Utah is one of only 12 states that has a Clean Slate law. It was passed in 2019 with the intention of making it much easier to get an expungement. Salt Lake City police confirmed that after a massive backlog, they have cleared more than 74,000 criminal records as a result of this law as of August 2024, according to The Salt Lake Tribune. If you’ve struggled because of your criminal record, the Clean Slate law may be a big help to you. 

Most individuals charged with a DUI in Utah are facing their first arrest and crime on their record. According to data from the Utah Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice, police made 11,246 DUI-related arrests in 2023. Of the 11,246, 73% had never been arrested before.

If you’re accused of committing a felony, there are a couple routes you can take. You can try to prove your innocence, but that can be risky. If you lose your case, you can spend years in prison. Because of this, you might want to consider seeking probation instead. As always, don’t make any decisions before consulting a criminal defense attorney.

In almost every state across the US, the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) you can legally operate a motor vehicle with is the same–0.08. However, that is well above the legal limit in Utah. In the Beehive State, it is not legal to drive a vehicle if you have a BAC of 0.05 or greater.

If you’re 21 or older in Utah, there’s nothing illegal about hanging out at your friend’s house on a Friday night to enjoy each other’s company with a few drinks. However, if you get behind the wheel of a vehicle after finishing those drinks, you’ve crossed the line into illegal territory. Even if it’s your first offense, you’ll face some difficult consequences.

While the Beehive State isn’t known for violence, the one violent crime that is higher than the national average is rape. If you live in Utah, you likely know a rape survivor. Almost 20% of women and 6.5% of men in the state are statistically likely to be victims of rape in their lifetime.

You’ve likely heard the terms assault and battery before. They are generally associated with crime stories in which a person causes a non-fatal injury to another. Both terms have negative connotations and they almost seem interchangeable. In many states, there is a difference, but Utah approaches the law differently.

Thousands of campfires are ablaze every night in Utah thanks to the season of s’mores, scary stories, and late-night chats under the stars. Camping trips and backyard parties around the fire pit are a blast, but can also be where some of the most devastating fires start.

In Utah, you can be convicted of one of three different types of crimes: infractions, misdemeanors, and felonies. Each one of them comes with its own level of punishment. The most severe are felonies.