To apply, you must:
10 Utah Dealer License Requirements
Utah Dealer Licenses are issued by the Motor Vehicle Enforcement Division (MVED) of the Utah State Tax Commission. This page covers Utah's 5 Dealer License types, their requirements, bond size, costs, and how to apply.
Name your Dealership
Your company name is the first step, because you use it through the entire Dealer License process. Utah's Dealer application, TC-301, accepts a sole proprietor, corporation, general partnership, limited partnership, limited liability partnership, LLC, or trust.
An LLC keeps your business separate from your personal life and adds trust to the name.
Choose your Dealer License Type
Utah issues 5 Dealer License types, all applied for on form TC-301, one application per license type. MVED issues 13 other license classes for the rest of the trade. They cover direct-sale manufacturers, body shops, manufacturers, remanufacturers, transporters, dismantlers, crushers, distributors, representatives, motor vehicle auctions, salvage vehicle buyers, and salespeople.
| License Type | What It Lets You Do |
|---|---|
| New Motor Vehicle Dealer's License | Sell new vehicles under a franchise. A franchised Dealer may also need to register with the Utah Department of Commerce, which administers the franchise acts |
| Used Motor Vehicle Dealer's License | Buy and sell used cars and trucks, at the dealer auctions and to the public. Motorcycles, off-highway vehicles, and small trailers need their own license, and buying salvage needs the Salvage Vehicle Buyer License on top |
| New Motorcycle, Off-Highway Vehicle, and Small Trailer Dealer's License | Sell new motorcycles, off-highway vehicles, and small trailers |
| Used Motorcycle, Off-Highway Vehicle, and Small Trailer Dealer's License | Sell used motorcycles, off-highway vehicles, and small trailers |
| Special Equipment Dealer's License | Sell special equipment. The same $75,000 bond, $127 fee, and principal place of business as a motor vehicle dealer |
Get your Dealer Bond (Surety Bond)
A Utah Used Motor Vehicle Dealer's License requires a $75,000 bond, filed with the Motor Vehicle Enforcement Division (§41-3-205). The bond protects customers if you break Utah's dealer laws. A $75,000 Dealer Bond costs only $750 a year at the base rate, after a credit check.
The surety must be rated B+ or better by A.M. Best, on a form approved by the Utah Attorney General. A used Dealer's second location needs its own $75,000 bond. If the bond ends, the license is suspended.
Dealer 101 Insurance Services
Licensed in Utah · NPN 22346185
| License Type | You Pay | Bond Amount |
|---|---|---|
| New Motor Vehicle Dealer's LicenseUtah - Motor Vehicle Dealer ($75,000). Credit check required | $750/yearabout $63 a month | $75,000 |
| Used Motor Vehicle Dealer's LicenseUtah - Motor Vehicle Dealer ($75,000). Credit check required | $750/yearabout $63 a month | $75,000 |
| Special Equipment Dealer's LicenseUtah - Motor Vehicle Special Equipment Dealer ($75,000). Credit check required | $750/yearabout $63 a month | $75,000 |
| New Motorcycle, Off-Highway Vehicle, and Small Trailer Dealer's LicenseUtah - Motorcycle Dealer ($10,000). Credit check required | $100/yearabout $8 a month | $10,000 |
| Used Motorcycle, Off-Highway Vehicle, and Small Trailer Dealer's LicenseUtah - Motorcycle Dealer ($10,000). Credit check required | $100/yearabout $8 a month | $10,000 |
Get your Dealer Plate Insurance — for dealer plates
A Utah Dealer License itself requires no insurance, but dealer plates do (§41-3-505). You submit a current copy of your plate insurance declaration every time you order or renew plates, issued in the name of the licensed business.
The declaration goes in with the Special Plates & Decals section of TC-301, and your insurance agent sets the price.
Set up your Dealer Office (Principal Place of Business)
A Utah Dealer License requires a principal place of business devoted exclusively to the licensed business, in a permanent enclosed building (§41-3-102). MVED's own answer to selling from home is “No (41-3-210 UCA).” The location can't share a common area with any business not related to motor vehicle commerce.
The table below is what the statute, MVED's rules, and its Q&A booklet require. Zoning is local: the site must comply with all local ordinances, including zoning (§41-3-210).
| What Utah Requires | |
|---|---|
| Building | A permanent, enclosed building large enough to contain the office of the dealership |
| Display space | Room to display at least 3 vehicles, bounded by a fence, chain, or posts, and used for display only |
| Parking | Sufficient parking for the public |
| Sign | At least 24 square feet, showing the licensed business name; painted on the building, bolted to it, or on posts anchored in the ground. A banner counts only if permanently affixed |
| Layout | The sign, office, and display area are contiguous, and no other business blocks access to them |
| Zoning | Complies with all local ordinances, including zoning |
| Photos | Pictures of the office, display space, and sign go in with the application |
Complete the Dealer Orientation Class (8-Hour Orientation Class)
A Utah Dealer License requires an 8-hour orientation class before MVED issues it, and a 3-hour class every year to renew it (§41-3-201). Utah has no Dealer exam.
