Exhibition of speed in Utah is a Class B misdemeanor under Utah Code § 41-6a-606, punishable by up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine before surcharges. The charge isn’t about how fast you were going — it’s about showing off. Prosecutors have to prove you were deliberately demonstrating your vehicle’s power or acceleration to onlookers or other drivers on a public road, not simply exceeding the speed limit.
What the Offense Actually Covers
Section 41-6a-606 targets driving meant to display a vehicle’s speed or acceleration on a highway or any area open to public vehicle travel. The performative element is what separates this from a speeding ticket. Officers look for behaviors like spinning tires from a stop, laying down rubber during acceleration, or revving the engine to produce exaggerated noise. You don’t have to hit a specific speed. The prosecution’s job is to show you were putting on a show.
How It Differs From a Speed Contest
The same statute covers speed contests, but they’re a separate offense. A contest involves two or more vehicles racing each other, or a driver racing a clock, and usually requires some coordination — a start point, a finish line, or an agreement between drivers. Exhibition of speed is solo conduct.
Burning rubber at a green light to impress your passengers is exhibition. Lining up next to another driver and gunning it to the next intersection is a contest. Both are Class B misdemeanors, but the evidence looks different, and which one an officer charges depends on the facts of the stop.
Jail, Fine, and the Surcharge
A Class B misdemeanor carries up to six months in a county jail.1Utah Legislature. Utah Code 76-3-204 – Misdemeanor Conviction — Term of Imprisonment The maximum fine is $1,000, and a judge can order compensatory service in place of part or all of it.2Utah Legislature. Utah Code 76-3-301 – Fines of Individuals
The surcharge is what catches most people off guard. Utah adds a mandatory surcharge to every criminal fine. For a Class B misdemeanor under Title 41, that surcharge is 35% of the fine.3Utah Legislature. Utah Code 51-9-401 – Surcharge — Amount A $1,000 fine becomes $1,350 out the door.
License Points and the Under-21 Trap
Utah’s Driver License Division tracks points on a rolling three-year window. Adults face a suspension of three months to a year at 200 or more points. Drivers under 21 hit the threshold at just 70 points.4Utah Driver License Division. Utah Points System
Exhibition of speed isn’t listed as a separate line item on the DLD’s published point schedule.5Utah Courts. Traffic Offenses For comparison, reckless driving carries 80 points and speeding runs 35 to 75 depending on severity. Judges can also grade a violation as minimum or maximum, shifting the assessment by 10% in either direction.6Utah Legislature. Utah Code 53-3-221 – Automobile Driver Education Tax and Point System For a driver under 21, a single conviction can be enough to trigger a suspension.
Points work independently of the criminal case. You can avoid jail and still lose your license through the administrative system. Points stay active up to three years before the DLD removes them.p>
When Your Vehicle Can Be Seized
The statute’s title references seizure of non-street-legal vehicles used in exhibition of speed or speed contest offenses. If the vehicle involved isn’t street-legal — a modified race car, an unregistered vehicle, or one missing required safety equipment — officers have specific authority to take it at the scene.
For street-legal vehicles the picture is less direct. Utah’s general impoundment statute, Section 41-6a-1406, lists specific triggering offenses that are mostly DUI- and registration-related, and doesn’t explicitly name exhibition of speed.7Utah Legislature. Utah Code 41-6a-1406 – Removal and Impoundment of Vehicles Officers still have general authority to tow a vehicle when it poses an immediate safety concern or when the driver is arrested and no licensed driver is available to move it. Whoever owns the vehicle pays towing and daily storage plus an administrative release fee.
Spectator Liability
You don’t have to be driving to be charged. Section 41-6a-606 includes a spectator provision aimed at people who knowingly attend or watch a speed contest on a public road. Standing in the crowd at a sideshow or an impromptu drag race can produce its own charge, separate from anything the drivers face.
Insurance and Record Consequences
Court costs are just the front end. A Class B misdemeanor traffic conviction lands on your driving record, and insurers see it. Aggressive-driving convictions routinely trigger premium increases that last three to five years, and the cumulative cost can run several times the original fine.
Some carriers drop drivers after this kind of conviction. Shopping for a replacement policy with a misdemeanor on your record means high-risk pricing from the start. If you’re required to file proof of financial responsibility (SR-22) after the conviction, that adds the insurer’s filing fee on top of higher premiums.
Expungement Timeline
A Class B misdemeanor for exhibition of speed can be expunged, but not soon. Utah requires a six-year waiting period from the date the court accepted the guilty plea or otherwise resolved the case.8Utah State Courts. Expunging Adult Criminal Records All fines, fees, and restitution have to be paid in full before a court will clear the record. Utah caps lifetime Class B misdemeanor expungements at three.
Until expungement clears, the conviction stays visible on background checks and can reach into employment, housing, and professional licensing decisions.
Motorcycle Wheelies Are Handled Separately
Utah added Section 41-6a-606.1 as a companion statute prohibiting wheelies on a motorcycle on a highway. A wheelie by itself is an infraction, not a misdemeanor, so it carries a fine but no jail exposure.9Utah Legislature. Utah Code 41-6a-606.1 – Prohibition on Performing Wheelie If the wheelie is part of a broader exhibition, the misdemeanor charge under § 41-6a-606 can still apply on its own or alongside the infraction.