HB0217 • 2026

Stolen Vehicle Amendments

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor: Rep. Teuscher, Jordan D.
Last action: 2026-03-26
Official status: Governor Signed
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Stolen Vehicle Amendments

This bill preempts a political subdivision from imposing certain restrictions on reporting a vehicle theft.

What This Bill Does

This bill preempts a political subdivision from imposing certain restrictions on reporting a vehicle theft.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

2026-03-26 Lieutenant Governor's office for filing
Governor Signed
2026-03-12 Clerk of the House
House/ received enrolled bill from Printing
2026-03-12 Executive Branch - Governor
House/ to Governor
2026-03-11 Clerk of the House
Enrolled Bill Returned to House or Senate
2026-03-11 Clerk of the House
House/ enrolled bill to Printing
2026-03-03 Legislative Research and General Counsel / Enrolling
Bill Received from House for Enrolling
2026-03-03 Legislative Research and General Counsel / Enrolling
Draft of Enrolled Bill Prepared
2026-02-27 House Speaker
House/ received from Senate
2026-02-27 Legislative Research and General Counsel / Enrolling
House/ signed by Speaker/ sent for enrolling
2026-02-27 Senate 3rd Reading Calendar
Senate/ 3rd reading
2026-02-27 Senate President
Senate/ passed 3rd reading
2026-02-27 House Speaker
Senate/ signed by President/ returned to House
2026-02-27 House Speaker
Senate/ to House
2026-02-26 Senate 3rd Reading Calendar
Senate/ passed 2nd reading
2026-02-26 Senate 2nd Reading Calendar
Senate/ uncircled
2026-02-25 Senate 2nd Reading Calendar
Senate/ 2nd reading
2026-02-25 Senate 2nd Reading Calendar
Senate/ circled
2026-02-20 Senate Judiciary, Law Enforcement, and Criminal Justice Committee
Senate Comm - Favorable Recommendation
2026-02-20 Senate Judiciary, Law Enforcement, and Criminal Justice Committee
Senate/ committee report favorable
2026-02-20 Senate 2nd Reading Calendar
Senate/ placed on 2nd Reading Calendar
2026-02-18 Senate Judiciary, Law Enforcement, and Criminal Justice Committee
Senate/ to standing committee
2026-02-17 Senate Rules Committee
Senate/ 1st reading (Introduced)
2026-02-13 Senate Secretary
House/ to Senate
2026-02-13 Waiting for Introduction in the Senate
Senate/ received from House
2026-02-12 House 3rd Reading Calendar for House bills
House/ 3rd reading
2026-02-12 House Docket Clerk
House/ held
2026-02-12 Senate Secretary
House/ passed 3rd reading
2026-02-04 Released
LFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0217S01
2026-02-04 Version Sponsor
LFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0217S01
2026-02-03 House 3rd Reading Calendar for House bills
House/ 2nd reading
2026-02-03 House Transportation Committee
House/ comm rpt/ substituted
2026-02-02 House Transportation Committee
House Comm - Favorable Recommendation
2026-02-02 House Transportation Committee
House Comm - Substitute Recommendation
2026-02-02 Legislative Fiscal Analyst
LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0217S01
2026-02-02 Legislative Fiscal Agency
LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0217S01
2026-01-30 House Transportation Committee
House/ to standing committee
2026-01-20 House Rules Committee
House/ 1st reading (Introduced)
2026-01-20 Clerk of the House
House/ received fiscal note from Fiscal Analyst
2026-01-17 Released
LFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0217
2026-01-17 Version Sponsor
LFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0217
2026-01-14 Clerk of the House
House/ received bill from Legislative Research
2026-01-09 Legislative Research and General Counsel
Bill Numbered but not Distributed
2026-01-09 Legislative Fiscal Analyst
LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0217
2026-01-09 Legislative Fiscal Agency
LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0217
2026-01-09 Legislative Research and General Counsel
Numbered Bill Publicly Distributed