The 8-hour class is completed by every owner, partner, corporate officer, LLC member, bond indemnitor, and manager. The statute names the motor vehicle, motorcycle, off-highway vehicle, small trailer, and direct-sale manufacturer licenses. MVED's booklet applies it to every dealer license type.
The 6 approved providers, each setting its own fee, are listed on the Dealer License Instructions (TC-300):
- Sonja Jorgensen
- Independent Dealer Solutions
- Easy MVED
- MVED Utah
- MVED.org
- MVED en Español, taught in Spanish
Pass the Background Check (BCI Fingerprints)
Each owner, corporate officer, or member listed on a Utah Dealer License application submits fingerprints (TC-300), and so does every salesperson (§41-3-205.5). Utah uses a standard paper FBI fingerprint card with a Fingerprint Waiver (TC-465), not electronic Live Scan.
The prints are checked by the Bureau of Criminal Identification and the FBI, with a Rapback subscription that notifies MVED of a new arrest.
What it costs:
- $30 per person on the current forms, TC-300 and TC-303: a $20 Western Identification Network check plus a $10 Rapback subscription
- $20 in MVED's Q&A booklet fee table; the two documents don't match
If you have a record
- Denial isn't automatic. MVED denies when it finds reasonable cause, and the grounds are a motor vehicle or drug-related crime, fraud, or a registered sex offense (§41-3-209). Misdemeanors count like felonies; traffic infractions don't.
- No waiting period in years. Finish probation, parole, or plea-in-abeyance conditions and pay restitution and fines, and MVED's own rule presumes the conviction isn't reasonable cause (R877-23V-20).
- A pending charge counts until the court resolves it or the charge is dropped, and so does a plea in abeyance while it's active.
- Expungement clears it. Utah law lets you answer any inquiry as though an expunged matter never occurred (§77-40a-401), unless MVED started an action before the order.
- You disclose 5 years. TC-301 asks about arrests, charges, or convictions for those crimes in the past 5 years, plus current probation, parole, plea in abeyance, and unpaid restitution. A denial comes with written reasons and a hearing under Utah's Administrative Procedures Act (§41-3-109).
Submit your Dealer License Application (TC-301)
You apply to the Motor Vehicle Enforcement Division on paper: form TC-301, with the instructions on TC-300, and one application per license type. The fee is $127 for a New or Used Motor Vehicle Dealer's License, and every fee is itemized under costs.
Before MVED issues the license, the dealership needs a Utah sales tax license (TC-69). That needs a federal EIN first; a sole proprietor can use an SSN (TC-69B). Each owner gives an SSN, or for a non-citizen an I-94, Alien Registration Number, or employment authorization card.
You'll also prepare a passport-type photo of each owner, partner, corporate officer, or member (TC-300).
Get your Dealer License Plates
Utah dealer license plates cost $12 each, and renew at $10.50 a plate. Add a $2.50 handling fee, plus a $1 volume fee on orders over 2 plates. You order them in the Special Plates & Decals section of TC-301, with your plate insurance declaration.
MVED may issue 5 dealer plates to each Dealer, plus 1 more for every 25 vehicles sold each year (§41-3-503). A Dealer who doesn't sell at least 3 vehicles in any 12-month period can't be issued plates or renew them.
Dealer tags go only on vehicles the dealership owns or has on consignment, for business use. MVED's answer to lending a plate to a relative is no. They can't go on a vehicle you've sold, a leased or rented one, or a loaded vehicle over 12,000 lbs without a loaded-demonstration permit.
Pass the Site Inspection
An MVED employee inspects your principal place of business 5 to 10 working days after MVED receives the application. The license can't be issued until after that inspection; once the site passes, it arrives within 3 to 5 working days.
