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5
53-5a-103.6
53-5a-603
0
Firearm Storage for Concealed Permit Holders on Publicly Supported Entities
2026 GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Candice B. Pierucci
Senate Sponsor:
LONG TITLE
General Description:
This bill addresses requirements regarding handgun storage on certain property open to the
public owned by entities that receive public funds.
Highlighted Provisions:
This bill:
requires a private entity that receives public funds, in certain circumstances, to provide
for the storage of handguns of individuals with concealed carry permits on property
open to the public;
allows a private entity receiving public funds to use the online verification system already
established by the Bureau of Criminal Identification for private sales of firearms to
validate concealed carry permits; and
makes technical and conforming changes.
Money Appropriated in this Bill:
None
Other Special Clauses:
None
Utah Code Sections Affected:
AMENDS:
53-5a-603
, as renumbered and amended by Laws of Utah 2025, Chapter 208
ENACTS:
53-5a-103.6
, Utah Code Annotated 1953
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1. Section
53-5a-103.6
is enacted to read:
53-5a-103.6
. Storage of handguns by entities that receive public funds.
(1)
As used in this section:
(a)
"Concealed carry permit" means:
(i)
a concealed carry permit issued under Section
53-5a-303
;
(ii)
a provisional concealed carry permit issued under Section
53-5a-304
;
(iii)
a temporary concealed carry permit issued under Section
53-5a-305
; or
(iv)
a concealed carry permit lawfully issued by or in another state.
(b)
(i)
"Entity that receives public funds" means any private organization, business, or
venue that receives $1,000,000 or more in public funds through an appropriation,
grant, contract, or other authorized expenditure.
(ii)
"Entity that receives public funds" does not include a private organization,
business, or venue that receives public funds under a contract with the state or a
political subdivision of the state to provide a direct service that is performed for
the benefit of the state or political subdivision of the state in exchange for
payment.
(c)
"Public funds" means money that is provided by the state or a political subdivision of
the state.
(2)
(a)
An entity that receives public funds shall comply with the requirements of
Subsection
(2)(b)
if the entity does not allow individuals to carry firearms on
property that:
(i)
is owned, leased, or operated by the entity:
(A)
within the jurisdictional boundaries of the district created under Title 11,
Chapter 70, Utah Fairpark Area Investment and Restoration District;
(B)
that is included in a zone created under Title 63N, Chapter 3, Part 6, Housing
and Transit Reinvestment Zone Act; or
(C)
that is included in a zone created under Title 63N, Chapter 3, Part 14, Capital
City Revitalization Zone; and
(ii)
is open to the public, regardless of whether an admission fee is charged or a ticket
is required for entry.
(b)
An entity described in Subsection
(2)(a)
:
(i)
shall provide a secure storage area for an individual to store the individual's
handgun while the individual is on the property if the individual has a concealed
carry permit;
(ii)
is responsible for the handguns while the handguns are stored in the secure
storage area; and
(iii)
may not charge a fee to store the handguns in the secure storage area.
(c)
An entity that receives public funds may locate the secure storage area described in
Subsection (2)(b) at a nearby location to the property described in Subsection (2)(a) if
the property cannot accommodate a secure storage area.
(3)
(a)
If an individual stores a handgun with an entity that receives public funds under
Subsection
(2)(b)(i)
and does not return within 24 hours from the time the individual
stored the handgun with the entity, the entity shall notify the local law enforcement
agency with jurisdiction over the property and request that the local law enforcement
agency take possession of the handgun.
(b)
A local law enforcement agency that receives a request under Subsection
(3)(a)
:
(i)
shall take possession of the handgun described in Subsection
(3)(a)
within five
business days from the day on which the law enforcement agency receives the
request; and
(ii)
may dispose of the handgun in accordance with Section
77-11d-105
.
(4)
(a)
An entity that receives public funds may establish a process to verify that an
individual who seeks to store a handgun in accordance with Subsection
(2)
holds a
valid concealed carry permit which may include:
(i)
reviewing the individual's concealed carry permit; and
(ii)
if the concealed carry permit is a permit issued under Section
53-5a-303
,
53-5a-304
, or
53-5a-305
, entering the concealed carry permit number into the
online verification system created by the bureau under Subsection
53-5a-603(2)(a)
.
(b)
After completing a verification of a concealed carry permit under Subsection
(4)(a)
,
an entity that receives public funds may not retain any information obtained under
Subsection
(4)(a)
except as necessary to comply with an applicable court order.
Section 2. Section
53-5a-603
is amended to read:
53-5a-603
. Information check before private sale of firearm -- Validation of
concealed carry permit.
(1)
As used in this section:
(a)
"Governmental entity" means the state and the state's political subdivisions.
(b)
"Law enforcement agency" means the same as that term is defined in Section
53-1-102
.
(c)
"Personally identifiable information" means the same as that term is defined in
Section
63D-2-102
.
(2)
Subject to Subsections
(3)
and
(4)
, the bureau shall create an online process that allows
an individual who is selling or purchasing a firearm to voluntarily determine:
(a)
if the other individual involved in the sale of the firearm has a valid concealed carry
permit issued under Section
53-5a-303
, a provisional concealed carry permit issued
under Section
53-5a-304
, or a temporary concealed carry permit issued under Section
53-5a-305
; or
(b)
based on the serial number of the firearm, if the firearm is reported as stolen.
(3)
Subsection
(2)
does not apply to a federal firearms licensee or dealer.
(4)
The bureau may not:
(a)
provide information related to a request under Subsection
(2)
to a law enforcement
agency; or
(b)
collect a user's personally identifiable information under Subsection
(2)
.
(5)
A governmental entity may not require an individual who is selling or purchasing a
firearm to use the process under Subsection
(2)
.
(6)
If an individual uses the process under Subsection
(2)
, the individual is not required,
based on the information the individual receives from the bureau, to make a report to a
law enforcement agency.
(7)
After responding to a request under Subsection
(2)
, the bureau shall immediately
dispose of all information related to the request.
(8)
(a)
This section does not create a civil cause of action arising from the sale or
purchase of a firearm under this section.
(b)
An individual's failure to use the process under Subsection
(2)
is not evidence of the
individual's negligence in a civil cause of action.
(9)
An entity receiving public funds may use the process described in Subsection
(2)(a)
to
validate a concealed carry permit as described in Subsection
53-5a-103.6(4)
.
Section 3.
Effective Date.
This bill takes effect on
May 6, 2026
.
2-5-26 9:11 PM