The UT licensing action explained
After a DUI arrest in Utah, the Utah Driver License Division, Department of Public Safety (dld.utah.gov) opens its own case against your driving privilege. It is administrative, it moves faster than the criminal case, and it is decided regardless of what the court later does with the charge.
The request for an administrative hearing is due within 10 days of arrest. Miss it and the suspension usually takes effect automatically.
Hearing requests, suspension notices, reinstatement fees and interlock paperwork.
Deadlines, forms and how the hearing is conducted.
How the UT agency runs the licence case
- A driver arrested for DUI must request a Driver License Division hearing within 10 days of arrest to contest suspension.
- Driving privileges may be withdrawn 45 days after the arrest date absent a successful hearing.
- Under Utah Code § 53-3-223 eligible offenders may qualify for DUI early reinstatement.
- An ignition interlock device is required for 18 months for offenders 21 and older, and three years for those under 21.
- A reinstatement fee may be required for each citation before privileges are restored.
Utah licence facts
Utah DUI law at a glance
Sourced from the Utah code and state agency sites. Verify current text before relying on it.
- Offense name
- DUI (Utah)
- Controlling statute
- Utah Code § 41-6a-502
- Implied consent
- Utah Code § 41-6a-520
- Per se BAC limit
- 0.05 (0.04 CDL, 0.02 or lower under 21)
- Licence hearing deadline
- 10 days after arrest
- Prior-offense lookback
- 10 years
- First-offense fine
- $700–$1,000
- First-offense jail exposure
- up to 6 months
- Licence suspension
- 4 months
- Ignition interlock
- Required on a first offense in most cases
- Trial court
- the Justice Court or District Court
- High-risk filing
- SR-22 for 3 years
A first offense is a class B misdemeanor requiring interlock. Utah's per se limit is 0.05.
Getting the licence back
- Serve the full suspension or hard-suspension period the agency sets.
- Complete any ordered assessment, education or treatment programme.
- Install an approved ignition interlock device — Utah requires one in most first-offense cases.
- Utah requires a SR-22 certificate of financial responsibility for 3 years before a licence is reinstated after a DUI conviction.
- Pay the reinstatement fee and any licence-issuance fee in full.
Fees and processing times change; confirm the current amounts on dld.utah.gov before you travel to an office.
Utah ZIP codes covered
These Utah ZIP-code pages carry the local court, filing and licensing detail for the area, and each one links back to this resource page.
Counties and cities using these Utah resources
Counties
Other Utah official resources
Frequently asked questions
- How long do I have to challenge a Utah licence suspension?
- The administrative hearing request is due within 10 days of arrest. Confirm the current deadline and filing method with the UT licensing agency at dld.utah.gov before relying on it.
- How long is a first-offense suspension in Utah?
- A first DUI offense generally carries a 4 months suspension in Utah. Reinstatement conditions, fees and any interlock requirement are set by the licensing agency.