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Utah Law on Alcohol

Utah Law on Alcohol

The alcohol laws of Utah regulate the selling and purchasing of alcohol in the State of Utah and are some of the most restrictive in the United States. A person must be 21 years old to buy or consume alcohol in the state of Utah.

The Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control or UDABC has regulated the sale of alcohol in the state of Utah since 1935. prohibition ended in the United States in 1933. Utah is one of 18 “control states”. This means that the state has a monopoly over the wholesaling and retailing of some or all categories of alcoholic beverages within the state’s boundaries.


Current Utah law sets a limit of 3.2% alcohol by weight in beer sold at grocery and convenience stores and at establishments operated under a beer only type license. Beer only type licenses cover taverns beer bars and some restaurants. Beer over 3.2% by weight is available in state liquor stores and package agencies in at clubs and restaurants license to sell liquor. In commercial facilities, the time at which alcohol maybe service limited. Alcohol may not be sold any later than 1 a.m. under any circumstance.

Utah has many laws which are unique to its borders. While Most states allow their grocery stores to sell at a variety of alcoholic products, Utah restricts their markets to only sell packaged beer. Liquor and wine can only be sold at the state liquor stores. Other Utah liquor laws include time restrictions on when alcohol can be purchased. Most restaurants, taverns, clubs, and other establishments selling liquor only allowed to sell alcoholic beverages from 11:30 a.m. to 1 a.m.


there have been bills introduced in the state congress to allow chain restaurants to obtain a master license for all of their their locations instead of having to apply for a liquor license at each individual location. This is hope to speed up the process of obtaining liquor licenses when otherwise there are many locations of the same restaurant applying for a single license every month.

Utah Alcohol Certification

Utah alcohol certification has been required in the state since 1987. The hospitality industry started offering this training prior to the Inception of the state mandates, which actually helped to influence the creation of the legislation in the first place. The National Restaurant Association and the American hotel and motel Association were the groups that first developed the programs that the hospitality industry and Utah used prior to the state La creacion. Now, everyone who works in an establishment that serves alcohol for on-premise consumption is required to take an alcohol training and education seminar. This includes employees that will serve alcohol, as well as managers, and supervisors of those employees.


The Utah alcohol certification program is required to be repeated every three years to keep certification current and educate people on changing laws and rules within the state. Owners of established that serve alcohol for on-premise consumption only required to take the course if they also work with a supervisor, manager, or server in the establishment. If they’re completely hands-off, and only act as an owner, the seminar isn’t required for them to be completed.

Alcohol Lawyer Free Consultation

If you have additional questions about Utah alcohol law or need legal assistance for a hotel, motel, bar, Tavern or other business that needs an alcohol license, please call Ascent Law for your free consultation (801) 676-5506. We want to help you.

Michael R. Anderson, JD

Ascent Law LLC
8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite C
West Jordan, Utah
84088 United States
Telephone: (801) 676-5506