20 are killed each year.
• accident stop, render aid (help), Contact police it is the law if there is injury, death, or at least $1,000 in damage
• You still have to contact the police if the accident doesn't involve another car
• If you have a mental condition, you do need to let the driver license office know
• NOT A DROP MEANS NO TRACE OF ALCOHOL for anyone under 21 years' old
• Utah Implied Consent Law if you refuse to take a drug or alcohol test, your license may by revoked for a year. You may not choose which test to take or call someone first.
• Must have driver's side mirror on the vehicle and a horn
• Must not have muffler cut-out
• You can turn left on a red light only when turning from a one-way street to a one-way street.
• Reckless driving willful and wanton disregard of others around you
• Regardless of what the traffic lights may indicate, you must always obey the police officer at the intersection.
• *** DRIVER ERROR is a factor in 75% of all car crashes.
• MOST ACCIDENTS occur between 3PM and 6PM.
• MOTOR VEHICLE CRASHES are the leading cause of death for ages 1 to 24 years of age.
• Youthful driving restriction: A person younger than 17 years of age may not operate a motor vehicle upon any highway of this state between the hours of 12AM and 5 AM.
• Speed too fast for conditions: TOP reason people crash in Utah
• Military personnel out of state license valid for 90 days.
• 30 hours of driving including 10 at night.
• 18 yrs. and younger must have permit for 6 months.
• 90 days to get a license when moving from out of state. Three things you must do before entering or exiting traffic: 1. Signal, check mirrors, head check, go within one second
• the area between the lines as you are getting onto the freeway from the on-ramp. YOU MAY NOT CROSS the to move onto the freeway.
• Children under 5 must be in safety seat
• Driver must provide seat restraints to each person of five years of age up to 16 years
• Air bags do not put children in front seats when there are air bags