Utah Reckless Driving Laws: Penalties, Points and the 105 MPH Rule

Utah makes reckless driving a class B misdemeanor under Utah Code 41-6a-528: a person who "operates a vehicle in willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property" commits the offense, punishable by up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $1,000. The statute says that disregard includes "traveling on a highway at a speed of 105 miles per hour or greater" and committing three or more traffic violations within three miles of continuous driving, and since May 6, 2026 Utah's lesser offense of careless driving has been an infraction rather than a crime.

Information last verified on 2026-10-25. This article has not been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.

Jurisdiction scope: This article covers Utah state statutes on reckless driving (Utah Code 41-6a-528), careless driving, speed contests, fleeing an officer, the road-rage enhancement, license consequences under Title 53, Chapter 3 and the Driver License Division point schedule, and driving without a valid license. It does not cover DUI penalties (see Utah DUI laws), homicide offenses (see Utah manslaughter laws), city or county ordinances, or federal and commercial-driver rules beyond a short note. For other states, see reckless driving laws by state.

What is reckless driving in Utah?

Utah Code 41-6a-528 is short:

"(1) A person is guilty of reckless driving who operates a vehicle in willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property. (2) For purposes of this section, "willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property" includes: (a) traveling on a highway at a speed of 105 miles per hour or greater; or (b) committing three or more traffic violations under Title 41, Chapter 6a, Traffic Code, in a series of acts occurring within a single continuous period of driving covering three miles or less in total distance. (3) A person who violates Subsection (1) is guilty of a class B misdemeanor." Utah Code 41-6a-528

The core of the offense is the driver's mental state: willful or wanton disregard for the safety of people or property. Subsection (2) does not create separate offenses. It lists two situations that the statute says are included in willful or wanton disregard: 105 mph or more on a highway, and a string of three or more Traffic Code violations within three miles or less of continuous driving. Other conduct can still be reckless driving if it shows the same disregard.

Where the law applies

Most of Utah's Traffic Code applies only on highways, but Utah Code 41-6a-201(2) makes an exception for "Part 5, Driving Under the Influence and Reckless Driving, which apply upon highways and elsewhere throughout the state." Reckless driving, which sits in Part 5, therefore applies off the highway as well as on it. For the 105 mph rule, the conduct must occur "on a highway," which 41-6a-102 defines as "the entire width between property lines of every way or place of any nature when any part of it is open to the use of the public as a matter of right for vehicular travel."

Under Utah Code 41-6a-510(2), a local ordinance "that governs reckless driving, impaired driving, or operating a vehicle in willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property shall be consistent with the provisions of this code which govern those matters."

Is reckless driving a misdemeanor in Utah? Penalties

Yes. Section 41-6a-528(3) makes reckless driving a class B misdemeanor, and the section sets no fine or jail term of its own. The range comes from the general sentencing statutes:

• Jail: "In the case of a class B misdemeanor, for a term not exceeding six months" (Utah Code 76-3-204).
• Fine: up to "$1,000 for a class B misdemeanor conviction" (Utah Code 76-3-301).

Section 41-6a-528 sets no mandatory minimum jail term or fine, and it has no separate tier for a repeat offense, an injury or property damage. Repeat offenses matter instead through the license rules below, and more serious conduct is charged under other statutes.

When the grade goes up: road rage

Utah Code 76-3-203.17 is a sentencing enhancement for road rage. If the trier of fact finds that the actor was an operator or passenger of a vehicle and "committed an offense in response to an incident that occurred or escalated upon a roadway and with the intent to endanger or intimidate an individual in another vehicle," the offense moves up a level:

• a class B misdemeanor, such as reckless driving, becomes a class A misdemeanor, and "the court shall impose a mandatory fine of no less than $750 in addition to any other penalty the court may impose for a class A misdemeanor";
• a class A misdemeanor becomes a third degree felony, with a mandatory fine of no less than $1,000 (76-3-203.17(3)(b));
• a third degree felony stays a third degree felony, and a second degree felony stays a second degree felony, each with a mandatory fine of no less than $1,000 and an added indeterminate prison term (one to five years, or two to 15 years) (76-3-203.17(3)(c)-(d)), though the court may suspend execution of that added term (76-3-203.17(4)).

