Jobs for Felons in Utah

Utah's ban-the-box law covers public employers: state agencies, state colleges and universities, cities, counties, school districts and other local governments. They cannot make you disclose a conviction on the application or before the first interview, or before a conditional offer if there is no interview. They can ask at the interview or after it. They also cannot ask about an expunged record, and you can answer as though it never happened.

The rule does not cover law enforcement, the justice system, jobs working with children or vulnerable adults, financial or fiduciary employers, the state liquor agency, the Tax Commission, volunteers, or jobs where another law requires a record check.

As far as we can find, Utah has no ban-the-box law for private employers. Utah's law is written for public employers only, so a private employer can ask about your record on the application.

Under federal law, a background check company can report a conviction no matter how old it is. Arrests that did not lead to a conviction generally drop off after seven years (the limit does not apply to jobs paying $75,000 a year or more). We found no Utah law that shortens that for convictions. In Utah, expungement is what takes an old case off the table.

Utah law says that since January 1, 2026, courts identify eligible cases and expunge them automatically, and the Utah courts say you no longer need a form for it. Eligible cases include class B and C misdemeanors, infractions, and class A misdemeanor drug possession after a clean period (5 years for class C and infractions, 6 for class B, 7 for class A drug possession), and cases that ended in acquittal or dismissal.

Felonies are not covered, and neither are most violent, weapons, DUI or domestic violence offenses, or a case with unpaid court debt. Prosecutors can object. The law was changed again in 2026, so do not assume your case has been cleared: check whether this applies to you with the courts or legal aid, and petition if it has not happened.

First you get a certificate of eligibility from the Utah Bureau of Criminal Identification (BCI), then you file in court. You must have paid all fines, interest and restitution. The wait runs from your conviction or release from jail, parole or probation, whichever is last: 7 years for a felony, 5 years for felony drug possession or a class A misdemeanor, 4 years for a class B misdemeanor, 3 years for a class C misdemeanor or infraction, and 10 years for DUI-type offenses.

Some records cannot be expunged by petition: capital and first-degree felonies, violent felonies, felony DUI, and registry offenses. Too many convictions can also block you, for example two or more felonies (not counting drug possession) from separate episodes. The full count rules are longer, so have legal aid look at your whole history.

Once the expungement order is entered, you can answer any question as though the arrest, prosecution or conviction never happened, unless a law or a court order says otherwise.

You can ask Utah's Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) at any time whether your criminal record would disqualify you from a license it regulates. It must answer in writing within 90 days of a complete application, and it can tell you steps you could take to qualify. A fee applies. Do this before you pay for training.

Federal EEOC guidance from 2012 warns employers that blanket “no felons” policies can violate Title VII, but since April 2025 a federal executive order has told agencies to deprioritize this kind of case. We found no Utah law that stops a private employer from using a record, so your leverage is Clean Slate, expungement by petition, and finding the right employer.