If you are 21 or older and can lawfully possess a firearm, Utah lets you carry it in public, loaded, openly or concealed, without a permit. That rule...
Reviewed by Will Luker, Founder of CCW Hub. USCCA Training Counselor, USCCA Certified Instructor, NRA Certified Instructor, Law Enforcement.
If you are 21 or older and can lawfully possess a firearm, Utah lets you carry it in public, loaded, openly or concealed, without a permit. That rule sits in Utah Code 53-5a-102.2(1)(b) and covers a public street and any other place not off limits under another state statute or federal law. At 18, 19, or 20 the rule is much tighter, and the fix is a Provisional permit. Utah still issues permits to residents and non-residents, and there are concrete reasons to hold one.
Utah Constitution Article I, Section 6 protects the individual right to keep and bear arms "for security and defense of self, family, others, property, or the state," while reserving to the Legislature the power to define "the lawful use of arms." Utah Code 53-5a-102(1) cites it and the Second Amendment as the basis for occupying the whole field of firearm regulation.
Utah recodified its firearm laws effective May 7, 2025. Permit sections moved from Title 53, Chapter 5, Part 7 into Title 53, Chapter 5a, "Firearm Laws." Weapons offenses moved from Title 76, Chapter 10, Part 5 into Title 76, Chapter 11, "Weapons."
Moves you will notice first in older handouts:
| Old citation | Current citation | Subject |
|---|---|---|
| 53-5-704 | 53-5a-303 | Standard concealed firearm permit |
| 53-5-704.5 | 53-5a-304 | Provisional permit for ages 18 to 20 |
| 53-5-707 | 53-5a-307 | Permit fees |
| 76-10-504 | 76-11-202 | Unlawful concealed carry by a person under 21 |
| 76-10-505 | 76-11-204 | Unlawfully carrying a firearm in a vehicle |
| 76-10-505.5 | 76-11-205 | Dangerous weapon at an elementary or secondary school |
| 76-10-530 | 76-11-219 | Firearm trespass in a house of worship |
Recognition of other states' permits now runs through Utah Code 53-5a-102.2, the section BCI's reciprocity page cites. Verify any citation you plan to teach on le.utah.gov, because several of these sections were amended again in the 2026 session.
Under Utah Code 53-5a-102.2(1)(b), an individual 21 or older who may otherwise lawfully possess firearms may carry a loaded or unloaded firearm, open or concealed, on a public street or in any other place not prohibited by state statute or federal law, plus a loaded or unloaded handgun and an unloaded long gun in a vehicle the individual is lawfully present in. Lawful presence under Subsection (4) means your own lawful possession of the vehicle, or the consent of the person in lawful possession.
Carrying without a permit costs you access to several places. Utah Code 53-5a-102.2(2)(b) says a 21-plus carrier without a permit may not carry in any manner:
The same subsection bars open carry at an institution of higher education unless you are lawfully responding to an active threat under Utah Code 76-2-402, 76-2-405, or 76-2-407. That standalone offense, Utah Code 76-11-205.5, is a class C misdemeanor. Concealed carry on campus is not on the list.
Your own home and land are treated separately. Under Utah Code 53-5a-102.3, a person 18 or older who is not a restricted person may have, and cannot be restricted from having, a loaded or unloaded firearm at the person's residence or real property, including a rented one.
Without a Provisional permit, Utah Code 53-5a-102.2(1)(a) says you may carry only in an open manner, and that qualifier heads all three items it lists: an unloaded rifle, shotgun, or muzzle-loading rifle in a vehicle you are lawfully present in, a loaded or unloaded handgun in that vehicle, and an unloaded firearm on a public street or in another public location not prohibited by state statute or federal law. Two offenses enforce it.