For an enhanced offense, the court may suspend the driver license for up to one year (76-3-203.17(6)(a)), and two or more enhanced offenses from separate incidents within one year are on the 53-3-220(1)(a) list of convictions requiring Division license action.

Other offenses for dangerous driving

• Reckless endangerment. Under Utah Code 76-5-112, an actor commits reckless endangerment if, "under circumstances not amounting to a felony offense, the actor recklessly engages in conduct that creates a substantial risk of death or serious bodily injury to another individual." It is a class A misdemeanor, and the section is not limited to driving.
• Collisions causing serious injury or death. Under Utah Code 41-6a-202(4), if a person received a citation for a moving traffic violation that resulted in a collision in which any person "sustained serious bodily injury or death as a proximate result of the collision, a court may not accept a plea of guilty or no contest to a charge for the moving traffic violation unless the prosecutor agrees to the plea."

How fast is reckless driving in Utah?

Utah writes a speed into its reckless driving statute. Section 41-6a-528(2)(a) provides that willful or wanton disregard includes "traveling on a highway at a speed of 105 miles per hour or greater."

Below that speed, speed alone is governed by the ordinary speeding rule. Utah Code 41-6a-601 provides that "A person may not operate a vehicle at a speed greater than is reasonable and prudent under the existing conditions," and that, except as provided in Section 41-6a-604, "any speed in excess of the limits provided in this section or established under Sections 41-6a-602 and 41-6a-603 is prima facie evidence that the speed is not reasonable or prudent and that it is unlawful." Speed can also be one of the three violations that make up the three-violations-in-three-miles rule in 41-6a-528(2)(b).

Is careless driving a misdemeanor in Utah?

No, not since May 6, 2026. Utah Code 41-6a-1715 defines careless driving, and since May 6, 2026 "A violation of this section is an infraction." The earlier version of subsection (2), in effect from May 5, 2021, read: "A violation of this section is a class C misdemeanor." Chapter 382 of the 2026 General Session made the change.

A person operating a motor vehicle is guilty of careless driving under 41-6a-1715(1) if the person:

• "commits two or more moving traffic violations under this chapter in a series of acts within a single continuous period of driving covering three miles or less in total distance"; or
• commits a moving traffic violation under the chapter, other than a speed violation under Part 6, "while being distracted by one or more activities taking place within the vehicle that are not related to the operation of a motor vehicle, including: (i) searching for an item in the vehicle; or (ii) attending to personal hygiene or grooming."

The two offenses overlap. Two moving violations within three miles is careless driving; three or more traffic violations within three miles falls within the statutory definition of reckless driving's willful or wanton disregard.

An infraction cannot lead to jail. Under Utah Code 76-3-205, "A person convicted of an infraction may not be imprisoned," and 76-3-301 caps the fine at "$750 for a class C misdemeanor conviction or infraction conviction." Section 41-6a-1715(3) adds that "a judge may order the revocation of the convicted person's driver license if the violation causes or results in the death of another person in accordance with Subsection 53-3-218(7)," and 53-3-218(7) sets that revocation at "a period of one year."

Utah's Traffic Code has no offense called aggressive driving.

Reckless driving points and license suspension in Utah

Points

Utah Code 53-3-221(4) requires the Driver License Division to make rules for a point system and to "assign a number of points to each type of moving traffic violation as a measure of its seriousness." The Division's published schedule lists:

• Reckless Driving: 80 points
• Careless Driving: 50 points
• Speeding 1-10 mph over: 35 points; 11-20 mph over: 55 points; 21 mph over: 75 points

The same Division page states the thresholds: "Adult Points: If you accumulate 200 or more points in three years, you may be suspended for three months to a year," and for drivers 20 and under, "If you accumulate 70 or more points in three years, you may be suspended or denied for 30 days to a year." Drivers with provisional licenses fall under a separate point system that 53-3-209 requires the Division to set by rule.

Section 53-3-221(4) also sets several statutory rules for points:

• points are decreased by 10% when the court grades the violation as minimum on the abstract of the court record, and increased by 10% when it grades it as maximum;
• the Division generally may not assess points for a violation committed in another state on or after July 1, 2011, but that bar does not apply to "a reckless or impaired driving violation or a speeding violation for exceeding the posted speed limit by 21 or more miles per hour";
• points are deleted after a time limit set by the Division, which "may not exceed three years."

