Obtaining a License
At the age of 15, teenagers may apply for their learner’s permit. The teen must, then, drive with a parent or guardian until they receive their license.
Your teen can receive their intermediate license by completing the following:
- Reached Age 16
- They Have Their Learner’s Permit for at Least 6 Months
- Completed a Driver’s Education Course
- Completed 40 Hours of Driving Practice
- Passed Their Driver’s Test
Restrictions
Residents and non-residents of Utah may not operate a motor vehicle between the hours of 12:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. if they are 17 years old or younger. Additionally, they cannot have a minor who is not an immediate family member in their car until they are 18.
Exceptions to this rule include:
- The driver has a licensed driver at least 21 years of age in the passenger’s seat.
- Drivers 17 and younger who are driving to and from work during these hours
- If the driver travels from a school-sponsored activity. This activity must be sponsored by a school that the driver attends.
- The driver works as a farmer or rancher’s assistant and they are engaged in an agricultural operation.
- In an emergency
Furthermore, residents and non-residents of Utah under the age of 17 may not operate a motor vehicle with non-family passengers until they’ve had their license for 6 months or they reach the age of 18.
Exceptions to this rule:
- The driver has a licensed driver at least 21 years of age in the passenger’s seat.
- The driver is on an assignment from a farmer or rancher and the driver is engaged in an agricultural operation
- It is an emergency
What Parents Should Know
Your teen must complete the online traffic safety and trends exam before a license can be issued. At the DMV, your teen must pass an eye vision test, written knowledge test, and driving skills test. After receiving their learner’s permit, your teen must complete 40 hours of driving with a parent, 10 of which are after dark. You, as the parent, must sign for financial responsibility until they are the age of 18. Additionally, you can at any time and for any reason withdraw your signature. By doing so, you will cancel your teen driver’s license.
Furthermore, your teen cannot operate a motorcycle until they have tested and received a motorcycle endorsement.
Driving Under the Influence
For drivers under the age of 21, their permit or license can be suspended or revoked for the following violations:
- Purchasing, possessing or consuming alcohol
- Attempting to enter a tavern, bar, or social club
- Driving intoxicated by alcohol or any other substance
Penalties
If a driver is under the age of 19 at the time of a DUI arrest, the following suspension periods will be imposed for a first offense:
Not-a-drop (any alcohol detected in your system) arrest: 1-year suspension effective 30 days from the arrest date
Per-Se (blood alcohol content exceeds legal limit) arrest: 2-year suspension effective 30 days from the arrest date
If a driver is aged 19 or 20 at the time of arrest, the following suspension periods will be imposed for a first offense:
Not-a-drop arrest: 6-month suspension effective 30 days from the arrest date
Per-Se arrest: 6-month suspension effective 30 days from the arrest date
If a driver is under age 21 at the time of arrest and refuses to submit to a chemical test, the license will be revoked until the person is 21 years of age or for a period of 2 years, whichever is longer, for a first offense.
For drivers under age 21, it is illegal to drive with any detectable amount of alcohol in the body. If caught in violation of this, the driver’s license can be suspended for a period of 6 months or until the driver’s 21st birthday. The typical costs of a DUI total more than $10,000 (including fine/court fees, lawyer fees, impound fees, ignition interlock for three years, added high-risk insurance costs, etc.).
Insurance Requirements
In Utah, all drivers must be covered under liability insurance. This is why a teen’s parent or guardian must certify that the teen is covered under insurance before a learner permit or license can be issued. All liability policies must have at least the following:
- $25,000 bodily injury per person
- $65,000 bodily injury per accident
- $3,000 personal injury protection
- and $15,000 property damage per accident
- Or $80,000 for death or injury or damage to personal property per accident
Failure to provide and display valid insurance is a class B misdemeanor and can result in up to six months in jail and a $400 fine for a first offense.
Have you been in an auto accident? Call 801-683-1948 for a free thirty-minute massage, a free legal consultation or a no-cost medical exam.
