Utah Speeding Laws

Basic Speed Law: A person may not operate a vehicle at a speed greater than is reasonable and prudent under the existing conditions, giving regard to the actual and potential hazards then existing.  UTAH § 41-6-46(1)

Penalty for Exceeding Speed Limit

A first time violator may be:

• fined not more than $750,
• sentenced to jail time of not more than 90 days, and
• the violator’s license may be suspended not more than one year.

Penalty for Reckless Driving

A first time violator may be:

• fined not more than $1000,
• sentenced to jail time of not more than six months, and
• the violator’s license may be suspended not more than one year.

Speed Limits

• 55 MPH, except as noted, on highways or streets 
• 25 MPH in an urban district
• 20 MPH in a "reduced speed school zone" 

Utah Speeding Laws

Utah is one of the minority of states that use a “prima facie” or “presumed” speed limit law. In state that use this system for all or some of their roads it’s legal to drive over the posted limit as long as you are driving safely. For example, if you are driving 50 mph in a 40-mph zone, you are “presumed” to be speeding. But if it is 6 a.m. on a clear, dry morning with no other cars on a wide, straight road, and you can convince the judge that you were driving safely given those conditions, you should be acquitted. That’s because you present facts that “rebut the presumption” that by going over the limit you were driving at an unsafe speed.

In states such as Utah, if you’re accused of violating a “presumed” speed limit, you may be able to make two possible defenses:

•  Claim you weren’t exceeding the posted speed limit, or
•  Claim that, even if you were exceeding the posted limit, you were driving safely given the specific road, weather, and traffic conditions at the time.

Occasionally an officer will incorrectly measure your speed. But even when that happens, it can be hard to convince a judge to accept your version of the story. In short, if you were ticketed in a “presumed” speed area, it is most sensible to rely on the argument that you may have been driving slightly over the posted speed limit, but it was safe to do so considering all the highway conditions at the time. For example, if you know you were driving 33 to 35 mph in a 25-mph zone, and the officer can probably prove it, you should concentrate your defense on showing that you were driving at a reasonable speed, considering the conditions at the time you were stopped.

Note that in Utah you can be ticketed for driving at an unsafe speed, even if that speed does not violate the posted limit -- for example, driving exactly at the maximum mph posted limit on the freeway amidst slower and heavy traffic, in a dense fog, or in a driving rainstorm or blizzard.

Point System

Offenders 21 Years or older. An offender, who accumulates either 200 to 399 points, 400 to 599 points or more than 600 points is subject to respectively either a 3 month, 6 months or 1 year license suspension. In addition, [t]he suspension time is doubled, up to a maximum of one year, for a second or subsequent suspension within a three year period.

Offenders less than 21 Years Old. An offender, who accumulates either 140 to 199 points is subject to license "denial" for 30 days. If after first denial, they accumulate 140 to 199 points within 3 years, they are subject to a 60-day license denial. And, if after a second denial, they accumulate 140 to 199 points within 3 years, they are subject to a 90-day license denial. In addition, if an offender accumulates 200 to 249 points, 250 to 349 points, 350 to 449 points or 450+ points, they are subject to respectively 60 day, 90 day, 6 month or 1 year license suspension. Also, A third or additional sanction within a three year-period will result in a suspension at the next highest threshold, which doubles in length for each succeeding sanction within the three-year period up to a maximum of one year.

The following points have been assigned to speeding and speed related traffic law violations: Reckless driving-80 points; racing/drag racing/acceleration contest/exhibition speed-60 points; speeding too fast for conditions-50 points; speeding 1 to 10 MPH over the speed limit-35 points; speeding 11-20 MPH over the speed limit-55 points; speeding greater than 20 MPH over the speed limit-75 points; exceeding the speed limit by less than 11 MPH on an interstate-35 or 55 points; exceeding the speed limit in a school zone 1 to 9 MPH-35 points; exceeding the speed limit in a school zone 10 to 19 MPH-55 points; exceeding the speed limit in a school zone greate than 20 MPH-75 points; and, driving too slow-50 points and the Point Violation Code Table as prepared by the Utah Driver License Division of the Department of Public Safety.