Mandatory and discretionary license action

• Two reckless or impaired driving charges in 12 months. Utah Code 53-3-220(1)(a) requires the Division to "immediately revoke" the license on receiving a record of conviction for "two charges of reckless driving, impaired driving, or any combination of reckless driving and impaired driving committed within a period of 12 months," and under 53-3-225(1)(a), except as that section provides, a person whose license is revoked may not receive a new one "until the expiration of one year from the date the former license was revoked."
• A first conviction, on the judge's recommendation. The same item continues: "but if upon a first conviction of reckless driving or impaired driving the judge or justice recommends suspension of the convicted person's license, the division may after a hearing suspend the license for a period of three months."
• Reckless driving that causes an accident. Under Utah Code 53-3-221(1)(b), the Division may take discretionary action against a person who "has, by reckless driving of a motor vehicle, caused or contributed to an accident resulting in death or injury to any other individual, or property damage." Before May 6, 2026 (Chapter 460, 2026 General Session), this ground read "reckless or unlawful driving" and required "serious" property damage.

Commercial drivers and federal land

Utah Code 53-3-402 defines a "serious traffic violation" to include "reckless driving as defined by state or local law," and 53-3-414(6) and (12) disqualify a commercial driver for 60 days on two serious traffic violations and 120 days on three or more. The violations must occur within three years of each other and arise from separate incidents, and violations in a non-commercial vehicle count only if at least one resulted in a denial, suspension, cancellation or revocation of the non-CDL driving privilege (53-3-414(12)(b)), matching federal rule 49 C.F.R. 383.51. On national park roads, 36 C.F.R. 4.2 adopts state traffic law, so Utah's reckless driving statute applies there; the reckless driving laws by state hub covers the federal layer.

Street racing and exhibitions of speed in Utah

Utah Code 41-6a-606(1) provides that "A person may not engage in any motor vehicle speed contest or exhibition of speed on a highway," and 41-6a-606(2) bars obstructing a highway or placing a barricade "for any purpose prohibited under Subsection (1)."

• Speed contest or exhibition of speed: class A misdemeanor (41-6a-606(3)(a)), up to 364 days in jail (76-3-204) and a fine up to $2,500 (76-3-301).
• Obstruction or barricade: class B misdemeanor (41-6a-606(3)(b)), up to six months and a fine up to $1,000.
• License suspension: a person who violates Subsection (1) "shall have the person's driver license suspended" for "60 days for a first offense" and "90 days for a second offense within three years of a prior offense" (41-6a-606(4)(a)).
• Seizure: "A motor vehicle that is not street legal that is operated or used in a manner that violates this section is subject to seizure" under Title 77, Chapter 11a, Part 2 (41-6a-606(5)).

Motorcycle wheelies

Utah Code 41-6a-606.1 (Chapter 220, 2025 General Session, effective January 1, 2026) provides that "An individual operating a motorcycle on a highway may not perform a wheelie." It is an infraction, but on conviction the Driver License Division shall suspend the motorcycle endorsement for 90 days (or, without an endorsement, the driver license for 90 days), suspend the endorsement for 180 days on a second violation, and revoke the endorsement on a third or later violation. "A law enforcement officer may impound a vehicle of a person who violates Subsection (1)." For other motorcycle lane rules, see Utah lane splitting laws.

Fleeing a police officer in Utah

Utah Code 41-6a-210(1)(a) provides that an operator who receives a visual or audible signal from a law enforcement officer to stop may not "(i) operate the vehicle in willful or wanton disregard of the signal so as to interfere with or endanger the operation of any vehicle or person; or (ii) knowingly or intentionally attempt to flee or elude a law enforcement officer by vehicle or other means."

• Fleeing: a third degree felony, and "The court shall, as part of any sentence under this Subsection (1), impose a fine of not less than $1,000." An officer may impound the vehicle.
• Causing death or serious bodily injury: an operator who violates Subsection (1) and "while so doing causes death or serious bodily injury to another person, under circumstances not amounting to murder or aggravated murder, is guilty of a felony of the second degree," with a fine of not less than $5,000.
• License: a person who violates Subsection (1)(a) or (2)(a) "shall have the person's driver license revoked" for one year (41-6a-210(3)(a)).

