Immigration (Driver Licenses & IDs)

HB 571, titled "Immigrant Amendments," primarily targets immigration enforcement within Utah's state systems. It prohibits Utah financial institutions from accepting certain forms of identification and requires money transmitters to verify senders' immigration status before international transfers. The bill also mandates employers to verify work eligibility, imposes penalties for hiring undocumented workers (including personal liability for medical costs), and restricts undocumented immigrants from qualifying for first-time homebuyer assistance. Additionally, it requires county jails to share prisoner immigration status with federal agencies upon request and prevents local governments from blocking cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.

SB 171 allows non-domiciled individuals lawfully present in the U.S. and authorized to work to obtain a Utah commercial driver license with a "K" restriction. This license permits driving commercial vehicles only within Utah, not across state lines, and requires a signed statement acknowledging these limitations. The license expires when the individual's federal work authorization ends, and it does not qualify for interstate driving under federal rules. The bill updates Utah law to create this specific restriction while requiring applicants to meet all standard commercial driving standards.

HB 287 repeals Utah's driving privilege card program, which allowed undocumented immigrants to obtain limited driving authorization. It prohibits the Driver License Division from issuing these cards after May 6, 2026, and removes provisions for multilingual driver's exams. The bill also requires insurance providers to offer coverage to people without driver's licenses and creates a rebuttable presumption of fault for insurance claims involving "unlawfully present individuals" in accidents. These changes affect undocumented immigrants who currently use privilege cards and alter insurance and driver licensing procedures in Utah. The bill makes related technical updates to Utah Code sections, with most provisions taking effect July 1, 2027.