Utah State Code License Plate Cover

[Kim Veller]

Lastmonth, McCay told lawmakers on the House Revenue and Taxation Committee that he decided to work on the bill after he heard from constituents complaining about having to drill holes in their front bumpers.

The state is expected to save about $3.50 per license plate that no longer needs to be printed and distributed, McCay said. However, SB45 directs $1 from each license plate fee to go into a fund the Utah Highway Patrol can use to train and hire more troopers.

The added $25 fee, McCay said, is to help make the personalized license plate program more cost effective for the Utah Tax Commission while also discouraging people from trying to apply for offensive designs. Currently, if a design is rejected, the existing $50 application fee is refunded, whereas the new $25 processing fee would not be refundable.

Utah News Dispatch is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Utah News Dispatch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor McKenzie Romero for questions: in...@utahnewsdispatch.com. Follow Utah News Dispatch on Facebook and X.

Katie McKellar covers Utah government as a senior reporter for Utah News Dispatch. She specializes in political reporting, covering the governor and the Utah Legislature, with expertise in beats including growth, housing and homelessness.

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Traffic tickets - also called citations - are used for minor violations of traffic law such as speeding, running a stop sign, and parking violations. Citations are issued by the Utah Highway Patrol, county sheriffs' offices, and municipal police departments.

Your citation should tell you the statute or code number of the violation you are being charged with. If you were cited under state law, you can look at the Utah Code online. The law library website describes how to find Utah city and county codes online. Traffic tickets can impact your driver's license and your insurance rates.

If your ticket only involves a moving violation under Utah Code Title 41, Chapter 6a and you received it no more than 21 days ago, you might be eligible for Deferred Traffic Prosecution - visit our webpage to learn more and to see if you qualify.

Most traffic offenses are classified as infractions (no imprisonment and fines up to $750) or class C misdemeanors, (maximum imprisonment of 90 days and fines up to $750). Some traffic offenses, such as drunk driving, are classified as more serious offenses which have the possibility of longer terms of imprisonment and higher fines.

Most infractions - such as parking violations - do not require you to appear in court, and can be handled by paying the fine online, or by mailing the bail amount to the court listed on the citation. If you are paying the fine online, you will need to know your citation number or your court case number. Not all courts use the online ePayment system. If your case is in one of those courts, contact them to discuss payment options.

Generally speaking, if you choose to dispute your traffic citation rather than just paying the fine, you must appear in court and enter a plea of "not guilty." After you enter your plea, you can try to negotiate with the prosecuting attorney. If you are unable to reach an agreement, a trial will be scheduled. The trial is your chance to tell your side of the story to the judge or a jury. The judge will also hear testimony from the officer who issued the citation, and any witnesses you or the prosecutor may call to testify.

Your citation will tell you the deadline for paying the fine, or the date you have to come to court if you want to dispute the citation. Do not ignore the date. If you do not pay the fine before that date or come to court on that date, the court can issue a warrant for your arrest and can suspend your driver's license. Be sure to contact the court if you need to reschedule the court date, or cannot meet the deadline.

Some justice courts have web pages with information about traffic matters. The Utah City and County page on the state's website provides link to local government pages. Look for a link that says something like Justice Court or Municipal Court.

See our Finding Legal Help page for information about ways to get legal help. One way to talk to an attorney is to visit a free legal clinic. Clinics provide general legal information and give brief legal advice. You might also hire an attorney for just part of your case or to do one particular thing, rather than represent you for the whole case. Legal help is also available at discounted rates for people with modest incomes.

An appeal of a justice court decision goes to the district court, and results in a trial or hearing de novo. "De novo" means the matter is tried all over again. A Notice of Appeal in a criminal case must be filed with the justice court within 28 days of the entry of a justice court order or judgment. See Utah Code Section 78A-7-118.

Conviction of some traffic offenses - such as speeding - are reported to the Utah Driver License Division (driverlicense.utah.gov) within ten days of the conviction or payment of the fine. Some non-moving violations, such as lack of registration, are not reported. Chapter 1 of the Uniform Fine Schedule provides information about whether or not a conviction must be reported to the Driver License Division.

The Utah Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) assigns points for moving traffic violations. The points are based upon the relationship between types of traffic violations and traffic accidents. If you get more than 200 points on your driving record in a three year period, you could have your driving privileges suspended. Drivers under 21 who get more than 70 points face the same penalty. Utah Administrative Rule R708-3 describes the penalties associated with accumulated points.

If you drive one year without being convicted of a moving traffic violation, half of the points on your driving record will be removed. If you drive two years without a moving traffic violation, all of the points on your record will be removed.

You can also remove 50 points from your driving record once in a three year period by attending an approved defensive driving course. Defensive driving courses or traffic safety schools are established or approved by each government and court jurisdiction. Contact the court in the area in which you received the ticket to ask if it has a list of approved programs.

If you have lost your ticket, contact the law enforcement agency that issued it. For tickets issued by the Utah Highway Patrol, choose the area on the map where you got the ticket to get information about the local office.

A first or second time drunk driving offense can be charged as a class A or B misdemeanor, depending on whether someone was hurt, or if there were minor passengers in the vehicle. See Utah Code 41-6a-503.

There are two sides to a DUI arrest. The criminal case with the court. And the steps taken by the Utah Driver License Division. It is important to follow the deadlines for each. For example, if you are arrested for DUI you should request a hearing with the Driver License Division within 10 days of the arrest. See the Utah Driver License Division DUI page for more information

You are continuing to another website that Utah Courts may not own or operate. Its owner is solely responsible for the website's content, offerings and level of security, so please refer to the website's posted privacy policy and terms of use.

Digital Utah State Parks passes are now available at parkspass.utah.gov. Passes are good for the day of purchase only. Camping access and camping discounts are both NOT included in the purchase of a day-use pass.

The Utah State Park Annual Day-Use Pass provides day-use access to Utah state parks for the purchaser and up to seven additional individuals in the same vehicle. Seniors aged 65 and over can obtain this pass at a discounted rate.

These locations can only facilitate annual pass purchases during their respective business hours. DNR Bookstore Hours: Monday-Friday, 10 am-5 pm.

The Annual Day-Use Pass does not grant access to Jordan River OHV State Park or This is the Place Heritage Park. Additionally, it does not cover the $2 causeway fee for Antelope Island State Park. Camping access and camping discounts are not included with the purchase of this pass. Purchasing the pass does not guarantee entry if a park is temporarily closed due to reaching its capacity.

Carry your park pass easily on your phone! When you register your annual pass online and download the Utah State Parks mobile app, your pass will then be valid for 12 months from the date of purchase. Visit ParksPass.utah.gov/app to download the app and start using it today.

Veterans meeting this requirement will need to provide a current Summary of Benefits letter issued by the Department of Veteran Affairs in order to obtain the Honor Pass at select locations across Utah.

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