Official Summary Text

This bill preempts a political subdivision from imposing certain restrictions on reporting a vehicle theft.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

3
41-1a-1402
0
Stolen Vehicle Amendments
2026 GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Jordan D. Teuscher
Senate Sponsor: Wayne A. Harper
LONG TITLE
General Description:
This bill preempts a political subdivision from imposing certain restrictions on reporting a
vehicle theft.
Highlighted Provisions:
This bill:
preempts a local law or ordinance restricting a person's ability to report a vehicle theft;
provides parameters for reporting of vehicle theft with regard to vehicles subject to a
rental agreement;
provides for circumstances where a local government is required to accept a report of a
stolen vehicle subject to a rental agreement; and
makes technical changes.
Money Appropriated in this Bill:
None
Other Special Clauses:
None
Utah Code Sections Affected:
AMENDS:
41-1a-1402
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 1998, Chapter 263
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1. Section
41-1a-1402
is amended to read:
41-1a-1402
. Report by owners or lienholders of thefts and recoveries --
Preemption on restrictions on vehicle theft reporting.
(1)
As used in this section, "written rental agreement" means a contract for temporary use
of a vehicle that:
(a)
specifies an agreed time for return of the vehicle; and
(b)
identifies the authorized operator of the vehicle.
(1)
(2)
(a)
The owner, or person having a lien or encumbrance upon a vehicle, vessel, or
outboard motor that has been stolen, may notify the law enforcement agency having
jurisdiction where the theft occurred.
(b)
In the event of an embezzlement the owner or person may make a report only after
having procured the issuance of a warrant for the arrest of the person charged with
embezzlement.
(2)
(3)
(a)
If a vehicle, vessel, or outboard motor is recovered, an owner or other person
who has given any notice under Subsection
(1)
(2)
shall notify the law enforcement
agency where the theft or embezzlement was reported.
(b)
The law enforcement agency shall notify the Criminal Investigations and Technical
Services Division, established in Section
53-10-103
, of recovery.
(4)
(a)
Except as provided in Subsection
(4)(b)
, a political subdivision may not enact or
enforce a law, ordinance, or rule that:
(i)
restricts a person's ability to report the theft of a vehicle, vessel, or outboard
motor; or
(ii)
imposes a time period before which a person is prohibited from reporting the theft
of a vehicle, vessel, or outboard motor, including requirements for written
demands, certified notice, notarization, supervisory approval, or other procedural
prerequisites not expressly authorized in this section.
(b)
For a vehicle subject to a written rental agreement, unless Subsection
(4)(c)
applies,
a local government may prohibit a person from filing a stolen vehicle report until 48
hours after the vehicle's scheduled return time under the written rental agreement.
(c)
A political subdivision may not prohibit or delay the reporting of a vehicle as stolen
at any time if the reporting party provides evidence of theft, including:
(i)
use or possession of the vehicle by an unauthorized person;
(ii)
a material misrepresentation or fraud in obtaining possession of the vehicle;
(iii)
an express refusal to return the vehicle;
(iv)
credible information indicating the vehicle is being used in the commission of a
crime or is unlikely to be voluntarily returned; or
(v)
other articulable facts demonstrating an intent to permanently deprive the owner
of possession.
(d)
A political subdivision may require, as a condition of accepting a stolen vehicle
report under Subsection
(4)(b)
, reasonable documentation establishing:
(i)
ownership or lawful possession of the vehicle;
(ii)
the existence and expiration of the written rental agreement;
(iii)
that the vehicle has not been returned or lawfully extended; and
(iv)
reasonable attempts to contact the renter using the contact information provided
in the written rental agreement.
(e)
Acceptance or processing of payment after the return time specified in a written
rental agreement does not, by itself, preclude the reporting of a vehicle as stolen.
Section 2.
Effective Date.
This bill takes effect on
May 6, 2026
.
2-2-26 1:50 PM