Utah DLD Permit Test FAQ

The passing score on the Utah DLD written knowledge test is 80%. First-time regular Class D applicants must also pass the online-only Traffic Safety and Trends Exam with 100%, which is retakeable as often as needed before licensing.

You can take up to two written knowledge tests per day when the division can facilitate it. Your application fee covers three attempts within 12 months; after three failures you pay another fee for three more attempts. A written-retest appointment is required to return after a failed attempt.

The 6-month learner permit requires a minimum age of 16. The entry-level learner permit can be issued earlier so the applicant can participate in driver education and practice. Written knowledge test scores are valid 18 months for the entry-level permit and 12 months for the 6-month permit. Applicants under 18 need a parent or responsible adult to sign for financial responsibility.

Drivers under 18 with a Utah license (not permit) cannot drive between 12:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. unless accompanied by a licensed driver 21+, on agricultural assignment, driving to/from work or a school-sponsored activity, or in an emergency. For the first 6 months after license issue, only immediate family may ride in the vehicle (same exceptions apply). Drivers under 18 also cannot use a handheld wireless device except for emergencies, reporting safety hazards or criminal activity, or speaking with a parent or legal guardian.

The Not-a-Drop Act makes it illegal for anyone under 21 to drive with any measurable amount of alcohol in their body. Penalty: driving privileges denied for 6 months for a first offense, and 2 years or until age 21 (whichever is longer) for a second within 10 years. Underage possession or consumption itself suspends the license for 1 year (first) or 2 years (second).

Utah's adult BAC limit is 0.05 for drivers 21+ (the lowest in the U.S., effective December 2018 — Utah was the first state to adopt it). The limit is 0.04 for CDL holders and any measurable amount for under-21 drivers. Utah law also makes it illegal to drive while impaired to the point that it is unsafe, even under the legal limit.

When no sign is posted and no special hazards exist: 20 mph near a school during recess or while students are arriving/leaving; 25 mph in any business or residential area; 55 mph on major highways; 65/70/75/80 mph on rural interstate as posted. The basic speed law says you may never drive faster than is reasonably safe.

Not within 15 feet of a fire hydrant. Other Utah parking minimums: 20 feet from a crosswalk; 20 feet from a fire-station driveway (75 feet opposite side if signs are posted); 30 feet from a flashing beacon, stop sign, yield sign, or traffic control signal; and 50 feet from the nearest rail of a railroad crossing. At a curb, your back wheel should be no more than 12 inches from the curb.

First conviction for a driver 21+: license suspended 120 days; second or subsequent: 2 years. Utah also installs an Ignition Interlock Device (IID) for 18 months on a first DUI (3 years if under 21 at arrest), 2 years on a second, 3 years for felony DUI, and 10 years for automobile homicide. Refusing a chemical test revokes the license 18 months first refusal, 36 months subsequent.

The Utah Motor Vehicle Financial Responsibility Act requires every driver to carry Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability coverage. Utah is a no-fault state, so Personal Injury Protection (PIP) is also mandatory. Collision and comprehensive coverages are not required by law but are usually required by a lien holder. Driving without insurance is a Class B misdemeanor and triggers a 3-year SR22 requirement plus a $40 reinstatement fee.

You may turn right on a red light after a complete stop unless posted otherwise. Left on red is allowed only from a one-way street onto another one-way street after a complete stop (for example, when a red-arrow left-turn signal will not change), as long as it is safe to do so. Always yield to pedestrians and other traffic first.

Utah driver licenses are valid for 8 years (extended from 5 in January 2020). Renew up to 6 months before expiration by scheduling a renewal appointment at dld.utah.gov. Renewal fee is $52 ($27 for age 65+). Drivers 65+ must take a vision test at every renewal. Notify the DLD within 10 days of any address change — USPS does not forward driver-license mail.