The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.Utah Prohibits Local Governments and HOAs From Restricting Vegetation Removal in Fire-Prone Areas
Last action · March 17, 2026: Governor SignedSponsors: Tom Peterson and 1 other
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What This Bill Does
Utah law now bars counties, municipalities, and homeowners associations from banning property owners from removing vegetation in designated areas to meet fire rules, effective May 6, 2026.
Property owners in wildfire-prone zones gain the legal right to clear hazardous brush and trees without local or community association penalties, altering property management rules across state housing developments.
Who It Affects
Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Property owners in wildland-urban interface areas
Property owners gain the legal right to clear vegetation for fire safety without local or association prohibitions.
Homeowners associations
Homeowners associations are barred from enforcing rules that restrict vegetation removal for fire defensible space.
Municipalities and counties
Local governments can no longer enforce ordinances or land use regulations that prohibit vegetation removal in designated interface zones.
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
Can my homeowners association still fine me for removing trees or brush?
Does this law apply statewide in Utah?
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
44 actions- Mar 17, 2026Lieutenant Governor's office for filingEnrolledGovernor Signed
- Mar 12, 2026HouseHouse/ to Governor
- Mar 12, 2026HouseHouse/ received enrolled bill from Printing
- Mar 4, 2026HouseHouse/ enrolled bill to Printing
- Mar 4, 2026Clerk of the HouseEnrolled Bill Returned to House or Senate
- Feb 24, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel / EnrollingDraft of Enrolled Bill Prepared
Show 38 earlier actions
- Feb 24, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel / EnrollingBill Received from House for Enrolling
- Feb 20, 2026HouseHouse/ signed by Speaker/ sent for enrolling
- Feb 20, 2026HouseHouse/ received from Senate
- Feb 20, 2026SenateSenate/ to House
- Feb 20, 2026SenateSenate/ signed by President/ returned to House
- Feb 20, 2026SenateFloorSenate/ passed 3rd reading
- Feb 20, 2026SenateSenate/ 3rd reading
- Feb 19, 2026SenateFloorSenate/ passed 2nd reading
- Feb 19, 2026SenateSenate/ 2nd reading
- Feb 18, 2026SenateSenate/ placed on 2nd Reading Calendar
- Feb 18, 2026SenateSenate/ committee report favorable
- Feb 17, 2026SenateSenate Comm - Favorable Recommendation
- Feb 13, 2026SenateCommitteeSenate/ to standing committee
- Feb 10, 2026SenateIntroducedSenate/ 1st reading (Introduced)
- Feb 10, 2026SenateSenate/ received from House
- Feb 10, 2026HouseHouse/ to Senate
- Feb 10, 2026HouseFloorHouse/ passed 3rd reading
- Feb 10, 2026HouseHouse/ 3rd reading
- Jan 30, 2026HouseHouse/ 2nd reading
- Jan 30, 2026HouseHouse/ comm rpt/ substituted/ amended
- Jan 29, 2026HouseHouse Comm - Favorable Recommendation
- Jan 29, 2026HouseHouse Comm - Amendment Recommendation
- Jan 29, 2026HouseHouse Comm - Substitute Recommendation
- Jan 29, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0215S01
- Jan 29, 2026Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0215S01
- Jan 27, 2026Legislative Fiscal AgencyLFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0215S01
- Jan 27, 2026Legislative Fiscal AnalystLFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0215S01
- Jan 21, 2026HouseHouse Comm - Held
- Jan 20, 2026HouseCommitteeHouse/ to standing committee
- Jan 20, 2026HouseIntroducedHouse/ 1st reading (Introduced)
- Jan 20, 2026HouseHouse/ received fiscal note from Fiscal Analyst
- Jan 17, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0215
- Jan 17, 2026Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0215
- Jan 14, 2026HouseHouse/ received bill from Legislative Research
- Jan 9, 2026Legislative Fiscal AgencyLFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0215
- Jan 9, 2026Legislative Fiscal AnalystLFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0215
- Jan 9, 2026Legislative Research and General CounselNumbered Bill Publicly Distributed
- Jan 9, 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
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Limiting HOA and Municipal Landscaping Control
The statute systematically amends multiple sections of the Utah Code to carve out wildfire safety exemptions from local land use and association rules.
Connected Entities
Sources
le.utah.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance75How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy30Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz25Current news / social attention level
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