Missed Court in Utah: What Happens Next

What Utah law says can follow a missed court date: whether it is a separate crime, the driver’s license rule for traffic cases, what happens to bail, and the court’s own next steps. It runs in your browser and nothing is stored.

What kind of case was the court date for?
How was the person released before the date?

Pick the state, the kind of case and how the person was released to see what that state’s law says.

Utah failure to appear law

In Utah, missing a required court date after release can be charged as its own crime. The statute grades it by the kind of case:

  • Released on a felony charge: third degree felony. Failing without just cause to appear after pretrial release is a third degree felony if the underlying offense is a felony. (Utah Code § 76-8-312(3)(a))
    (a) a third degree felony if the offense for which the actor failed to appear is a felony;
  • Released on a misdemeanor charge: class B misdemeanor. It is a class B misdemeanor if the underlying offense is a misdemeanor. (Utah Code § 76-8-312(3)(b))
    (b) a class B misdemeanor if the offense for which the actor failed to appear is a misdemeanor; or

When a date is missed, the court’s order is called a bench warrant (Utah Code § 77-20-501(2)).

Driver’s license after a missed traffic date in Utah

Only if the court notifies the Driver License Division: the division may then suspend, before sentencing, the license of a person who fails to appear on a moving traffic violation; otherwise a missed date alone is not a basis for suspension. (Utah Code § 53-3-218(3)(b))

The court may notify the division, and the division may, prior to sentencing, suspend the driver license of a person who fails to appear if the person is charged with: (i) an offense of any level that is a moving traffic violation;

Bail and bonds after a missed date in Utah

The surety has 180 days after the missed appearance to bring in or surrender the defendant, and no forfeiture action may be brought during that time. (Utah Code § 77-20-502)

Window to ask the court to set the forfeiture aside: 180 days after the missed appearance.

To compare what posting bail costs in Utah, see the Utah bail bond calculator.

How to deal with a missed date in Utah

Only the court that set the date can recall a warrant or give a new date. Contact that court’s clerk, or the lawyer or public defender on the case, who can ask the court to recall or quash the warrant.

What this page does not do

  • It does not check whether a warrant was issued in any case or whether anyone will be arrested.
  • Whether a separate failure-to-appear charge is filed is the prosecutor’s decision; what happens to bail is the court’s.
  • It collects nothing; your choices stay in your browser.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is failure to appear a crime in Utah?

Yes. Released on a felony charge: third degree felony under Utah Code § 76-8-312(3)(a); Released on a misdemeanor charge: class B misdemeanor under Utah Code § 76-8-312(3)(b).

Is missing court a felony in Utah?

In some cases. released on a felony charge: third degree felony under Utah Code § 76-8-312(3)(a). Otherwise: released on a misdemeanor charge: class B misdemeanor under Utah Code § 76-8-312(3)(b).

Will Utah suspend my license for missing a traffic court date?

Only if the court notifies the Driver License Division: the division may then suspend, before sentencing, the license of a person who fails to appear on a moving traffic violation; otherwise a missed date alone is not a basis for suspension. The rule is in Utah Code § 53-3-218(3)(b).

Sources

Checked against the sources above on October 20, 2026.

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