SB 120: Towing Modifications - Utah

Substitute #1 → Substitute #2 · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was updated to clarify that vehicles towed by police without the owner's consent must generally be taken to an impound yard within the same county, with specific exceptions for evidence storage or when a nearby county yard is closer. It also added a new House Sponsor, Tiara Auxier, and adjusted the effective date of the bill from May 6, 2026, to an unspecified time in late January 2026.

Scope change

The scope of the towing requirement was expanded to explicitly define 'non-consent police generated tows' and establish a default rule that such vehicles cannot be towed outside their county of origin, unless specific conditions regarding distance or evidence are met.

DEFINITION

Added a new definition for 'Non-consent police generated tow' to clarify when the county restriction applies versus private tows with police assistance.

REQUIREMENT

Modified the towing location requirement to generally prohibit moving vehicles to impound yards outside the county where the tow started, with two exceptions: if the vehicle is held as evidence, or if an adjacent county yard is closer and the owner is informed.

TIMELINE

Changed the effective date of the bill from May 6, 2026, to January 25, 2026.

TECHNICAL

Added a new House Sponsor, Tiara Auxier, and updated the timestamp of the legislative record.

Amended 2/11/2026 12:02:871 → Substitute #1 · 3 edits

MINOR

This bill modifies Utah's towing laws to require that non-consent police tows generally stay within the same county where the vehicle was towed, rather than allowing them to be taken to impound yards in adjacent counties. It also updates the definition of 'outboard motor' to 'outbound motor' and clarifies the specific conditions under which a vehicle can be towed outside the county.

Scope change

The scope of the bill narrowed regarding where vehicles can be towed; previously, officers could direct tows to adjacent counties under certain conditions, but now the default rule is that the tow must remain within the originating county unless specific exceptions apply.

REQUIREMENT

Changed the rule for non-consent police tows to generally require that the vehicle be towed to an impound yard within the same county where the tow was initiated, removing the previous allowance for tows to adjacent counties unless an impound yard was unavailable or unresponsive.

DEFINITION

Corrected a typo in the definition of 'Non-consent police generated tow' by changing 'outboard motor' to 'outbound motor' in the text, though the context implies the legal term 'outboard motor' was intended.

TECHNICAL

Removed the specific list of referenced statutes (Sections 41-6a-210, 41-6a-527, etc.) from the definition of non-consent tows, simplifying the language to just 'another provision of law'.

Amended Excerpts 2/11/2026 12:02:871 → Amended 2/11/2026 12:02:871 · 5 edits

MODERATE

This bill clarifies the rules for towing vehicles when requested by police, specifically allowing tow trucks to take vehicles to impound yards outside the original county under certain conditions. It also updates the standards for impound yard fencing and corrects minor formatting errors in the text. These changes aim to improve flexibility for law enforcement during emergencies while maintaining oversight.

Scope change

The bill expands the scope of where a vehicle can be towed during a non-consent police generated tow, allowing it to go to an adjacent county if the local yard is unavailable or if the local tow truck cannot respond in time due to weather or traffic.

REQUIREMENT

Added exceptions allowing tow trucks to transport vehicles to impound yards outside the initiating county if no local yard is available or if the local carrier cannot respond reasonably due to weather, road conditions, or high volume of tows.

Added a specific provision allowing vehicles held as evidence to be towed to an impound yard chosen by the peace officer or law enforcement agency.

Added a new condition permitting tows to adjacent counties if the adjacent yard is closer to the incident than the closest local yard.

Clarified that opaque fencing is required on any side of an impound yard that fronts a highway, class A, B, or C road.

TECHNICAL

Removed redundant or conflicting text regarding the definition of 'Non-consent police generated tow' and corrected formatting errors in the statute numbering.

Enrolled → Amended Excerpts 2/11/2026 12:02:871 · 2 edits

MINOR

This amendment reorganizes the existing text of Section 72-9-608 regarding non-consent police tows. It adds a new subsection (e) to clarify when a tow truck can take a vehicle to an impound yard outside the original county, specifically when local yards are unavailable or cannot respond due to weather, road conditions, or high volume.

Scope change

The bill's scope regarding tow locations remains effectively the same, but the rules are now explicitly expanded to include weather and traffic conditions as valid reasons for out-of-county towing.

REQUIREMENT

Added a new subsection (e) allowing out-of-county towing if local impound yards are unavailable or cannot respond due to weather, road conditions, or high volume of requests.

TECHNICAL

Reordered and renumbered subsections from (c) and (d) to (d) and (e) to accommodate the new rule.

Introduced → Enrolled · 3 edits · Mar 24, 2026

MINOR

The bill was updated to clarify that it applies specifically to non-consent police-generated tows, ensuring the county restriction only applies when officers tow vehicles involuntarily. The county limit now includes specific exceptions allowing tows to adjacent counties if the local yard is closer or unavailable, and permits tows outside the county for vehicles held as evidence. The House Sponsor was also changed from LONG TITLE to Tiara Auxier.

Scope change

The scope was narrowed and clarified by renaming the section to specify 'Non-consent police generated tows,' ensuring the county restriction does not apply to voluntary tows or private requests.

DEFINITION

The term 'Government-initiated tow' was changed to 'Non-consent police generated tow' to more accurately reflect that the county restriction applies only when a vehicle is towed without the owner's consent.

REQUIREMENT

The requirement to tow within the county now includes specific exceptions allowing tows to adjacent counties if the local yard is closer or unavailable, and allows tows outside the county for vehicles held as evidence.

TECHNICAL

The House Sponsor was updated from 'LONG TITLE' to 'Tiara Auxier', and the document timestamp was updated from February 12 to March 5.

Towing Modifications

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