Utah — Collection Agency Act REPEALED (2023) + SOL

Authority

Utah has no collection-agency licensing or bonding statute: Utah Code Title 12 ch. 1 (the Collection Agency Act — registration with the Division of Corporations and Commercial Code plus a $10,000 bond) was repealed by Laws of Utah 2023, ch. 32 (H.B. 20), effective May 3, 2023. Title 12 survives as a one-section husk: §12-1-11 (collection fee cap and convenience-fee disclosure).

A different entry gate does survive and is widely missed: the Consumer Credit Notification (CCN) under Utah Code §§70C-8-201 to -203 (Utah Consumer Credit Code), administered by the Utah Department of Financial Institutions via NMLS. It reaches a party with a Utah office or place of business that takes an assignment of, or directly collects on, a consumer credit obligation.

Utah has no mini-FDCPA. Collection conduct is reached, if at all, through the Utah Consumer Sales Practices Act (Title 13 ch. 11, Division of Consumer Protection) plus two targeted statutes: §70C-7-107 (pre-furnishing notice of a negative credit report, expressly binding a creditor's collection agent) and §31A-26-313 (health-care pre-collection notice). Limitations periods: §§78B-2-307 (4 years), 78B-2-309 (6 years), 78B-2-113 (payment/acknowledgment), and 70A-3-118 (negotiable instruments).

Verification note. le.utah.gov/xcode/... section pages are jQuery shells that render nothing to a fetcher. The official text is served from a sibling versioned file named in the shell page's versionArr variable — e.g. .../Chapter2/C78B-2-S307_2023050320230503.html — and, better, from the official chapter/title XML: .../Chapter2/C78B-2_1800010118000101.xml. Same official publisher (Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel). All Utah Code text below was pulled from those XML files on 2026-08-12. Bill text and session-law chapter numbers came from le.utah.gov/~<year>/bills/... (server-rendered). The repealed Title 12 sections are quoted from Internet Archive captures of the official le.utah.gov pages and are flagged as such inline. adminrules.utah.gov is a React SPA whose only reachable public endpoints return the agency/program tree, not rule text; legacy rules.utah.gov/publicat/code/... paths 404 — the Utah Administrative Code is manual-verification-only and nothing on this page depends on it.

Operative text

The repeal — Laws of Utah 2023, ch. 32 (H.B. 20), eff. 2023-05-03

The enrolled bill states its own scope:

COLLECTION AGENCY AMENDMENTS … General Description: This bill repeals certain provisions related to collection agencies. Highlighted Provisions: This bill: ▸ repeals provisions related to collection agencies that: • require collection agencies to register with the Division of Corporations and Commercial Code; • govern certain bond requirements for collection agencies; • require certain records related to registrations and bonds; • relate to violations and penalties of title provisions; • govern assignments of debts involving collection agencies; and • require certain registration forms and registration fees for collection agencies. Other Special Clauses: None REPEALS: 12-1-1 … 12-1-2 … 12-1-3 … 12-1-5 … 12-1-6 … 12-1-7 … 12-1-8 … 12-1-9 … 12-1-10 Section 1. Repealer. This bill repeals: Section 12-1-1, Registration and bond required. Section 12-1-2, Amount of bond -- Conditions -- Right of action. Section 12-1-3, Term of bond -- Limitation of action. Section 12-1-5, Record of registrations and bonds -- Right of inspection. Section 12-1-6, Violation of title -- Penalty. Section 12-1-7, Exceptions. Section 12-1-8, Designating and limiting activities as to assignments. Section 12-1-9, Information void if no bond filed by collection agency. Section 12-1-10, Applications -- Fees. — 2023 H.B. 20 (enrolled), le.utah.gov/~2023/bills/hbillenr/HB0020.htm

The official bill-status record supplies the session law and date:

Last Action: 13 Mar 2023, Governor Signed … Effective Date: 3 May 2023 … Session Law Chapter: 032 — le.utah.gov/~2023/bills/static/HB0020.html

"Other Special Clauses: None" means there is no savings, grandfather, or transition clause — the registration and bond obligations simply ceased on 2023-05-03.

