Utah gives you 50 questions and lets you miss ten. The Driver License Division publishes the question count but not the threshold — 80% is written into the administrative code instead. This page collects every figure worth committing to memory before you sit down.
There are two exams, not one
This is the detail most study pages miss entirely, and failing to know about the second one wastes a trip.
| Exam | Format | To pass |
|---|---|---|
| Knowledge test, first-time applicant | 50 questions, closed book | 40 correct (80%) |
| Knowledge test, previously licensed | 25 questions, open book | 80% |
| Traffic Safety and Trends Exam | Online only, unlimited retakes | Every question correct |
The 80% requirement comes from Utah Administrative Code R708-39-4 and the driver handbook, not from the Division’s test page. The Traffic Safety and Trends Exam is required of every first-time Class D applicant, is offered only on the Division website, and half of it covers the leading causes of traffic deaths in Utah.
Speed limits
| Where | Limit |
|---|---|
| Rural interstates | Up to 80 mph |
| Interstates generally | 65, 70, 75 or 80 mph as posted |
| Business or residential area, unposted | 25 mph |
| Passing a school during recess or opening and closing hours | 20 mph |
The 20 mph school limit also applies whenever the flashing lights are operating. Transition zones between interstate limits are marked with pavement markings and extra signs.
Alcohol
| Driver | Illegal at |
|---|---|
| Age 21 and over | 0.05% BAC |
| Under 21 | Zero tolerance |
Utah moved to 0.05% in December 2018 and remains lower than the 0.08% used across the rest of the country. If you have studied from a generic national guide, this is the single number most likely to be wrong in your head.
Holding periods depend on your age
Utah does not use one flat waiting period. Copied study pages print six months for everyone, which is wrong for every adult applicant.
| Age | Hold the permit for |
|---|---|
| 15 | Six months, and until you turn 16 |
| 16 to 17 | Six months |
| 18 | No holding period, driver education still required |
| 19 and over | 90 days, waived with approved driver education |
- 40 hours of supervised practice including 10 after sunset, unless you are 19 or over and have completed driver education
- Entry-level learner permit valid 18 months, and written test scores attached to it also last 18 months
- Six-month renewal permit: written scores valid 12 months
- Licensed at 16 or 17: no driving between midnight and 5 a.m. unless a licensed driver 21 or older is with you, or you are going to or from work, an agricultural operation, a school-sponsored activity, or an emergency
- First six months or until 18: no passengers outside your immediate family, unless a licensed adult 21 or over is in the passenger seat
Parking distances
Utah sets several different distances and mixing them up is a common way to lose easy marks.
| Do not park within | Of |
|---|---|
| 15 feet | A fire hydrant |
| 20 feet | A crosswalk, or a fire station driveway entrance |
| 30 feet | A stop sign, yield sign, traffic signal or flashing beacon |
| 50 feet | The nearest rail of a railroad crossing |
| 12 inches | Maximum gap from the curb when parked |
Distances and timings on the road
- Following distance: two seconds in good conditions, more in bad weather, poor visibility or on a long downgrade
- Signal: at least two seconds before turning or changing lanes, and cancel it afterward
- Railroad crossing with signals or gates: stop more than 15 feet but not more than 50 feet from the nearest rail, and wait for the gate to rise
- Returning after a pass: no less than 200 feet from an oncoming vehicle
- Shared center left turn lane: enter no more than 500 feet before your turn
- U-turn: prohibited where you cannot see or be seen for 500 feet in both directions, and banned on freeways and grade crossings
- Gore area: the space between the solid white lines at an entrance or exit. Driving in it is against the law
Points are on a Utah scale
Do not compare these against another state. Utah assigns much larger values per offense, so the thresholds are correspondingly large.
| Item | Points |
|---|---|
| Reckless driving | 80 |
| Speeding 21 mph or more over | 75 |
| Texting while driving | 50 |
| Running a red light or stop sign | 50 |
| Suspension threshold, age 20 and under | 70 in three years |
| Suspension threshold, adults | 200 in three years |
Recovery is generous. One clean year removes half your points, two successive clean years removes all of them, and any individual conviction drops off after three years regardless. An approved defensive driving course removes up to 50 points and may be used once every three years.
School buses
- Two-lane road: traffic in both directions stops for flashing red lights
- Divided highway of four or more lanes with a median: only the lanes behind the bus must stop. Oncoming traffic separated by the median is not legally required to, though stopping is still the safer habit
- Fines for illegally passing a stopped bus reach $3,000
Other numbers worth knowing
- Address change: notify the Driver License Division within 10 days. Division mail is not forwarded
- Air bags deploy at around 200 mph, which is why children belong in the back seat. Deliberately disabling one is a Class B misdemeanor
- Smoking in a vehicle carrying a child aged 15 or younger is an infraction
- Clean fuel C decal: a one-time $10 fee for express lane access
- Express lanes: crossing the double white line is illegal except at marked access points
- Flex lanes: a red X means you may not use that lane
- Snowplows: never overtake on the side where a plow blade is deployed
- Careless driving means two or more moving violations in one continuous period of driving, or a single one committed while distracted inside the vehicle
Use this properly
Ten wrong answers out of fifty is more room than Idaho gives you, but it is not much once nerves are involved. A cheat sheet is the last read-through rather than the study plan. The Utah Driver Handbook is free and is the source of every exam question. Read it, use this page to check the numbers stuck, then take the full practice test until you are consistently above 45 out of 50. For documents, fees and the whole process, see the Utah permit guide.
Disclaimer: Pass The Permit is an independent study resource and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the Utah Driver License Division, the Utah Department of Public Safety, or any government agency. Laws change and local ordinances vary. Always confirm current figures against the official Utah Driver Handbook and the Driver License Division at dld.utah.gov before relying on them.