Citation(s) from the GunPolicy.org literature library
Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. 2024 ‘Firearm Prohibitions in Utah.’ Who Can Have a Gun. San Francisco, CA: Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. 4 December
Relevant contents
Prohibited Purchasers Generally in Utah
Federal law prohibits certain persons from purchasing or possessing firearms, such as felons, certain domestic abusers, and certain people with a history of mental illness.
Utah law provides that, subject to certain limited exceptions, no person shall possess a firearm if he or she:
- Is a Category I restricted person, meaning a person who:
- Has been convicted of any violent felony;
- Is on probation or parole for any felony;
- Is on parole from a "secure facility"; or
- Within the last 10 years has been adjudicated delinquent for an offense which if committed by an adult would have been a violent felony; or
- Is an alien who is illegally or unlawfully in the U.S.;
- Is a Category II restricted person, meaning a person who:
- Has been convicted for any felony;
- Within the last seven years has been adjudicated delinquent for an offense which if committed by an adult would have been a felony;
- Is an unlawful user of a controlled substance;
- Is in possession of a dangerous weapon and is knowingly and intentionally in unlawful possession of a Schedule I or II controlled substance;
- Has been found not guilty by reason of insanity of, or has been found mentally incompetent to stand trial for, a felony offense;
- Has been adjudicated mentally defective as provided in the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act, codified at 18 U.S.C. § 921 et seq. or has been committed to a mental institution;
- Has been dishonorably discharged from the armed forces; or
- Has renounced one's citizenship after having been a citizen of the U.S….
In 2012, Utah repealed its prohibition against firearm possession by a person currently under indictment for a felony.
A Category I restricted person who intentionally or knowingly agrees, consents, offers, or arranges to purchase, transfer, possess, use, or have under one's custody or control, or who intentionally or knowingly purchases, transfers, possesses, uses, or has under one's custody or control any firearm is criminally liable for a second degree felony. A Category II restricted person who purchases, transfers, possesses, uses, or has under one's custody or control any firearm is criminally liable for a third degree felony. A person may be subject to the restrictions of both categories at the same time.
If a finding is made that the subject of a child protective order or an ex parte child protective order may pose a serious threat of harm to the minor, the order may prohibit the subject from purchasing, using or possessing a firearm
[Editor's note: The Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence regularly updates its webpages with new data as US gun regulation evolves state by state. For the most up-to-date information on US gun laws, please refer to the Giffords URL below]