What was repealed (Internet Archive captures of the official le.utah.gov pages, pre-repeal versions — these sections no longer exist in the code):

12-1-1. Registration and bond required. No person shall conduct a collection agency, collection bureau, or collection office in this state, or engage in this state in the business of soliciting the right to collect or receive payment for another of any account, bill, or other indebtedness … unless at the time … that person or the person for whom he may be acting as agent, is registered with the Division of Corporations and Commercial Code and has on file a good and sufficient bond as hereinafter specified. — former Utah Code §12-1-1 (Amended by Chapter 235, 1999 General Session) — repealed 2023-05-03

12-1-2. (1) The bond shall be for the sum of $10,000, payable to the state of Utah. — former Utah Code §12-1-2(1) (Amended by Chapter 213, 1993 General Session) — repealed 2023-05-03

12-1-6. Violation of title -- Penalty. Any person, member of a partnership, or officer of any association or corporation who fails to comply with any provision of this title is guilty of a class A misdemeanor. — former Utah Code §12-1-6 — repealed 2023-05-03

12-1-9. (2) Information about the credit rating or credit worthiness of a consumer supplied to a consumer reporting agency by a collection agency … that does not have a bond on file with the Division of Corporations and Commercial Code as required under this chapter, is void on its face. — former Utah Code §12-1-9(2) — repealed 2023-05-03

What survives in Title 12 — §12-1-11 (fee cap + convenience fees)

Title 12 now contains exactly one section (verified: the official chapter XML C12-1_1800010118000101.xml yields a single <section> node, and the Title 12 index lists a single chapter).

(1)(e) "Third party debt collection agency" means: (i) a debt collector as defined in 15 U.S.C. Sec. 1692a; or (ii) a person who would be a debt collector under 15 U.S.C. Sec. 1692a, except that the person does not use an instrumentality of interstate commerce or the mail. (2)(a) A creditor may require a debtor to pay a collection fee in addition to any other amount owed to the creditor for a debt if: (i) imposing a collection fee … is not prohibited or otherwise restricted by another federal or state law; (ii) the creditor contracts with a third party debt collection agency or licensed attorney to collect the debt; (iii) the third party debt collection agency with which the creditor contracts is registered under this title; (iv) there is a written agreement between the creditor and the debtor that: (A) creates the debt; and (B) provides for the imposition of the collection fee in accordance with this section; and (v) the obligation to pay the collection fee is imposed at the time of assignment of the debt … (2)(b) The creditor shall establish the amount of the collection fee … except that the amount may not exceed the lesser of: (i) the actual amount a creditor is required to pay a third party debt collection agency or licensed attorney …; or (ii) 40% of the principal amount owed to the creditor for a debt. (3)(a) … a third party debt collection agency that accepts a financial transaction card … may charge a convenience fee for a transaction processed over: (i) the phone; (ii) text or similar short message service; or (iii) the Internet. (3)(b) Before … charg[ing] a convenience fee …, the third party debt collection agency shall: (i) clearly disclose to the debtor that the third party debt collection agency will charge the debtor a convenience fee, in a time and manner that allows the debtor to accept or reject the convenience fee; (ii) disclose to the debtor the amount of the convenience fee; and (iii) give the debtor an alternative payment method option for which a convenience fee does not apply. — Utah Code §12-1-11 (Amended by Chapter 121, 2020 General Session)

⚠ §12-1-11(2)(a)(iii) is a dangling cross-reference. It conditions a creditor's right to add a collection fee on the agency being "registered under this title" — but the registration provisions of "this title" were repealed on 2023-05-03 and no registry exists. See Traps.

The surviving entry gate — Consumer Credit Notification, §§70C-8-201 to -203 (DFI/NMLS)

70C-8-201. Applicability. (1) Except as provided in Subsection (2), this part applies to: (a) a creditor that is subject to this title; and (b) a party who: (i) has an office or place of business in this state; and (ii) takes an assignment of or undertakes direct collection of a payment from or enforcement of a right against a debtor arising from a consumer credit transaction. (2) Except where otherwise indicated, the following are exempt from this part: (a) a depository institution as defined in Section 7-1-103 that is federally insured; and (b) a wholly owned subsidiary of a depository institution described in Subsection (2)(a). — Utah Code §70C-8-201 (Amended by Chapter 72, 2009 General Session)

70C-8-202. Notification. (1)(a) A party who is subject to this part shall file notification with the department at least 30 days before commencing business in this state. (1)(b) After filing the notification required by Subsection (1)(a), a party shall file a notification on or before December 31 of each year. (1)(c) A notification … shall: … (vi) state the name and address in this state of a designated agent upon whom service of process may be made; (vii) include evidence … that the party is authorized to conduct business in this state as a domestic or foreign entity …; (viii) include evidence satisfactory to the commissioner that the party is registered with the nationwide database … (3)(a) A party who fails to file a notification or pay a fee required by this part may not extend credit to a consumer in this state until the party fully complies with this part. (3)(b) A party who willfully violates this Subsection (3) is guilty of a class B misdemeanor. — Utah Code §70C-8-202 (Amended by Chapter 114, 2024 General Session)

70C-8-203. Fees -- Examinations. (1) A party required to file notification under Section 70C-8-202 shall, on or before December 31 of each year, pay to the department an annual fee of $100. (2) In addition to filing notification, a party subject to this part … (a) may be required to make a book or record relating to a consumer credit transaction available to the department or its authorized representative for examination; and (b) shall pay to the department a fee to be set by the department based on an hourly rate per each examiner. — Utah Code §70C-8-203 (Amended by Chapter 114, 2024 General Session)

