Utah has weak gun laws overall and a correspondingly high gun death rate. Lawmakers owe it to their constituents to take action to reduce gun violence in their state.
In 2018, Utah expanded its already dangerous “stand your ground” law, making public confrontations more likely to turn deadly. In 2023, Utah had the twenty-fifth highest gun death rate among the states. In an average year, 442 people die from gun violence in the state. That means someone dies from gun violence every 20 hours. Eighty-three percent of those deaths are gun suicides, and 14% are gun homicides. In Utah, the rate of gun deaths increased by 20% from 2014 to 2023, compared to a 33% increase nationwide.
What Utah Does Well
- Domestic violence gun laws
- Certain child access prevention laws
- Extended background check period
- State database background checks
What Utah Is Missing
- Universal background checks
- Gun owner licensing
- Extreme risk protection orders
- Assault weapon restrictions
- Large capacity magazine ban
- Waiting periods
- Strong concealed carry law
- Lost & stolen firearm reporting
- Open carry regulations
SPOTLIGHT
GUN LAW SCORECARD
The data is clear: States with stronger gun laws have less gun violence. See how your state compares in our annual ranking.
Read MoreEXPLORE UTAH’S GUN LAWS
WHO CAN HAVE A GUN
OWNER RESPONSIBILITIES
CHILD & CONSUMER SAFETY
GUNS IN PUBLIC
HARDWARE & AMMUNITION
OTHER LAWS & POLICIES
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We’re in this together. To build a safer America—one where children and parents in every neighborhood can learn, play, work, and worship without fear of gun violence—we need you standing beside us in this fight.
