Utah is a gun friendly state. If you are traveling from state to state and carrying, you need to know the situation in each state you are entering or you could get into trouble. For certain states or if you have any doubt at all, keeping moving through the state (reference the McClure-Volkmer Act to only stop for gas and emergencies) towards your final destination state. Your destination state must have acceptable laws for your stay. We make some generalities with our color map here for ease of use so you should always look up the current details of the laws. Handgun laws are where it usually varies the most. This is a controversial issue but which ever side you are on, it is better to have informed people out there. You can also download an easy to print version with all states and details.
Utah Gun Law Travel Guide Basics
Ownership: unrestricted, no permit or license necessary
Consistency of laws: uniform throughout state
Self-defense: no castle doctrine with any strength
Open carry: prohibited without a permit
Concealed carry: shall issue state, permits accepted from all other states
Vehicle carry handguns: unloaded and cased in trunk or outside storage
Vehicle carry long guns: unloaded and cased in trunk or outside storage
Official source information
Regulation of Weapons
Firearm Laws
Utah Statutes
Utah Legislature
Utah State Rifle and Pistol Association
Utah Shooting Sports Council
Utah State Home Page
Do you have any experiences in Utah that you care to share with other travelers?
Utah is an open Carry State
It is not open carry compared to other states when you need a permit to do so. I have to error on the side of caution and not encourage someone to buy and gun and just carry it around.
According to this Utah government site:
http://www.des.utah.gov/bci/FirearmLaws.html
Quote: It is lawful to carry a firearm “capable of being concealed” in one’s home or place of business without a permit.
It is unlawful to carry a loaded firearm on any public street without a permit.
Unquote
Quote: It is lawful to carry a firearm “capable of being concealed” in one’s home or place of business without a permit.
It is unlawful to carry a loaded firearm on any public street without a permit.
Unquote
Notice that the law says it is unlawful to carry a “loaded” firearm on any public street. You can open carry as long as there is not a round in the chamber.
Careful with that advice Mr. Musselman.
In most (if not all) states, “loaded” is defined as having ammunition in the firearm, whether a round is chambered or not. Having a loaded magazine with an empty chamber in semi-auto handguns, or having an otherwise full cylinder, but with an empty cell in the “active” location of the cylinder of a revolver WILL, in most cases, constitute having a loaded firearm.
If a state restricts “loaded” weapons, the best advice is to keep the ammo AWAY from the firearm.
Can one carry a loaded sidearm while traveling thru the desert or the mountains in Utah?
Utah is one state I want to make dang sure about this.