"Department" and "nationwide database" are defined:

As used in this chapter, "department" means the Department of Financial Institutions. — Utah Code §70C-8-101(1)

"Nationwide database" means the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System and Registry, described in 12 U.S.C. Sec. 5101. — Utah Code §70C-1-302(8)

The regulator confirms the reach in its own published guidance — and answers the collection-agency question directly:

Are collection agencies required to file a CCN? A CCN is required if the collection agency is "a party who has an office or place of business in Utah and takes an assignment of or undertakes direct collection of a payment from or enforcement of a right against a debtor arising from a consumer credit transaction" as per §70C-8-201(1)(b). … CCN submission through the NMLS is required by § 70C-8-202(1)(c)(viii). The CCN should be filed at least 30 days before you start consumer credit activities in Utah. Thereafter, you must renew your CCN on the NMLS between November 1st and December 31st each year. — Utah DFI, Consumer Credit Notification (CCN) Frequently Asked Questions, dated November 8, 2024

In general, the following activities conducted with Utah citizens are subject to the UCCC. … • Making consumer leases or taking assignments of consumer debt … • Collecting debt arising from consumer credit transactions Entities subject to the UCCC's notification requirement must file a Consumer Credit Notification (CCN) through the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS). Pursuant to Utah Code §70C-1-202(2)(d)(ii)(A), the exemption threshold amount is $73,400, effective January 1, 2026. — Utah DFI, Consumer Lending page, dfi.utah.gov/consumer-lending/

Scope of "this title" (what counts as a consumer credit transaction):

Except as provided in Section 70C-1-202, the provisions of this title apply to all credit offered or extended by a creditor to an individual person primarily for personal, family, or household purposes. — Utah Code §70C-1-201

§70C-1-202(2) exempts, among others, business/commercial/agricultural credit, closed-end first-lien dwelling credit, pawnbroker transactions, most federal student loans, and unsecured credit above the inflation-indexed threshold (§70C-1-202(2)(d)(ii)(A) — $73,400 for 2026).

Prohibited practices — no mini-FDCPA (verified negative, method disclosed)

Method. The complete official XML for Titles 7 (Financial Institutions), 12 (Collection Agencies), 13 (Commerce and Trade), 15 (Contracts and Obligations), 70A (Uniform Commercial Code), 70C (Consumer Credit Code), and 78B (Judicial Code) was downloaded and searched section-by-section for collection agenc, debt collect, call-window terms (8 a.m., 9 p.m., inconvenient time), and time-barred-debt terms. Plus: the Utah Code title index, the Title 13 chapter list (66 chapters), the Title 7 chapter list, and the Title 12 index were enumerated in full. No debt-collection conduct code exists. The only collection-specific substantive provisions found anywhere are §12-1-11 (above), §70C-7-107 and §31A-26-313 (below), and §78B-3-111 (attorney fee-sharing with a "third party debt collection agency, as that term is defined in Section 12-1-11").

The general consumer statute is the Utah Consumer Sales Practices Act, and its definitions reach enforcement of a transaction by someone who never dealt with the consumer:

(2)(a) "Consumer transaction" means a sale, lease, assignment, award by chance, or other written or oral transfer or disposition of goods, services, or other property … to, or apparently to, a person for: (i) primarily personal, family, or household purposes … (2)(b) "Consumer transaction" includes: (i) any of the following with respect to a transfer or disposition described in Subsection (2)(a): (A) an offer; (B) a solicitation; (C) an agreement; or (D) performance of an agreement … (5) "Supplier" means a seller, lessor, assignor, offeror, broker, or other person who regularly solicits, engages in, or enforces consumer transactions, whether or not the person deals directly with the consumer. — Utah Code §13-11-3 (Amended by Chapter 442, 2025 General Session)

(1) A supplier that engages in a deceptive act or practice in connection with a consumer transaction violates this chapter, whether the deceptive act or practice occurs before, during, or after the transaction. — Utah Code §13-11-4(1) (Amended by Chapter 394, 2026 General Session)

(1) A supplier that commits an unconscionable act or practice in connection with a consumer transaction violates this chapter whether the unconscionable act or practice occurs before, during, or after the transaction. (2)(a) The unconscionability of an act or practice is a question of law for a court with jurisdiction. … (3) In determining whether an act or practice is unconscionable, the court shall consider the circumstances that the supplier knew or had reason to know. — Utah Code §13-11-5 (Amended by Chapter 442, 2025 General Session)

Exemptions matter here:

(1) This act does not apply to: (a) an act or practice required or specifically permitted by or under state or federal law; … (d) credit terms of a transaction otherwise subject to this act; … (2) A person alleged to have violated this act has the burden of showing the applicability of this section. — Utah Code §13-11-22 (Amended by Chapter 442, 2025 General Session)