Dealer License Cost
A Utah New or Used Motor Vehicle Dealer's License costs $127, and a Motorcycle, Off-Highway Vehicle, and Small Trailer Dealer's License costs $51. Every other fee on this page is in the table.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| New or Used Motor Vehicle Dealer's License | $127 a year |
| Special Equipment Dealer's License | $127 a year |
| New or Used Motorcycle, Off-Highway Vehicle, and Small Trailer Dealer's License | $51 a year |
| Dealer Bond | $750 a year, $75,000 bond, credit check required$100 a year, $10,000 bond, credit check required |
| Plate insurance | Priced by your agent |
| Dealer plates | $12 each$2.50 handling fee per order$1 volume fee, orders over 2 plates$10.50 renewal, per plate |
| Orientation class8 hours to start, 3 hours each year | Fee set by the approved provider |
| Fingerprint background check, per person | $30 on TC-300 and TC-303$20 in MVED's Q&A booklet fee table |
| Salesperson's License | $61 new, includes the fingerprint fee$31 renewal or transfer$61 after a lapse of 6 months or more |
| Salvage Vehicle Buyer LicenseAdded to a dealer, dismantler, or body shop license | $203 on TC-305 and in the Q&A booklet$200 in statute (§41-3-601) |
| Other MVED license classesNamed under License Types | $112 Body Shop$102 Manufacturer, Remanufacturer, Dismantler, or Crusher$61 Distributor$51 Transporter$26 Representative$26 Offsite sale location |
| Dismantler, transporter, and manufacturer plates | $10 each$8.50 renewal |
| Utah sales tax licenseTC-69, filed with the Tax Commission before the license issues | Fee varies |
Dealer License Renewal
A Utah Dealer License expires June 30 every year, no matter when it was issued (§41-3-206). Renewal takes the 3-hour class each year and the license fee again; MVED lists no separate renewal fee for the Dealer's License. Dealer plates renew with it at $10.50 each, with a current copy of your plate insurance declaration.
Common Questions
Can you get a Utah Dealer License with a felony?
Yes. A felony isn't an automatic bar in Utah. MVED denies when it finds reasonable cause: a motor vehicle or drug-related crime, fraud, or a registered sex offense (§41-3-209). Utah sets no waiting period in years: once probation or parole ends and restitution is paid, MVED's rule presumes the conviction isn't reasonable cause.
Can you get a Dealer License in Utah without a lot?
No. Every Utah Dealer License requires a principal place of business, inspected before the license issues. That means a permanent enclosed building, room to display at least 3 vehicles, and public parking. If you meet every other qualification, a 3-month provisional license lets you finish securing a site (§41-3-202.2). The full list is under Office.
How many cars can you sell in Utah without a Dealer License?
In Utah, you can sell up to 2 vehicles you've owned for less than 12 months in any 12-month period without a Dealer License. Sell a third and a Dealer License is required (§41-3-102 and §41-3-103). Vehicles you've owned for more than 12 months don't count toward that number.
Does Utah have a wholesale dealer license?
No. Utah has no license class named wholesale. Dealer-to-dealer sales run on the ordinary Dealer License, and a wholesale motor vehicle auction is itself licensed as a dealer (§41-3-102). The one wholesale-specific rule covers salespeople: one employed by a wholesale auction dealer may work for more than one such auction at once (§41-3-202).
How long does a Utah Dealer License take?
No Utah statute sets a maximum processing time. MVED's own guideline is about 10 to 15 working days for the site inspection and license processing. The inspection comes 5 to 10 working days after MVED receives the application, and the license 3 to 5 working days after the site passes.
Do I need a business bank account?
No. No Utah statute, MVED rule, or application form requires a Dealer to hold a separate business bank account. The license does require a Utah sales tax license for the dealership before it issues (R877-23V-12). That needs a federal EIN, or an SSN for a sole proprietor.
Do salespeople need a license in Utah?
Yes. Anyone selling for a Utah Dealer holds a Motor Vehicle Salesperson's License, tied to that one Dealer and not transferable. It takes fingerprints, a photo, and $61, which includes the fingerprint fee; renewal is $31 (TC-303). An owner, partner, or corporate officer sells as a no-fee salesperson, with no license fee but the same photo, fingerprints, and waiver.
Support
The Motor Vehicle Enforcement Division issues every license and dealer plate on this page, from its Salt Lake City office. The Motor Vehicle Portal is MVED's online portal for licensing and plates.
| Contact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Department | Motor Vehicle Enforcement Division (MVED), Utah State Tax Commission |
| Phone | (801) 297-2600(801) 297-2699 fax |
| Hours | 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday to Friday, closed state holidays |
| Address | 210 North 1950 WestSalt Lake City, UT 84134 |
Additional sources (7)
The forms and the portal for each step are linked in the steps. These are the law, the rules, and the agency pages the page was checked against.
- Utah Code Title 41, Chapter 3 (PDF) — the dealer licensing law. It sets the license types, bond, principal place of business, dealer plates, fees, and June 30 term; §41-3-505 is why plate insurance is required
- §41-3-201, licenses required — the 8-hour orientation class and the license types it applies to
- Utah Admin. Code R877-23V (RTF) — MVED's rules. They list the documents required for each license (R877-23V-12), the 24-square-foot sign (R877-23V-8), and the criminal-history presumption (R877-23V-20)
- §77-40a-401, effect of expungement — an expunged matter can be answered as though it did not occur
- Motor Vehicle Salesperson Application (TC-303) — the $61 and $31 salesperson fees and the $30 fingerprint fee
- Motor Vehicle Salvage Buyer Application (TC-305) — the $203 fee
- Sales tax account, additional locations (TC-69B) — the EIN for every entity other than a sole proprietor, who may use an SSN
