Bill seeks to allow Utahns to register certain vehicles for two years at a time

SALT LAKE CITY—  A committee of Utah lawmakers voted Monday to advance a bill that would allow some Utahns to register their vehicles for two years at a time, instead of annually.

HB 517, sponsored by Rep. Ariel Defay, R-Kaysville, would allow people who own EVs or other vehicles that don’t require emissions testing to register those vehicles for two years at a time. Under the current bill text, owners would have to pay the registration and other associated costs for the two years upfront.

Vehicles that do require emissions tests would still need to be registered annually.

“I just wanted to create a two-year registration so that you don’t have to deal with the headache every year,” Defay told the House Transportation Committee Monday. “I thought, ‘What can we do to make things more efficient for the consumer and also for the DMV?'”

The bill would also require anyone who wants a registration reminder via mail to opt in for it. Those who don’t would only receive an email reminder, to cut costs. 

Defay said though this bill would allow people to receive both by mail and email reminders, which she said is not an option now.

The committee unanimously voted to advance the bill. It’ll now head to the full House for consideration.

If passed and signed into law, the law would go into effect January 1, 2026.

Adam Small is a reporter for KSL NewsRadio. He primarily reports on the Great Salt Lake and Natural Resources. Follow him on Facebook and X.

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