Utah Open and Concealed Carry Law

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This article is meant to take a look at Utah’s open and concealed carry laws so that you folks can get a better idea what is and is not legal in the state.

In Utah, adults can purchase and openly carry a gun without a license. However, you must obtain a concealed handgun license to carry a concealed and loaded gun.

It is lawful to carry a firearm in a vehicle without a permit if the vehicle is in the person’s lawful possession or with the consent of the person in lawful possession. It is lawful to carry a firearm “capable of being concealed” in one’s home or place of business without a permit.

Within 60 days after receiving an application and upon proof that the person applying is of good character the Department of Public Safety Bureau of Criminal Identification (BCI) shall issue a permit to carry a concealed firearm for lawful self defense to an applicant who is 21 years of age or older.  An applicant satisfactorily demonstrates good character if he:

  • has not been convicted of a felony or crime of violence;
  • has not been convicted of an offense involving the use of alcohol, narcotics or other controlled substances;
  • has not been convicted of an offense involving moral turpitude;
  • has not been convicted of any offense involving domestic violence; has not be adjudicated mentally incompetent, unless the adjudication has been withdrawn or reversed;
  • is qualified to purchase and possess a dangerous weapon and a handgun pursuant to state and federal law.

A permit may also be denied if there is reasonable cause to believe the applicant has been or is a danger to self or others as demonstrated by evidence of past unlawful violence or threats of unlawful violence.

Now, there are certainly additional questions as well as more in-depth looks into such things as gun penalties and what public places do or do not allow concealed or open carry firearms. We will be going over those in specific articles, later on, due to the complexity of some of the situations. For right now, however, we have a wonderful FAQ page on our Utah site with a lot of helpful information.

If you have specific questions that you would like covered in future articles about Utah’s open carry laws, shoot us a comment below, and we will make sure to add them to future reports.

Information compounded from the NRA and Utah state legal texts.

4 Comments

  1. Claude Duncan on June 25, 2018 at 3:35 pm

    Do you have to be a Utah resident to have a fully loaded concealed pistol in your vehicle?
    Utah law 76-10-505 says no, law 53-5-711 down to (g) (i) (ii) says yes what is the real answer?

    • Jacob Paulsen on September 17, 2018 at 8:18 am

      No you do not.

  2. Jared on August 2, 2020 at 11:44 am

    Can you open carry on the state of Utah while wearing a mask?

    • Jacob Paulsen on August 25, 2020 at 8:34 am

      yes

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