Utah Code 76-11-202 makes it unlawful concealed carry by a person under 21 to conceal a readily accessible firearm outside your residence, your real property, a vehicle you are lawfully present in under Subsection (2)(e)(iii), or a business under your control, when you hold no Provisional permit and no permit from another state. The offense is a class B misdemeanor, a class A misdemeanor if the firearm was loaded, and a second degree felony if the firearm was used in the commission of a violent felony and you were a party to the offense.
Utah Code 76-11-220 makes it a class B misdemeanor for a person 18 to 20 to carry a loaded firearm on a public street, and does not apply to a Provisional permit holder.
The Provisional permit under Utah Code 53-5a-304 clears both. BCI shall issue it within 60 days to an applicant 18 to 20 who meets the qualifications in Utah Code 53-5a-303(2), valid statewide until the holder turns 21. Utah Code 53-5a-303(1)(b) lets the holder apply for the Standard permit within the 90 days before turning 21. Two limits survive: Utah Code 53-5a-102.2(2)(d)(i) bars carrying in any manner on school premises, and Utah Code 53-5a-304(6) leaves another state's age rules controlling in that state.
Utah Code 53-5a-303(1)(a) is a shall-issue command. BCI must issue a concealed carry permit to an applicant 21 or older within 60 days unless it finds proof the applicant is not qualified under Subsection (2) or (3). The permit is valid statewide for five years.
Disqualifiers under Utah Code 53-5a-303(2)(a) include conviction of a felony, a crime of violence, an alcohol offense, an offense involving unlawful use of a controlled substance, an offense involving moral turpitude or domestic violence, adjudication as mentally incompetent that has not been withdrawn or reversed, and any status making you ineligible under Title 76, Chapter 11, Part 3 or federal law. BCI must consider mitigating circumstances. Utah Code 53-5a-303(3) adds a danger-to-self-or-others ground and forbids denial based solely on one infraction-level conviction under Title 76, Chapter 11.
Training is the other gate. Utah Code 53-5a-303(6)(d) requires evidence of general familiarity with the types of firearms to be concealed, which Subsection (8) defines as training in safe loading, unloading, storage, and carrying, plus current law on lawful use of a firearm by a private citizen, including self defense, deadly force, transportation, and concealment. A bureau-approved course, a BCI-certified instructor, or equivalent experience in organized competition, law enforcement, or military service satisfies it, and instruction must be in person.
Under Utah Code 53-5a-303(4)(a), a non-resident living in a state that recognizes the Utah permit must also hold and submit a copy of a current home-state permit. Knowingly providing false information there bars a Utah permit for 10 years. Active duty service members ordered to duty in Utah, and their spouses stationed with them, are excepted.
Utah Code 53-5a-305 adds a third track, a temporary permit issued only on a written showing of extenuating circumstances, valid at most 90 days.
Travel is the big one. BCI publishes a recognition matrix separating the two permits. As published, 36 states honor the Standard permit and 19 of those also honor the Provisional permit, while 13 states plus the District of Columbia honor neither. BCI also cautions that some states accept the Utah permit only while the holder is a Utah resident. Check the matrix on BCI's reciprocity page before a trip.
Purchases are the second. Utah Code 53-5a-602 exempts a Standard or Provisional permit holder from the state background check and its fee at a dealer, if you present the permit and the dealer verifies it with BCI. A temporary permit holder gets no exemption. Private sales run on a separate, voluntary track: Utah Code 53-5a-603 directs BCI to run an online process letting a private seller or buyer check whether the other party holds a valid permit, or whether the firearm is reported stolen. It does not apply to a dealer, and no governmental entity may require its use.
Places are the third. A permit holder under Utah Code 53-5a-102.2(2)(c) is barred only from secure areas, airport secure areas, posted houses of worship and private residences, and places otherwise prohibited by law, plus open carry at schools and higher education campuses. Schools and daycares stay open to a concealing permit holder and closed to everyone carrying on the permitless rule. Utah Code 53-5a-102.2(1)(c) gives another state's permit the same effect inside Utah, except that Subsection (2)(d)(ii) closes school and daycare premises to an out-of-state-permit-only holder.
