# Utah H.B. 481: Transportation Modifications Utah H.B. 481, Transportation Modifications, is a 2026 General Session House bill sponsored by Kay J. Christofferson (Republican); status signed, last action 2026-03-24 (Governor Signed); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-14). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/UT-HB481-2026GS - As of: 2026-10-14 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Utah H.B. 481 - State: Utah - Session: 2026 General Session - Title: Transportation Modifications - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2026-02-04 - Last action: 2026-03-24, Governor Signed - Sponsor: Kay J. Christofferson (Republican) - Cosponsors: 1 - Subjects: Counties, Business, Economic Development, Clean Fuels, Municipalities, Political Subdivisions (Local Issues), State Tax Commission, Revenue and Taxation, Driver License, Roads/Highways, License Plates, Motor Vehicles, Railroads, Right of Way, Transportation, Department of Transportation, Vehicle Registration, Public Transit Districts, County and Municipal Finance, Division of Motor Vehicles, Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity, Local Taxation and Fees, Public Transit, Real Property - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 14 (216 yes, 3 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 15 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Special plate symbol fees end: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, the state cannot charge its cost-recovery fee for reordering a special-group plate symbol decal. The same fee prohibition applies to replacement symbol decals. The law does not state the former fee amounts. - Defective plates qualify for free replacement: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, owners can request replacements for plates made unreadable by fading, peeling, or discoloration. A replacement fee applies, but the state waives it when it finds a manufacturing defect. Plates at least five years old are presumed not to have damage from a manufacturing defec… - Colleges can offer separate fundraising plates: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, an institution can sponsor one plate for academic scholarships and another for college sports. It only needs to satisfy the specified application requirements once to create more than one plate. - Counties gain more transportation funding options: benefit, low. Beginning May 6, 2026, first- and second-class counties can use corridor funds to preserve regionally significant walking and biking rights-of-way. Those routes must appear in the regional transportation plan. Counties charging a corridor fee can redirect funds when no significant locally owned cor… - Clean-fuel drivers lose solo carpool-lane access: cost, low. Beginning May 6, 2026, clean-fuel decals no longer let drivers use carpool lanes regardless of passenger count. The law repeals the clean-fuel decal statute. It also removes transportation officials' authority to allow decal-based access or raise the decal limit. These changes do not establish a re… - Drivers face new plate display rules: cost, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, Utah plates must have a raised outer edge, but flat numbers and letters. The state issues one registration decal showing both month and year. Drivers must display it in the plate's upper-right corner. Plate frames cannot cover the state name, plate numbers or letters, or reg… - Historical plate applicants pay $25 contribution: cost, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, historical support plate applicants pay a one-time $25 contribution. Vintage vehicles are exempt. Of each contribution, $2 goes to the Utah State Historical Society. The remaining $23 goes to the Transportation Investment Fund of 2005. - Sponsored plate users face service fees: cost, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, applicants for new sponsored plates pay service fees for startup, programming, and design work. Plates with fewer than 250 users also carry a service fee for issuance and administration. That small-group fee is included in the contribution required to obtain or renew the pla… - Higher mileage charges for enrolled drivers: cost, low. Beginning January 1, 2026, enrolled vehicle owners and lessees pay 1.25 cents per mile. Charges are capped at $180 per annual registration period or $139 for six months. Beginning January 1, 2027, the rate becomes 1.5 cents, with caps of $280 annually or $216 for six months. Starting in 2027, the S… - Cottonwood transit requires new revenue coordination: cost, low. Beginning May 6, 2026, transportation officials must coordinate with a large public transit district on revenue-generating services. These include leasing connected with transit facilities