Negative credit report — mandatory notice, §70C-7-107 (binds the collection agent)

(1)(a) "Creditor," in addition to its definition under Section 70C-1-302, includes an agent of a creditor engaged in administering or collecting the creditor's accounts. (2) A creditor may submit a negative credit report to a credit reporting agency, only if the creditor notifies the party whose credit record is the subject of the negative report. After providing this notice, a creditor may submit additional information … respecting the same transaction … without providing any additional notice. (3)(a) A creditor shall provide the notice described in Subsection (2): (i) in writing; (ii) by: (A) in-person delivery; (B) first class mail, postage prepaid, to the party's last-known address; or (C) if the party has consented to receive notices by electronic mail, by electronic mail; and (iii) no more than 30 days after the day on which the creditor submits the negative credit report to the credit reporting agency. (3)(c) The notice is sufficient if it takes substantially the following form: "As required by Utah law, you are hereby notified that a negative credit report reflecting on your credit record may be submitted to a credit reporting agency if you fail to fulfill the terms of your credit obligations." (4)(a) A creditor who fails to provide notice as required by this section is liable to the injured party for actual damages … the prevailing party … is entitled to court costs and attorney's fees. (4)(b) If a creditor willfully violates this section, the court may award punitive damages in an amount not in excess of two times the amount of the actual damages awarded. (4)(c) A creditor is not liable … if he establishes by a preponderance of the evidence that … he maintained reasonable procedures to comply with this section. — Utah Code §70C-7-107 (Amended by Chapter 144, 2020 General Session)

Medical debt — §31A-26-313 pre-collection notice (2019 ch. 321, eff. 2019-05-14)

(1)(a)(i) "Collection action" means any action taken to recover funds that are past due or accounts that are in default: (A) for health care services; and (B) that directly results in an adverse report to a credit bureau. (ii) "Collection action" includes using the services of a collection agency to engage in collection action. (2)(a) Before engaging in a collection action, a health care provider: (i) shall, after the day on which the period of time for an insurer to pay or deny a claim without penalty … expires, send a notice described in Subsection (3) to the insured …; and (ii) for a Medicare beneficiary or retiree 65 years of age or older, shall, after the date that Medicare determines Medicare's liability for the claim, send a notice … (2)(b) A health care provider may not engage in a collection action before the date described in Subsection (3)(b) for that collection action. (3) The notice … shall state: (a) the amount that the insured owes; (b) the date by which the insured must pay the amount owed that is: (i) at least 45 days after the day on which the health care provider sends the notice; or (ii) if the insured is a Medicare beneficiary or retiree 65 years of age or older, at least 60 days …; (c) that if the insured fails to timely pay …, the health care provider or a third party may make a report to a credit bureau or use the services of a collection agency; and (d) that each action … may negatively impact the insured's credit score. (5) A health care provider that contracts with a third party to engage in a collection action is not subject to the requirements described in Subsection (2) if: (a) entering into the contract does not require a report to a credit bureau by either the health care provider or the third party; and (b) the third party agrees to provide the notice in accordance with Subsection (2) before the third party may engage in any activity that directly results in a report to a credit bureau. (6) If a third party fails to comply with the notice requirements described in this section, the health care provider that renders the health care service is liable for any penalty resulting from the noncompliance of the third party. — Utah Code §31A-26-313 (Amended by Chapter 321, 2019 General Session)

Call frequency and call window — none (verified negatives)

No numeric frequency cap and no collection call-time window exist in Utah statute; the sweep described above returned no hit in any title. Utah's only statutory calling window sits in the telemarketing chapter and is keyed to "telephone solicitation":

(3) A person may not make a telephone solicitation to a residential telephone or cellular telephone without prior express consent during any of the following times: (a) between the hours of 9 p.m. and 8 a.m. local time; (b) on a Sunday; or (c) on a legal holiday. — Utah Code §13-25a-103(3) (Amended by Chapter 324, 2022 General Session)

(8) "Telephone solicitation" means the initiation of a telephone call or message for a commercial purpose or to seek a financial donation, including calls: (a) encouraging the purchase or rental of, or investment in, property, goods, or services, regardless of whether the transaction involves a nonprofit organization; (b) soliciting a sale of or extension of credit for property or services to the person called; (c) soliciting information that will be used for: (i) the direct solicitation of a sale of property or services to the person called; or (ii) an extension of credit to the person called for a sale of property or services; (d) soliciting a charitable contribution; or (e) encouraging the person called to sell real or personal property. (10) "Unsolicited telephone call" means a telephone call for a commercial purpose or to seek a financial donation other than a call made: (a) in response to an express request of the person called; (b) primarily in connection with an existing debt or contract, payment or performance of which has not been completed at the time of the call; (c) to a person with whom the telephone solicitor has an established business relationship; or (d) as required by law for a medical purpose. — Utah Code §13-25a-102(8), (10) (Amended by Chapter 102, 2024 General Session)

