◆ UTAH · CARRY LAW
Utah.
Information, not legal advice. Confirm with the state before you carry.
Kept in this browser only. Never sent to us.
◆ THE SHORT ANSWEREvery tile below is one of the answers further down this page, with its citation.
Concealed, no permit
Yes
Open, no permit
Yes
In a vehicle, no permit
Yes
Getting a permit
Yes, shall-issue
Nothing in Utah that most visitors get caught by, but read the answers below before you rely on that.
◆ CARRYING HERE
What Utah requires
The state's permit is the Concealed Carry Permit, issued by the Bureau of Criminal Identification.
Carrying without a permit3
Can I carry concealed here without a permit?
Permitless or "constitutional" carry. "Limited" means some adults qualify and others do not. Read the qualifier.
Yes
Yes, from 21. Loaded or unloaded, on the street or anywhere not otherwise prohibited. From 18 you need a permit to conceal; any state’s permit will do.
Can I carry openly here without a permit?
Yes
Yes, and this is where Utah is unusual: from 18 you may carry OPENLY without a permit, but only an UNLOADED firearm in public. Loaded open carry starts at 21.
Can I keep a loaded handgun in my car without a permit?
Yes
Yes, and a handgun in a vehicle may be LOADED even at 18. The unloaded rule applies to long guns in the car and to firearms carried in public on foot.
Permits and age3
If I want this state's permit, will they issue one?
Shall-issue means the state must issue to any qualified applicant. May-issue leaves it to an official's discretion.
Yes, shall-issue
The Bureau of Criminal Identification SHALL issue within 60 days to a qualified applicant 21 or older, unless it finds proof of disqualification.
Can I get this state's permit if I live somewhere else?
Yes
Yes, and famously so. The Utah permit is one of the most widely held out-of-state permits in the country.
How old do I have to be to carry here?
The floor for the least restrictive lawful route. Where permitless and permit ages differ, the qualifier says so.
18
18 to carry openly and unloaded, or a handgun in a vehicle. 21 for loaded open carry and for concealed without a permit, or 18 with any state’s permit.
If an officer stops you1
Do I have to tell an officer I am armed?
"Required" means you must volunteer it on contact. "On request" means only when asked.
Not required
No statute read here requires you to announce it. Answer honestly if you are asked.
No duty-to-inform provision found in Utah Code § 53-5a-102.2Read at the Utah Legislature ↗Checked 10 days ago
How we checked there is no such law
Read § 53-5a-102.2 in the current version and the chapter 5a text on 2026-09-06. Neither contains a notification or display-on-demand requirement.Buying and owning2
Do I need a state-issued card just to own or buy a firearm here?
Illinois' FOID is the main example. Distinct from a carry permit.
Not required
No permit or license to buy, and no state waiting period.
No purchase-permit provision in Utah Code tit. 53, ch. 5aRead at the Utah Legislature ↗Checked 10 days ago
How we checked there is no such law
Read chapter 5a on 2026-09-06. Utah licenses CARRYING and the chapter creates no permit to acquire.Is there a limit on magazine capacity here?
No limit
Utah sets no cap on magazine capacity.
No magazine capacity provision in Utah Code tit. 53, ch. 5aRead at the Utah Legislature ↗Checked 10 days ago
How we checked there is no such law
Read the chapter 5a text on 2026-09-06 and found no capacity limit. § 53-5a-102 reserves authority to regulate “firearms, ammunition, and firearm accessories” to the state, so a local cap could not fill the gap.How the state governs guns2
Can a city here write its own gun rules on top of the state's?
Full preemption means state law is the only law. Partial means some cities may go further. Check locally.
No, state law is the only law
Authority to regulate firearms, ammunition and accessories is reserved to the state. A city may act only where the Legislature has specifically delegated it.
Does this state have a red-flag law?
An extreme risk protection order lets a court order firearms surrendered temporarily.
No, none in this state
Utah has no extreme-risk protection order.
No extreme-risk order in Utah lawRead at the Utah Legislature ↗Checked 10 days ago
How we checked there is no such law
Read chapter 5a on 2026-09-06. The chapter that now holds Utah’s firearm laws after the 2025 renumbering, with no petition-based risk order among its parts.◆ RECIPROCITY
Permits Utah honors
If you are visiting Utah, this is whether your permit counts here.
Pick a state for the full answer with its citation, or find it in the grid below.
Honored54
◆ RECIPROCITY, THE OTHER WAY
Where Utah permits are honored
If you live in Utah, this is where your permit travels.
Pick a state for the full answer with its citation, or find it in the grid below.
Honored30
Honored, with a condition3
Not honored19
Not settled2
◆ NFA ITEMS
Suppressors and NFA legality
Federal registration is required everywhere these are legal. A state can prohibit them regardless, and several do.
Can I possess a suppressor here?
Federal NFA registration is required everywhere it is legal. State law can prohibit it regardless.
Legal
Lawful with the federal paperwork.
Can I possess a short-barreled rifle here?
Legal
Lawful with the federal paperwork.
Can I possess a short-barreled shotgun here?
Legal
Lawful with the federal paperwork.
Can I possess a machine gun here?
Federally, civilian possession is limited to pre-1986 registered transferables.
Legal
Lawful with the federal paperwork.
Can I possess an AOW here?
Legal
Lawful with the federal paperwork.
◆ SOURCES
Where this comes from
This is information, not legal advice. Gun law changes often and the penalty for getting it wrong is criminal. Confirm every answer with the state before you carry there.
- The authority
- the Bureau of Criminal Identification ↗
- ATF’s index
- Utah firearm statutes ↗ (PDF)