Utah Code 53-5a-307 set fixed dollar amounts only through June 30, 2026, including $25 to apply, an additional $35 for a non-resident, and $20 to renew. On and after July 1, 2026, each is a bureau-set fee, and the Provisional permit fees in Utah Code 53-5a-308 work the same way. Quote current pricing from BCI's fee schedule, not a statutory figure. BCI must waive the initial fee for a law enforcement officer, an active duty service member, that member's spouse, or a school employee.
Under Utah Code 53-5a-102, a local or state governmental entity may not prohibit possession, ownership, purchase, sale, transfer, or transport of a firearm, ammunition, or firearm accessory at a person's residence, property, business, or vehicle, and may not require a permit or license to purchase, own, possess, transport, or keep those items. Utah Code 53-5a-102(3) makes Part 1 of Chapter 5a and Title 76, Chapter 11 uniformly applicable statewide. Subsection (5) bars any unauthorized directive restricting those activities, and Subsection (6) preserves private property rights.
Enforcement is a private civil action. Utah Code 78B-6-2302 forbids a local or state governmental entity from enacting or enforcing a directive that violates preemption, with carve-outs for peace officer duty weapons, correctional and mental health facilities under Utah Code 76-8-311.3, secure courthouses and State Tax Commission facilities, and directives developed under legislative authority. Under Utah Code 78B-6-2303, a person harmed may demand rescission in writing and may sue if the entity does not rescind within 30 days. A court finding a violation must void the directive, enjoin it, and award the prevailing party actual damages, attorney fees and costs, and interest from the filing date. Utah Code 78B-6-2301 reaches counties, cities, towns, special districts, school districts, charter schools, and public higher education institutions.
The second preemption axis points at federal rather than local rules. Utah Code 53-5a-203 bars a law enforcement officer, state employee, or employee of a political subdivision from implementing, enforcing, assisting, or cooperating in enforcement of a federal regulation on firearms, firearm accessories, or ammunition, and bars spending public funds or resources on that enforcement. Subsection (3) preserves routine cooperation with federal agencies, task force service, and referrals, and Subsection (4) exempts BCI, Peace Officer Standards and Training, and the Utah National Guard.
The recodified code is not internally consistent about which section creates the Provisional permit. The section titled "Provisional permit to carry concealed firearm" is Utah Code 53-5a-304, and Utah Code 76-11-202 and 53-5a-602 both cite it. But Utah Code 53-5a-102.2 as amended in the 2026 session, and Utah Code 76-11-220, describe a "provisional concealed carry permit issued under Section 53-5a-305," the temporary permit section. Read those as pointing to the Provisional permit BCI issues to 18 to 20 year olds, and confirm with BCI before building a lesson plan around the numbering.
Prohibited persons are in Title 76, Chapter 11, Part 3. A Category I restricted person who possesses a dangerous weapon commits a third degree felony, or a second degree felony if the weapon is a firearm, under Utah Code 76-11-305. A Category II restricted person commits a class A misdemeanor, or a third degree felony if the weapon is a firearm, under Utah Code 76-11-306. Carrying a readily accessible dangerous weapon while under the influence of alcohol at the concentration set by Utah Code 41-6a-502(1)(a) through (c), or of a controlled substance defined in Utah Code 58-37-101, is a class B misdemeanor under Utah Code 76-11-217.
From here, the manner-of-carry sections work these rules in detail, prohibited places maps the exclusions, use of force takes the Utah Code 76-2-401 through 76-2-409 justifications that sit outside the firearm chapters, the application, training, fees, and renewal sections walk the BCI process, purchase and transfer covers Chapter 5a, Part 6, and reciprocity handles interstate travel.
This page covers one part of our Utah concealed carry guide.
Read the complete Utah guideBrowse local instructors offering state-approved training in your area. Book online, complete your training, and get one step closer to your concealed carry permit.