Utah Driver License Requirements: Documents, Tests, and Fees

To get a Utah driver license, you need to be old enough, prove who you are and where you live, and pass three tests: vision, written knowledge, and a road skills exam. The Driver License Division (DLD) handles every step. What exactly you bring, which test you take, and how much you pay depend on your age and whether you already hold a license from another state.

Age Rules and the Learner Permit

The DLD will not issue a full license to anyone under 16. If you are 18 or younger, you must complete a state-approved driver education course before you apply. Applicants 19 and older also need driver education, though the statute allows an alternative path through supervised practice if you did not complete a formal course.¹ You also have to be a Utah resident, and the DLD confirms that with documents at the counter.

Almost everyone starts with a learner permit. You can apply at 15. The permit costs $19 and is valid for 18 months.² To get one, you pass a 50-question closed-book written test at a DLD office along with vision and physical fitness screenings.³

While driving on a permit, you must have a qualifying adult in the front passenger seat. For permit holders under 18, that means a licensed parent, legal guardian, the adult who signed financial responsibility for you, or an approved driving instructor. If neither parent nor guardian is licensed, they can authorize a licensed driver 21 or older to supervise. Permit holders 18 and older just need any licensed driver 21 or older beside them.³

Permit holders under 19 must log at least 40 hours of supervised practice, with at least 10 of those after sunset. Carry the permit any time you drive.³ Applicants 17 or younger must hold the permit for at least six months before they can take the skills test and receive a full license.¹ There is no waiting period for applicants 18 and older, but you still need the permit to practice.

Documents You Need to Bring

Utah issues a REAL ID-compliant license marked with a gold star. REAL ID became mandatory for boarding domestic flights and entering certain federal facilities on May 7, 2025.⁴ To get one, bring original documents in three categories. Electronic copies are generally not accepted.

One document proving identity and lawful presence. Acceptable options include a valid U.S. passport or passport card, a certified birth certificate filed with a state vital statistics office (hospital-issued certificates and small laminated cards do not qualify), a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, a valid Permanent Resident Card, or a Certificate of Naturalization or Citizenship.⁵

One document verifying your Social Security number. A signed Social Security card is the standard. If you don’t have the card, bring a W-2, an SSA-1099, or a pay stub showing your full name and complete Social Security number.⁵

Two documents proving Utah residency. Both must show your name and current Utah address. The DLD accepts bank statements, utility bills, a current mortgage or rental contract, property tax notices, vehicle titles, major credit card bills, school transcripts, and court documents.⁵

Names must match exactly across every document. If your name changed through marriage, divorce, or a court order, bring the legal document that connects your old name to your current one.

Vision Screening

Every applicant takes a vision test at the DLD office. You need at least 20/40 visual acuity and 90 degrees of peripheral vision in at least one eye. Glasses and contacts are allowed, and if you need them to pass, a corrective-lenses restriction is added to your license. If you cannot meet the standard even with correction, you’ll need a statement from your eye doctor before the DLD will move forward.⁶

Written Knowledge Test

The written test draws from the Utah Driver Handbook and covers traffic signs, right-of-way rules, and safe driving practices. The format depends on your history. Never-licensed applicants take a 50-question closed-book exam. Applicants who were previously licensed or are transferring from another state take a 25-question open-book exam.⁷

Your application fee covers up to three attempts at the written and skills tests within six months. If you don’t pass in three tries, you pay again to keep testing.⁸

Driving Skills Test

After passing the written exam, you schedule a road test with a DLD examiner. You provide the vehicle, and it must be properly registered with working lights, signals, and brakes. An expired registration or a burned-out brake light will stop the test before it starts.

The examiner rides along and grades you on:

Left and right turns
Starting and stopping
Parking on hills and between other vehicles
Backing and U-turns
Lane use and steering coordination
Attention at intersections and observance of traffic signs and signals⁹

Posture, mirror use, and general vehicle control also factor in. A dangerous action or refusing to follow the examiner’s instructions is an immediate fail.

Fees

What you pay depends on your age and license type:

Learner permit: $19
Original Class D license, age 21 and over: $52
Original provisional Class D license, age 20 and under: $39
Replacement license (lost, stolen, or name change): $23
Motorcycle endorsement: $18²

The application fee includes up to three attempts at the written and skills tests within six months.⁸ The DLD accepts credit cards, checks, and cash.

Restrictions If You Are Under 18

New drivers under 18 face two rules that stay in force after the license is issued, and a citation is possible for either.

For the first six months after you get your license, or until you turn 18, whichever comes first, you cannot drive with passengers who are not immediate family members. The exception is a licensed driver 21 or older in the front passenger seat. Agricultural operations and emergencies are also exempt.¹⁰

You also cannot drive between midnight and 5:00 a.m. unless a licensed driver 21 or older is with you, you’re going to or from work, you’re responding to an emergency, or you’re involved in agricultural operations or school-sponsored activities.¹⁰

If You Are Transferring a License From Another State

Moving to Utah with a valid out-of-state license means you can transfer rather than start over. You surrender your old license at the DLD and bring the same identity, Social Security, and residency documents listed above.¹¹

Instead of the 50-question closed-book exam, you take the shorter 25-question open-book written test. A skills test may or may not be required; the DLD doesn’t always require one for applicants holding a current, valid license. You still take the vision screening.¹¹

Utah participates in the Driver License Compact, so moving violations and suspensions from your previous state show up in Utah’s system, and the DLD treats them as if they happened here.¹²

At the Appointment

The DLD schedules by appointment through its website. Walking in usually means a long wait or being turned away. Bring every document, and confirm that names match across all of them.

Staff will review your paperwork, take your photo, and run the applicable tests. Once you’re approved, you’ll leave with a temporary paper license valid for driving. The permanent card with the gold star arrives by mail in roughly four to six weeks.¹³ Check every field on the temporary before you leave the office; fixing an error later means another visit.

1
Utah Legislature. Utah Code 53-3-204 – Persons Who May Not Be Licensed
2
Utah Driver License Division. Fees
3
Utah Driver License Division. Learner Permit
4
Transportation Security Administration. REAL ID
5
Utah Driver License Division. Required Documents to Obtain a Utah License or Identification Card
6
Zero Fatalities Visual Driver Handbook. Eye (Vision) Test
7
Utah Driver License Division. Written Knowledge Test
8
Utah Legislature. Utah Code 53-3-205 – Application for License or Endorsement
9
Utah Driver License Division. Driving Skills Test
10
Utah Driver License Division. Teen Driver Restrictions
11
Utah Driver License Division. Original, Out-of-State/Country
12
The Council of State Governments. Driver License Compact
13
Utah Driver License Division. Regular Driver License Renewal