and services serving the Cottonwood Canyons area of Salt Lake County. The law does not specify revenue amounts… - Local control pauses during rail construction: cost, low. Beginning May 6, 2026, cities and counties cannot exercise authority over land needed for state-supervised commuter rail construction. The restriction lasts through project completion, including warranty and hidden-defect work. Afterward, local governments retain their otherwise lawful authority ov… - Safety records face court use limits: cost, low. Beginning May 6, 2026, qualifying transportation safety reports and data are protected from court-ordered disclosure. They cannot be admitted as evidence in state or federal court. They also cannot be used for another purpose in damages cases involving locations they describe. Protection covers rec… - State designs face new approval rules: cost, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, a three-member Design Review Board approves plate designs and selects available standard designs. The governor and legislative leaders appoint members; all three must attend plate votes, and designs must meet state standards. Special-group plates follow uniform standards, ex… - Sponsored plates get new retirement thresholds: mixed, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, the state discontinues sponsored plate types with fewer than 50 registrations for two consecutive calendar years. This replaces the former threshold of fewer than 500 registrations for three years and removes the state agency recognition exception. Discontinuance starts 90 d… - New sponsored plates need interest and funding: mixed, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, the state keeps a free interest list after a sponsor applies for a new plate. Joining requires a driver's license number or business tax ID, vehicle identification number, and other requested information. The state shares participants' contact information with the sponsor an… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Kay J. Christofferson (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Wayne A. Harper (Republican), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-03-06 | Senate | Senate Conference Committee - Final Passage | pass | 27 | 0 | | | 2026-03-06 | House | House Motion to Adopt Joint Conference Comm Rpt | fail | 0 | 0 | | | 2026-03-06 | House | House Conference Committee - Final Passage | pass | 64 | 1 | | | 2026-03-06 | Senate | Senate/ refused to recede from Senate amendments | fail | 0 | 0 | | | 2026-03-06 | Senate | Senate/ substituted | fail | 0 | 0 | | | 2026-03-06 | Senate | Senate Motion to Adopt Joint Conference Comm Rpt | fail | 0 | 0 | | | 2026-03-06 | Senate | Senate/ passed 2nd & 3rd readings/ suspension | pass | 26 | 1 | | | 2026-03-06 | House | House/ refuse to concur with Senate amendment | fail | 0 | 0 | | | 2026-02-24 | Senate | Senate Comm - Amendment Recommendation | pass | 5 | 1 | | | 2026-02-24 | Senate | Senate Comm - Favorable Recommendation | pass | 6 | 0 | | | 2026-02-19 | House | House/ substituted | fail | 0 | 0 | | | 2026-02-19 | House | House/ passed 3rd reading | pass | 68 | 0 | | | 2026-02-11 | House | House Comm - Substitute Recommendation | pass | 10 | 0 | | | 2026-02-11 | House | House Comm - Favorable Recommendation | pass | 10 | 0 | | ## Actions (58) - 2026-03-24: Governor Signed - 2026-03-16: House/ to Governor (House) - 2026-03-16: House/ received enrolled bill from Printing (House) - 2026-03-12: House/ enrolled bill to Printing (House) - 2026-03-12: Enrolled Bill Returned to House or Senate - 2026-03-11: Draft of Enrolled Bill Prepared - 2026-03-11: Bill Received from House for Enrolling - 2026-03-11: House/ signed by Speaker/ sent for enrolling (House) - 2026-03-11: House/ received from Senate (House) - 2026-03-10: Senate/ to House (Senate) - 2026-03-10: Senate/ signed by President/ returned to House (Senate) - 2026-03-10: Senate/ received from House (Senate) - 2026-03-06: House/ to Senate (House) - 2026-03-06: House Conference Committee - Final Passage - 2026-03-06: House Motion to Adopt Joint Conference Comm Rpt - 2026-03-06: House/ received from Senate (House) - 2026-03-06: Senate/ to House (Senate) - 2026-03-06: Senate Conference Committee - Final Passage - 2026-03-06: Senate Motion to Adopt Joint Conference Comm Rpt - 2026-03-06: Senate/ received from House (Senate) - 2026-03-06: Conference Committee Report - 2026-03-06: Bill Substituted by Conference Committee - 2026-03-06: House/ to Senate (House) - 2026-03-06: House Conference Committee Appointed - 2026-03-06: House/ received from Senate (House) - 2026-03-06: Senate/ to House (Senate) - 2026-03-06: Senate Conference Committee Appointed - 2026-03-06: Senate/ refused to recede from Senate amendments (Senate) - 2026-03-06: House/ to Senate (House) - 2026-03-06: House/ refuse to concur with Senate amendment (House) - 2026-03-06: House/ placed on Concurrence Calendar (House) - 2026-03-06: House/ received from Senate (House) - 2026-03-06: Senate/ to House with amendments (Senate) - 2026-03-06: Senate/ passed 2nd & 3rd readings/ suspension (Senate) - 2026-03-06: Senate/ substituted (Senate) - 2026-03-06: Senate/ 2nd & 3rd readings/ suspension (Senate) - 2026-03-05: Senate/ Rules to 2nd Reading Calendar (Senate) - 2026-03-04: Senate/ 2nd Reading Calendar to Rules (Senate) - 2026-02-25: Senate/ placed on 2nd Reading Calendar (Senate) - 2026-02-25: Senate/ comm rpt/ amended (Senate) - 2026-02-24: Senate Comm - Favorable Recommendation - 2026-02-24: Senate Comm - Amendment Recommendation - 2026-02-23: Senate/ to standing committee (Senate) - 2026-02-20: Senate/ 1st reading (Introduced) (Senate) - 2026-02-19: Senate/ received from House (Senate) - 2026-02-19: House/ to Senate (House) - 2026-02-19: House/ passed 3rd reading (House) - 2026-02-19: House/ substituted (House) - 2026-02-19: House/ 3rd reading (House) - 2026-02-12: House/ 2nd reading (House) - 2026-02-12: House/ comm rpt/ substituted (House) - 2026-02-11: House Comm - Favorable Recommendation - 2026-02-11: House Comm - Substitute Recommendation - 2026-02-10: House/ to standing committee (House) - 2026-02-06: House/ received fiscal note from Fiscal Analyst (House) - 2026-02-04: House/ 1st reading (Introduced) (House) - 2026-02-04: House/ received bill from Legislative Research (House) - 2026-02-04: Numbered Bill Publicly Distributed ## Bill text - Enrolled, 2026-03-12: [PDF](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2026/bills/enrolled/HB0481.pdf) - Substitute #4, 2026-03-06: [PDF](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2026/bills/introduced/HB0481S04.pdf) - Substitute #5, 2026-03-06: [PDF](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2026/bills/introduced/HB0481S05.pdf) - Substitute #3, 2026-03-05: [PDF](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2026/bills/introduced/HB0481S03.pdf) - Amended 2/25/2026 10:02:267, 2026-02-25: [PDF](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2026/bills/amended/AV_HB0481S02_2026-02-25_10-06-33.pdf) - Substitute #2, 2026-02-19: [PDF](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2026/bills/introduced/HB0481S02.pdf) - Substitute #1, 2026-02-10: [PDF](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2026/bills/introduced/HB0481S01.pdf) - Introduced, 2026-02-04: [PDF](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2026/bills/introduced/HB0481.pdf) ## Related bills - H.B. 94: Criminal Accounts Receivable Amendments (signed) - H.B. 101: Firearm Background Check Amendments (signed) - H.B. 178: School Zone Speeding Amendments (signed) - H.B. 134: Offender Transfer Amendments (signed) - H.B. 136: Unlicensed Driver Amendments (signed) - H.B. 220: Public Safety Data Amendments (signed) ## Sources - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2026/bills/enrolled/HB0481.pdf) - [Substitute #4 (PDF)](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2026/bills/introduced/HB0481S04.pdf) - [Substitute #5 (PDF)](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2026/bills/introduced/HB0481S05.pdf) - [Substitute #3 (PDF)](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2026/bills/introduced/HB0481S03.pdf) - [Amended 2/25/2026 10:02:267 (PDF)](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2026/bills/amended/AV_HB0481S02_2026-02-25_10-06-33.pdf) - [Substitute #2 (PDF)](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2026/bills/introduced/HB0481S02.pdf) - [Substitute #1 (PDF)](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2026/bills/introduced/HB0481S01.pdf) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://le.utah.gov/Session/2026/bills/introduced/HB0481.pdf) ## Related - [H.B. 94: Criminal Accounts Receivable Amendments](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/UT-HB94-2026GS) - [H.B. 101: Firearm Background Check Amendments](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/UT-HB101-2026GS) - [H.B. 178: School Zone Speeding Amendments](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/UT-HB178-2026GS) - [H.B. 134: Offender Transfer Amendments](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/UT-HB134-2026GS) - [H.B. 136: Unlicensed Driver Amendments](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/UT-HB136-2026GS) - [H.B. 220: Public Safety Data Amendments](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/UT-HB220-2026GS) - [Utah bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/utah/bills) - [Utah state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/utah) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/UT-HB481-2026GS (as of 2026-10-14).