Utah driver’s licenses come from the Driver License Division (DLD), part of the Department of Public Safety. Despite what most people search for, the Utah DMV doesn’t issue licenses. It handles vehicles only, and the two agencies are separate.
Not a standard renewal? If you’ve just moved here, start with transferring your out-of-state license to Utah. If your license is suspended or revoked, begin with reinstating your Utah driver’s license. Limited-term licenses and driving privilege cards can’t be renewed online.
The short version
- Renewing online costs $42 instead of $52, but only if the DLD mails you a PIN letter, and never twice in a row.
- Utah licenses last eight years and can be renewed up to six months before they expire.
- Drivers 65 and older pay $27 in person or $22 online, and must pass an eye test either way.
How Long Is a Utah Driver’s License Valid?
A regular Utah license is valid for eight years and expires on your birthday. You can renew up to six months before that date, or earlier if you can prove you’ll be out of state for that entire six-month window.
Can You Renew Your Utah Driver’s License Online?
Only if the DLD invites you to. Eligible drivers receive a renewal letter with a PIN about 90 days before their license expires.
Online renewal is limited to every other cycle, so if you renewed online last time, this one has to be in person. You also can’t renew online if:
- You have citations, suspensions or revocations on your record
- Your license has been expired for more than a year
- The DLD has an indication of a medical impairment
- Another state has put a hold on your license
Lost the letter? Call DLD customer service at 801-965-4437 or 888-353-4224 for your PIN.
If you qualify, it’s worth doing: online renewal costs $10 less than renewing at an office, or $5 less at 65 and older.
How to Renew Utah Driver’s License Step by Step
Renew Online
- If you’ve moved, update your address online first. Utah requires it within 10 days of a move, and a Postal Service change of address doesn’t update your license record.
- Go to the DLD’s online renewal site and select Renew Your License.
- Enter your details and the PIN from your letter.
- Pay $42, or $22 if you’re 65 or older.
- If you need a vision test, which is required at 65 and older, book a DLD vision appointment.
Renew in Person
- Complete the DLD’s online application for an in-person renewal and book a time slot. Our guide to booking a Driver License Division appointment walks through it.
- Bring your current Utah license. Add two proofs of address if you’ve moved and haven’t updated it online, and legal proof of any name change, such as a certified marriage certificate or divorce decree.
- At the office, check in with your confirmation number, have your photo taken and take the eye test.
- Pay $52, or $27 if you’re 65 or older. Offices accept cash, checks, money orders and credit cards.
- Take the written test if it’s required.
You’ll leave with a temporary license, and the permanent card arrives by mail in about four to six weeks.
Do You Need a Test to Renew a Utah License?
Eye test. Every in-person renewal includes one, and drivers 65 and older must pass one at every renewal, including online. The standard is 20/40 vision and 90 degrees of side vision in at least one eye, with or without glasses. If you fall short, you’ll need a Certificate of Visual Examination from your eye doctor. The DLD’s vision requirements pageexplains how to submit it, and processing takes two to three business days.
Written test. The 25-question test is open-book. You’ll take it if your license has been expired for more than a year, or if you have suspensions or multiple citations. Under state law, renewing without an exam requires a record with no suspensions, no revocations, no reckless driving conviction and no more than six reportable violations in the past eight years.
Many guides still say six months is the expiration cutoff. That’s the rule for limited-term licenses and driving privilege cards. For regular licenses, the DLD’s renewal page says one year.
Utah Driver’s License Renewal Fees
| Renewal type | Fee |
|---|---|
| Regular license, online | $42 |
| Regular license, in person | $52 |
| Age 65 and older, online | $22 |
| Age 65 and older, in person | $27 |
| Limited-term license (in person only) | $32 ($27 at 65 and older) |
| Driving privilege card (in person only) | $23 |
| Motorcycle endorsement (added to renewal) | $18 |
| Typical renewal: driver under 65, renewing online | $42 |
All DLD fees are non-refundable. You don’t need a new card after an address change, but if you want the new address printed, a replacement costs $23. The full schedule is on the DLD’s fees page.
Utah Driver’s License Renewal FAQs
Probably not. More than 95% of Utahns already hold a REAL ID-compliant card, marked with a gold star in the upper right corner. If yours has no star, you’ll need proof of identity, your Social Security number and Utah residency to upgrade. You don’t need a REAL ID to drive.
Not while you serve. Service members stationed outside Utah, and dependents living with them, can keep using a valid Utah license until 90 days after discharge.
You’ll need to renew in person, and you should expect the written knowledge test.
No. Both require an appointment at a DLD office, and applicants may have to pass the written test.
Watch your mail about three months before your license expires. That PIN letter decides whether your renewal takes a few minutes online or a trip to a DLD office.
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