Interpretation (labeled — the quotes win). A call to collect an existing debt is not any of the five enumerated solicitation categories in §13-25a-102(8), all of which are sales, credit-offer, or donation solicitations, and §13-25a-102(10)(b) shows the chapter deliberately treating a call "in connection with an existing debt" as outside its unsolicited-call regime. Reading those together, ch. 13-25a's 9 p.m.–8 a.m. window does not govern collection calls. Note the imperfect fit: §13-25a-103(3) is keyed to "telephone solicitation," while the express debt carve-out sits in the definition of "unsolicited telephone call" — so this is a construction, not a stated exclusion, and no official Utah interpretation was located. Nothing turns on it in practice, because the federal 8 a.m.–9 p.m. window is stricter in the evening than 9 p.m. and identical in the morning.

The FDCPA §1692c(a)(1) / Reg F 12 CFR 1006.6(b)(1) 8 a.m.–9 p.m. window and the Reg F 1006.14(b) 7-in-7 presumption are therefore the operative limits in Utah.

Time-barred debt — no disclosure, no suit bar, no anti-revival (verified negatives)

Utah has no mandatory time-barred-debt disclosure, no statutory bar on suing or arbitrating time-barred debt, and no anti-revival rule. The opposite is true — see §78B-2-113 below, which makes Utah an affirmatively pro-revival state.

Statute of limitations — six years, §78B-2-309

78B-2-309. Within six years -- Mesne profits of real property -- Instrument in writing -- Fire suppression. (1) An action may be brought within six years: (a) for the mesne profits of real property; (b) subject to Subsection (2), upon any contract, obligation, or liability founded upon an instrument in writing, except those mentioned in Section 78B-2-311; or (c) to recover fire suppression costs or other damages caused by wildland fire. (2) For a credit agreement, as defined in Section 25-5-4, the six-year period described in Subsection (1) begins the later of the day on which: (a) the debt arose; (b) the debtor makes a written acknowledgment of the debt or a promise to pay the debt; or (c) the debtor or a third party makes a payment on the debt. — Utah Code §78B-2-309 (Amended by Chapter 107, 2019 General Session)

Subsection (2) was added by 2019 H.B. 83, Laws of Utah 2019, ch. 107, eff. May 14, 2019. The enrolled bill states its own purpose:

Highlighted Provisions: This bill: ▸ clarifies the statute of limitations for credit agreements; and ▸ makes technical changes. AMENDS: 78B-2-309, as renumbered and amended by Laws of Utah 2008, Chapter 3 — 2019 H.B. 83 (enrolled), le.utah.gov/~2019/bills/hbillenr/HB0083.htm

"Credit agreement" is defined by cross-reference into the statute of frauds:

(1) The following agreements are void unless the agreement, or some note or memorandum of the agreement, is in writing, signed by the party to be charged with the agreement: … (f) every credit agreement. (2)(a)(i)(A) "Credit agreement" means an agreement by a financial institution to: (I) lend, delay, or otherwise modify an obligation to repay money, goods, or things in action; (II) otherwise extend credit; or (III) make any other financial accommodation. (B) "Credit agreement" does not include the usual and customary agreements related to deposit accounts or overdrafts … (2)(a)(iv) "Financial institution" means: (A) a state or federally chartered: (I) bank; (II) savings and loan association; (III) savings bank; (IV) industrial bank; or (V) credit union; or (B) any other institution under the jurisdiction of the commissioner of Financial Institutions as provided in Title 7, Financial Institutions Act. (2)(b)(i) Except as provided in Subsection (2)(e), a debtor or a creditor may not maintain an action on a credit agreement unless the agreement: (A) is in writing; (B) expresses consideration; (C) sets forth the relevant terms and conditions; and (D) is signed by the party against whom enforcement … would be sought. (ii) For purposes of this act, a signed application constitutes a signed agreement, if the creditor does not customarily obtain an additional signed agreement from the debtor when granting the application. (2)(e) A credit agreement is binding and enforceable without any signature by the party to be charged if: (i) the debtor is provided with a written copy of the terms of the agreement; (ii) the agreement provides that any use of the credit offered shall constitute acceptance of those terms; and (iii) after the debtor receives the agreement, the debtor, or a person authorized by the debtor, requests funds pursuant to the credit agreement or otherwise uses the credit offered. — Utah Code §25-5-4 (Amended by Chapter 92, 2004 General Session)

Four years — §78B-2-307 (oral contracts and open accounts), with a statutory rolling accrual

