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Read. Follow. Verify.Utah expands unlawful tracking laws to personal property and applications, establishes statutory damages
Last action · March 26, 2026: Governor SignedSponsors: Doug Owens and 1 other
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What This Bill Does
Utah Governor signed HB 158 into law on March 26, 2026, taking effect May 6, 2026, expanding the state's unlawful tracking offense to include tracking devices placed on personal property and the misuse of tracking applications. The legislation establishes civil remedies including statutory damages of $50 per day or $5,000, whichever is greater, and sets specific exemptions for parents, legal guardians, caregivers, rental companies, and law enforcement.
The law changes legal protections and liabilities regarding digital and physical tracking, allowing victims to sue violators for statutory damages and attorney fees without needing to prove actual financial loss.
- Doug Owens serves as a member of the Utah House of Representatives, sponsoring legislation addressing criminal offenses and civil protections. context
- Todd Weiler serves as a member of the Utah State Senate, acting as the Senate sponsor for HB 158. context
Who It Affects
Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Victims of unlawful tracking
Victims gain expanded legal grounds to sue violators for civil statutory damages, attorney fees, and injunctive relief.
Licensed private investigators
Private investigators must verify protective order statuses with a state entity before installing tracking devices on motor vehicles.
Rental companies
Rental companies are exempt from tracking restrictions when monitoring motor vehicles owned by the company and provided under a rental agreement.
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 constitutes unlawful use of a tracking device under the new law?
Can parents or legal guardians track minors under this statute?
What statutory damages can a victim recover in a civil lawsuit?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
Follow the record
Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Current status: Signed into law.
Procedural history
53 actions- Mar 26, 2026Lieutenant Governor's office for filingEnrolledGovernor Signed
- Mar 11, 2026HouseHouse/ to Governor
- Mar 11, 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 47 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 2, 2026SenateSenate/ placed on 2nd Reading Calendar
- Mar 2, 2026SenateSenate/ committee report favorable
- Feb 27, 2026SenateSenate Comm - Favorable Recommendation
- Feb 25, 2026SenateCommitteeSenate/ to standing committee
- Feb 17, 2026SenateIntroducedSenate/ 1st reading (Introduced)
- Feb 17, 2026SenateSenate/ received from House
- Feb 17, 2026HouseHouse/ to Senate
- Feb 13, 2026HouseHouse/ held
- Feb 13, 2026HouseFloorHouse/ passed 3rd reading
- Feb 13, 2026HouseHouse/ floor amendment
- Feb 13, 2026HouseHouse/ uncircled
- Feb 10, 2026HouseHouse/ circled
- Feb 10, 2026HouseHouse/ 3rd reading
- Feb 3, 2026HouseHouse/ 2nd reading
- Feb 3, 2026HouseHouse/ committee report favorable
- Feb 2, 2026HouseHouse Comm - Favorable Recommendation
- Jan 27, 2026HouseCommitteeHouse/ to standing committee
- Jan 27, 2026House Rules CommitteeBill Substituted by Sponsor in House Rules Comm
- Jan 26, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0158S01
- Jan 26, 2026Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0158S01
- Jan 23, 2026Legislative Fiscal AgencyLFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0158S01
- Jan 23, 2026Legislative Fiscal AnalystLFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0158S01
- Jan 20, 2026HouseIntroducedHouse/ 1st reading (Introduced)
- Jan 20, 2026HouseHouse/ received fiscal note from Fiscal Analyst
- Jan 20, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0158
- Jan 19, 2026Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0158
- Jan 14, 2026HouseHouse/ received bill from Legislative Research
- Jan 6, 2026Legislative Fiscal AgencyLFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0158
- Jan 6, 2026Legislative Fiscal AnalystLFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0158
- Jan 6, 2026Legislative Research and General CounselNumbered Bill Publicly Distributed
- Jan 6, 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.
Expansion of Tracking Protections to Applications and Personal Property
The state broadened anti-stalking and privacy statutes from motor vehicles to cover software tracking applications and general physical personal property.
Connected Entities
Sources
le.utah.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance75How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy15Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz20Current news / social attention level
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