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Read. Follow. Verify.Utah Revises Alcohol Laws to Lower Hotel Room Minimums, Adjust Restaurant Age Checks, and Authorize Cash Price Rounding
Last action · March 13, 2026: Governor SignedSponsors: Rep. Burton, Jefferson S. and 2 others
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What This Bill Does
Utah enacts HB 597 to amend alcoholic beverage control laws, lowering the hotel room threshold for licensing from 40 to 30 rooms, requiring age verification for restaurant patrons appearing 35 or younger, and permitting cash transactions at state stores to be rounded to the nearest five cents.
Changes licensing rules, operational compliance standards, and identification requirements for hotels, restaurants, bars, and state liquor stores across Utah.
Who It Affects
Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Hotels
Hotels face a reduced minimum room requirement of 30 rooms to qualify for licensing.
Restaurants
Restaurants are only required to verify proof of age for patrons who appear to be 35 years old or younger.
Department of Alcoholic Beverage Services
The department assumes oversight of the internal audit division and adjusts cash transaction and pricing procedures.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the new age verification requirement for restaurants?
How does the bill affect hotel licensing requirements?
Can cash transactions at state stores be rounded?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Current status: Signed into law.
Procedural history
50 actions- Mar 13, 2026Lieutenant Governor's office for filingEnrolledGovernor Signed
- Mar 12, 2026HouseHouse/ to Governor
- Mar 12, 2026HouseHouse/ received enrolled bill from Printing
- Mar 6, 2026HouseHouse/ enrolled bill to Printing
- Mar 6, 2026Clerk of the HouseEnrolled Bill Returned to House or Senate
- Mar 6, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel / EnrollingDraft of Enrolled Bill Prepared
Show 44 earlier actions
- Mar 6, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel / EnrollingBill Received from House for Enrolling
- Mar 5, 2026HouseHouse/ signed by Speaker/ sent for enrolling
- Mar 5, 2026HouseHouse/ received from Senate
- Mar 5, 2026SenateSenate/ to House
- Mar 5, 2026SenateSenate/ signed by President/ returned to House
- Mar 5, 2026SenateSenate/ received from House
- Mar 5, 2026HouseHouse/ to Senate
- Mar 5, 2026HouseHouse/ concurs with Senate amendment
- Mar 5, 2026HouseHouse/ placed on Concurrence Calendar
- Mar 5, 2026HouseHouse/ received from Senate
- Mar 4, 2026SenateSenate/ to House with amendments
- Mar 4, 2026SenateFloorSenate/ passed 2nd & 3rd readings/ suspension
- Mar 4, 2026SenateSenate/ floor amendment
- Mar 4, 2026SenateSenate/ 2nd & 3rd readings/ suspension
- Mar 4, 2026SenateSenate/ Rules to 2nd Reading Calendar
- Mar 4, 2026SenateSenate/ 2nd Reading Calendar to Rules
- Mar 4, 2026SenateSenate/ placed on 2nd Reading Calendar
- Mar 4, 2026SenateSenate/ comm rpt/ substituted
- Mar 4, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0597S01
- Mar 4, 2026Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0597S01
- Mar 4, 2026SenateSenate Comm - Favorable Recommendation
- Mar 4, 2026SenateSenate Comm - Substitute Recommendation
- Mar 4, 2026Legislative Fiscal AgencyLFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0597S01
- Mar 4, 2026Legislative Fiscal AnalystLFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0597S01
- Mar 3, 2026SenateCommitteeSenate/ to standing committee
- Mar 3, 2026SenateIntroducedSenate/ 1st reading (Introduced)
- Mar 3, 2026SenateSenate/ received from House
- Mar 3, 2026HouseHouse/ to Senate
- Mar 3, 2026HouseFloorHouse/ passed 3rd reading
- Mar 3, 2026HouseHouse/ 3rd reading
- Mar 2, 2026HouseHouse/ 2nd reading
- Mar 2, 2026HouseHouse/ comm rpt/ amended
- Feb 27, 2026HouseHouse Comm - Favorable Recommendation
- Feb 27, 2026HouseHouse Comm - Amendment Recommendation
- Feb 27, 2026HouseHouse/ received fiscal note from Fiscal Analyst
- Feb 27, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0597
- Feb 27, 2026Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0597
- Feb 24, 2026HouseCommitteeHouse/ to standing committee
- Feb 24, 2026HouseIntroducedHouse/ 1st reading (Introduced)
- Feb 24, 2026HouseHouse/ received bill from Legislative Printing
- Feb 24, 2026Legislative Fiscal AgencyLFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0597
- Feb 24, 2026Legislative Fiscal AnalystLFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0597
- Feb 24, 2026Legislative Research and General CounselNumbered Bill Publicly Distributed
- Feb 24, 2026Legislative Research and General CounselBill Numbered but not Distributed
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Connected Entities
Sources
le.utah.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance75How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy20Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz30Current news / social attention level
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