Is there a wet reckless in Utah?

Only for old offenses. Utah Code 41-6a-512 governs a plea to reckless driving in place of a DUI charge, but by its terms it reaches only "an original charge of a violation of Section 41-6a-502 for an offense committed before July 1, 2008." For those cases, when the prosecution agrees to a plea of guilty or no contest to reckless driving under 41-6a-528 (or a local ordinance under 41-6a-510) "in satisfaction of, or as a substitute for," the DUI charge, the prosecution "shall state for the record a factual basis for a plea, including whether or not there had been consumption of alcohol, drugs, or a combination of both." The court must advise the defendant of the consequences, notify the Driver License Division of the conviction, and apply the DUI screening, assessment, education and treatment requirements of 41-6a-505.

For offenses committed on or after July 1, 2008, the statute that addresses a reduced DUI plea is Utah Code 41-6a-502.5: "With the agreement of the prosecutor, a plea to a class B misdemeanor violation of Section 41-6a-502 committed on or after July 1, 2008, may be entered as a conviction of impaired driving under this section" if the conditions the section lists are met.

An alcohol- or drug-related reckless driving conviction still counts in two places:

• As a DUI prior. Utah Code 41-6a-501(2)(a) defines "conviction" for DUI purposes to include, "for an offense committed before July 1, 2008, alcohol, any drug, or a combination of both-related reckless driving under Sections 41-6a-512 and 41-6a-528," and, for later offenses, impaired driving under 41-6a-502.5. The definition also includes a conviction under another state's or federal law that "would constitute a violation of Section 41-6a-502 or alcohol, any drug, or a combination of both-related reckless driving if committed in this state" (41-6a-501(2)(a)(x)).
• Alcohol restricted driver. Under 41-6a-529(1)(a), a person convicted "within the last two years" of "alcohol, any drug, or a combination of both-related reckless driving under Section 41-6a-512" is an alcohol restricted driver.

For DUI penalties themselves, see Utah DUI laws.

Driving without a license in Utah

No license. Under Utah Code 53-3-202(9), driving without a license is generally an infraction ("Except as described in Subsection (9)(b) and (9)(c), an individual who violates this section is guilty of an infraction"). It becomes a class B misdemeanor "if, at the time of the offense, the individual has previously been convicted of a violation of this section," and on any violation, first or repeat, the individual "is also subject to seizure of the vehicle as described in Section 41-1a-1101" (53-3-202(9)(c)(ii)).

Suspended, revoked, denied or disqualified license. Under Utah Code 53-3-227, driving while the driving privilege is denied, suspended, disqualified or revoked is a class C misdemeanor. It is a class B misdemeanor when the suspension, disqualification or revocation was for, among the listed grounds, a refusal to submit to a chemical test, a DUI violation of 41-6a-502 or a complying local ordinance, a plea bargain after an original charge under one of the listed sections, a revocation or suspension extended under 53-3-220(2), or a commercial-license disqualification under 53-3-414(1), or for a corresponding violation in another state. For the class B tier, the fine "shall be at least the maximum fine for a class C misdemeanor."

License not in possession. Utah Code 53-3-217 requires the licensee to have the license "in his immediate possession at all times when driving a motor vehicle." A violation is an infraction, and "It is a defense to a charge under this section that the person charged produces in court a license certificate issued to him and valid at the time of his citation or arrest."

Utah reckless driving and related offenses: penalty table

The class ranges come from Utah Code 76-3-204, 76-3-205 and 76-3-301. A class A misdemeanor carries up to 364 days in jail, or up to one year for most class A misdemeanors in Title 76, Chapter 5 (Offenses Against the Individual), which includes reckless endangerment, plus a fine up to $2,500; a class B misdemeanor up to six months and $1,000; a class C misdemeanor up to 90 days and $750; and an infraction no jail and a fine up to $750. A third degree felony carries up to five years and a second degree felony one to 15 years, "unless the statute provides otherwise." For the full class table, see Utah felony and misdemeanor classes.