78B-2-307. Within four years. An action may be brought within four years: (1) after the last charge is made or the last payment is received: (a) upon a contract, obligation, or liability not founded upon an instrument in writing; (b) on an open store account for any goods, wares, or merchandise; or (c) on an open account for work, labor or services rendered, or materials furnished; (2) for a claim for relief or a cause of action under [the Uniform Voidable Transactions Act sections listed] … (3) for a claim involving personal property damage to the aggrieved party's motor vehicle … ; and (4) for relief not otherwise provided for by law. — Utah Code §78B-2-307 (Amended by Chapter 185, 2023 General Session)

Negotiable instruments — §70A-3-118 (six years; uniform Revised Article 3)

(1) Except as provided in Subsection (5), an action to enforce the obligation of a party to pay a note payable at a definite time must be commenced within six years after the due date or dates stated in the note or, if a due date is accelerated, within six years after the accelerated due date. (2) Except as provided in Subsection (4) or (5), if demand for payment is made to the maker of a note payable on demand, an action … must be commenced within six years after the demand. If no demand for payment is made to the maker, an action to enforce the note is barred if neither principal nor interest on the note has been paid for a continuous period of 10 years. (7) Unless governed by other law regarding claims for indemnity or contribution, an action for conversion of an instrument, for money had and received, or like action based on conversion, for breach of warranty, or to enforce an obligation, duty, or right arising under this chapter and not governed by this section must be commenced within three years after the cause of action accrues. — Utah Code §70A-3-118(1), (2), (7) (Repealed and Re-enacted by Chapter 237, 1993 General Session)

§70A-3-118(3)–(6) supply the shorter or parallel periods for other instruments — unaccepted drafts, certified/teller's/cashier's/traveler's checks, certificates of deposit, and accepted drafts. They are not quoted here; pull §70A-3-118 in full before relying on any of those categories.

Revival — §78B-2-113 (payment OR written acknowledgment restarts the clock)

78B-2-113. Effect of payment, acknowledgment, or promise to pay. (1) An action for recovery of a debt may be brought within the applicable statute of limitations from the date: (a) the debt arose; (b) a written acknowledgment of the debt or a promise to pay is made by the debtor; or (c) a payment is made on the debt by the debtor. (2) If a right of action is barred by the provisions of any statute, it shall be unavailable either as a cause of action or ground for defense. — Utah Code §78B-2-113 (Renumbered and Amended by Chapter 3, 2008 General Session; Amended by Chapter 123, 2008 General Session)

Judgments — eight years, renewable indefinitely

78B-2-311. Eight years. An action may be brought within eight years upon the date of: (1) entry of a judgment or decree of any court of the United States, or of any state or territory within the United States; or (2) renewal of a judgment described in Subsection (1) according to the procedures and requirements of Title 78B, Chapter 6, Part 18, Renewal of Judgment Act. — Utah Code §78B-2-311 (Amended by Chapter 493, 2025 General Session)

(1)(a) Judgments shall continue for eight years from the date of entry in a court unless previously satisfied, renewed, or unless enforcement of the judgment is stayed in accordance with law. (1)(b) Entry of an order renewing a judgment: (i) maintains the date of the original judgment; (ii) maintains the priority of collection of the judgment; and (iii) except as explicitly provided otherwise by law or contract, begins anew the time limitation for an action upon the judgment. — Utah Code §78B-5-202(1) (Amended by Chapter 38, 2026 General Session)

A court of record may renew a judgment issued by a court if: (1) a motion is filed within the original action; (2) the motion is filed before the statute of limitations on the judgment, or any renewal thereof, expires; (3) the motion includes an affidavit that contains an accounting of the judgment and all postjudgment payments, credits, and other adjustments …; (4) the facts in the supporting affidavit are determined by the court to be accurate and the affidavit affirms that notice was sent to the most current address known for the judgment debtor … — Utah Code §78B-6-1802 (Amended by Chapter 493, 2025 General Session)

Accrual, tolling, borrowing, and the savings statute

78B-2-102. Civil actions may be commenced only within the periods prescribed in this chapter, after the cause of action has accrued, except in specific cases where a different limitation is prescribed by statute. — Utah Code §78B-2-102

78B-2-103. Action barred in another state barred in Utah. A cause of action which arises in another jurisdiction, and which is not actionable in the other jurisdiction by reason of the lapse of time, may not be pursued in this state, unless the cause of action is held by a citizen of this state who has held the cause of action from the time it accrued. — Utah Code §78B-2-103

78B-2-104. Effect of absence from state. If a cause of action accrues against a person while the person is out of the state and the person is not subject to the jurisdiction of the courts of this state in accordance with Section 78B-3-205, the action may be commenced within the term as limited by this chapter after his return to the state. If after a cause of action accrues the person departs from the state, the time of his absence is not part of the time limited for the commencement of the action unless Section 78B-3-205 applies. — Utah Code §78B-2-104 (Amended by Chapter 342, 2009 General Session)

78B-2-111. Failure of action -- Right to commence new action. (1) If any action is timely filed and the judgment for the plaintiff is reversed, or if the plaintiff fails in the action or upon a cause of action otherwise than upon the merits, and the time limited … has expired, the plaintiff … may commence a new action within one year after the reversal or failure. (2) On and after December 31, 2007, a new action may be commenced under this section only once. — Utah Code §78B-2-111

78B-2-312. Action on mutual account -- When considered accrued. In an action brought to recover a balance due upon a mutual, open, and current account, where there have been reciprocal demands between the parties, the cause of action shall be considered to have accrued from the time of the last item proved in the account on either side. — Utah Code §78B-2-312

Limits on creditors' remedies — §§70C-7-101 to -107, and their extraterritorial reach

The part on limitations on creditors' remedies, Sections 70C-7-101 through 70C-7-107, applies to any actions or other proceedings brought in this state to enforce rights arising from a consumer credit contract or consumer credit transaction of any kind, wherever made. — Utah Code §70C-1-203

70C-7-102. No garnishment before judgment. Prior to entry of judgment in an action against a debtor relating to a consumer credit agreement, the creditor may not attach unpaid earnings of the debtor by garnishment or like proceedings. — Utah Code §70C-7-102

70C-7-104. No discharge from employment for garnishment. No employer may discharge any employee because the employee's earnings have been subject to garnishment in connection with any one judgment. — Utah Code §70C-7-104

§70C-1-203 is the unusual part: the §70C-7-1 remedies limits — including the pre-judgment garnishment ban and §70C-7-107's negative-credit-report notice — attach to any enforcement proceeding brought in Utah on a consumer credit obligation "wherever made," so a Utah suit on out-of-state paper does not escape them.

Penalties, private right of action, AG/regulator enforcement

(2) A consumer who suffers loss as a result of a violation of this chapter may recover actual damages plus court costs, but not in a class action except as provided in this section. (5) … the court may award to the prevailing party a reasonable attorney's fee limited to the work reasonably performed if: (a) the consumer … has brought or maintained an action the consumer knew to be groundless; or a supplier has committed an act or practice that violates this chapter; and (b) an action under this section has been terminated by a judgment … — Utah Code §13-11-19 (Amended by Chapter 442, 2025 General Session)

(1) The division may bring an action … to: (a) obtain a declaratory judgment …; (b) enjoin …; (c) order disgorgement of money or any thing of value received in violation of this chapter; (d) recover, for each violation, restitution for actual damages …; and (e) obtain a fine … (4)(a) In addition to other penalties and remedies …, the division director may issue a cease and desist order and impose an administrative fine of up to $2,500 for each violation of this chapter. — Utah Code §13-11-17 (Amended by Chapter 95, 2026 General Session)

UCSPA enforcement sits with the Division of Consumer Protection (Department of Commerce), not the Attorney General, though §13-11-17 actions are brought in court. §70C-7-107 has its own private right of action (quoted above). §70C-8-202(3)(b) is a class B misdemeanor. §70C-7-205 caps Title 70C actions at one year from the violation, preserved indefinitely as a recoupment/setoff defense in a collection suit.

Plain English

Interpretation — the quotes above win on any conflict.

• Utah abolished its collection-agency registration and bond on May 3, 2023. There is no license, no registration, no bond, no regulator, and no state conduct code for debt collectors. Federal law (FDCPA + Reg F) is the operative rulebook.
• But Utah is not a zero-gate state. If your agency or debt-buying entity has an office or place of business in Utah and takes assignment of or collects consumer credit obligations, you owe DFI a Consumer Credit Notification filed through NMLS — 30 days before you start, renewed each year between Nov 1 and Dec 31, $100/year, with a Utah agent for service of process. Federally insured depository institutions and their wholly owned subsidiaries are exempt. An out-of-state agency with no Utah office is outside §70C-8-201(1)(b).
• Credit cards run six years in Utah, not four. The chain is statutory rather than judicial: a bank-issued card is a §25-5-4 "credit agreement" (an agreement by a financial institution to extend credit) that §25-5-4(2)(e) makes binding and enforceable without a signature when the consumer uses the credit — i.e., it is an obligation "founded upon an instrument in writing" under §78B-2-309(1)(b) — and §78B-2-309(2), added in 2019 by a bill whose stated purpose was to "clarify the statute of limitations for credit agreements," supplies its accrual rule inside the six-year section. Utah does not require the creditor to produce the signed agreement to get six years; §25-5-4(2)(e) is the whole point. See Traps for the store-card fork.
• Utah is a payment-revives state, and an unusually strong one. §78B-2-113(1)(c) runs the applicable period afresh from any payment by the debtor, with no writing requirement and no pre-expiry qualifier in the text. For credit agreements, §78B-2-309(2)(c) goes further: the clock restarts on a payment made by "the debtor or a third party."
• Four years covers oral contracts and true open accounts — and §78B-2-307(1) gives them a rolling statutory accrual: the four years runs from the last charge or the last payment received, not from first default. §78B-2-307(4) is a residual four-year catch-all for anything with no other period.
• Promissory notes are six years under §70A-3-118(1) (uniform Revised Article 3), with the demand-note rule and the ten-year no-payment backstop in (2).
• No frequency cap. No state call window — the telemarketing window in §13-25a-103 does not apply because §13-25a-102(10)(b) carves out calls "primarily in connection with an existing debt."
• No time-barred-debt disclosure, no time-barred suit bar, no anti-revival statute.
• Two real state-specific duties survive for collectors: §70C-7-107 (written notice to the consumer before or within 30 days after furnishing a negative credit report — the definition of "creditor" expressly includes a creditor's collection agent, and there is a statutory safe-harbor sentence) and §31A-26-313 (health-care providers' 45-day / 60-day pre-collection notice, which a provider may contractually push onto its agency).
• Judgments last eight years and can be renewed indefinitely by motion; renewal starts a fresh eight.