Vehicular homicide in Utah

Criminal homicide offenses for a death caused by driving are covered on the Utah manslaughter laws page.

Recent changes to Utah reckless and careless driving laws

• May 6, 2026: careless driving becomes an infraction. Chapter 382 of the 2026 General Session amended Utah Code 41-6a-1715 so that careless driving is an infraction; it had been a class C misdemeanor. The same chapter amended 41-6a-604 so that exceeding the speed limit in a reduced-speed school zone is an infraction, and a class C misdemeanor only "if the vehicle speed is 30 miles per hour or more"; before, every such violation was a class C misdemeanor.
• May 6, 2026: discretionary license ground narrowed. Chapter 460 of the 2026 General Session amended 53-3-221(1)(b) from "reckless or unlawful driving" causing "serious property damage" to "reckless driving" causing "property damage."
• January 1, 2026: wheelies. Chapter 220 of the 2025 General Session enacted the motorcycle wheelie infraction in 41-6a-606.1, effective January 1, 2026.
• 2024: road rage. Chapter 319 of the 2024 General Session enacted the road-rage enhancement in 76-3-203.17.
• Reckless driving itself. Section 41-6a-528 was last amended by Chapter 176 of the 2022 General Session, effective May 4, 2022.

Related Utah laws

• Reckless driving laws by state
• Utah DUI laws
• Utah manslaughter laws
• Utah felony and misdemeanor classes
• Utah lane splitting laws
• Utah expungement laws
• Nevada reckless driving laws
• Colorado reckless driving laws

This article is general legal information about Utah law, not legal advice. For a specific situation, contact a lawyer licensed in Utah, or the Utah Driver License Division for driver's license questions.

Last updated: 2026-10-25.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is reckless driving a misdemeanor in Utah?

Yes. Utah Code 41-6a-528(3) makes reckless driving a class B misdemeanor, punishable by up to six months in jail (76-3-204) and a fine up to $1,000 (76-3-301).

How fast is reckless driving in Utah?

Utah Code 41-6a-528(2)(a) provides that willful or wanton disregard includes traveling on a highway at 105 mph or more. Below that speed, the ordinary speeding rule in 41-6a-601 applies, and reckless driving turns on the driver's conduct and disregard for safety.

How many points is reckless driving in Utah?

The Driver License Division schedule lists reckless driving at 80 points. Adults who accumulate 200 or more points in three years may be suspended for three months to a year; drivers 20 and under with 70 or more points may be suspended or denied for 30 days to a year.

Does reckless driving suspend your license in Utah?

Convictions on two reckless or impaired driving charges committed within 12 months require a license revocation under Utah Code 53-3-220(1)(a), generally with no new license for one year (53-3-225). After a first conviction, the Division may suspend the license for three months after a hearing if the judge or justice recommends it.

Is careless driving a misdemeanor in Utah?

Not since May 6, 2026. Utah Code 41-6a-1715 now makes careless driving an infraction, which carries no jail and a fine of up to $750; a judge may revoke the license for one year if the violation results in a death.

Does Utah have a wet reckless?

Only for old cases. Utah Code 41-6a-512 covers a reckless driving plea in place of a DUI charge for an offense committed before July 1, 2008. For later offenses, 41-6a-502.5 provides for a plea to impaired driving with the prosecutor's agreement.

Is street racing illegal in Utah?

Yes. Utah Code 41-6a-606 makes a speed contest or exhibition of speed on a highway a class A misdemeanor, with a license suspension of 60 days for a first offense and 90 days for a second within three years.

What is the penalty for driving without a license in Utah?

Driving without a license is generally an infraction under Utah Code 53-3-202, and a class B misdemeanor if the person has a prior conviction under that section; in either case the vehicle is subject to seizure.

Does reckless driving affect a commercial driver's license in Utah?

Reckless driving is a serious traffic violation under Utah Code 53-3-402. Two serious traffic violations within three years, from separate incidents, bring a 60-day commercial disqualification and three or more bring 120 days; violations in a personal vehicle count only if one led to a denial, suspension, cancellation or revocation of the non-CDL privilege (53-3-414(6), (12)).