Traps / edge cases

• §12-1-11(2)(a)(iii) is broken law. A creditor may add a collection fee only if the agency "is registered under this title" — but Title 12's registration provisions were repealed 2023-05-03 and no registry exists. The condition is now either impossible to satisfy or vacuous, and the statute gives no answer. Do not ship a Utah collection-fee calculation as settled. Attorney review before adding a §12-1-11 collection fee to a Utah account. (The 40%-of-principal ceiling in §12-1-11(2)(b)(ii) and the four other conditions in (2)(a) are unaffected and still bind.)
• Two official Utah state pages still describe the repealed regime. The Department of Commerce "Who Must Register?" page lists "Collections Agencies" under the Division of Corporations and Commercial Code (commerce.utah.gov/who-must-register/, read 2026-08-12). And DFI's own CCN FAQ — dated November 8, 2024, eighteen months after the repeal — tells readers: "If a CCN is required, it is in addition to requirements from the Utah Department of Commerce Division of Corporations and Commercial Code," and "If you have questions about collection agency licenses or bond requirements, please contact the Utah Department of Commerce Division of Corporations and Commercial Code." Both are stale. Only the statute settles it, and the statute is gone. Do not source Utah entry-gate facts from a regulator page.
• The store-card / non-bank fork on the six-year answer. §25-5-4's "credit agreement" definition reaches only agreements by a financial institution (chartered bank, S&L, savings bank, industrial bank, credit union, or an entity under the Financial Institutions commissioner's jurisdiction). A private-label card issued by a retailer on its own paper, a non-bank fintech lender outside the commissioner's jurisdiction, or a medical or utility balance is not a §25-5-4 credit agreement, so §78B-2-309(2) does not reach it and the account may instead sit in §78B-2-307(1)(b) "open store account" at four years. Most large private-label programs are in fact bank-issued (Utah industrial banks are a common issuer), but the issuer's charter status is the load-bearing fact and it must be established per account, not assumed. Attorney review for non-bank paper.
• §78B-2-113(1) vs. (2) is unresolved on post-expiry revival. Subsection (1)(c) runs the period from the date of payment with no requirement that the payment precede expiry — read alone, a payment on a dead Utah account resurrects it. Subsection (2) says a right of action "barred by the provisions of any statute … shall be unavailable either as a cause of action or ground for defense," which reads as a dead-is-dead rule. The two are not harmonized in the text and no official interpretation was located. Treat post-expiry payment as attorney-review, and never auto-re-age a Utah account that has already expired. Pre-expiry payment restarting the clock is unambiguous.
• The third-party payment restart (§78B-2-309(2)(c)) is a genuine outlier. For credit agreements the six years restarts on a payment by "the debtor or a third party" — a family member's payment, an insurer's partial remittance, or a settlement payment by a co-obligor can restart the clock against the debtor. No other compiled state has this. §78B-2-113(1)(c), by contrast, says "by the debtor" only. Which controls for a non-credit-agreement debt is unanswered.
• §78B-2-307(1)'s accrual clause is easy to misread as a revival rule. "after the last charge is made or the last payment is received" defines when the four years starts for oral contracts and open accounts. It is not a revival provision and it does not appear in §78B-2-309 — six-year written obligations get their restart from §78B-2-113 / §78B-2-309(2) instead.
• §78B-2-312's last-item rule applies only to mutual accounts with "reciprocal demands between the parties." A one-way consumer credit card or store account is not a mutual account; do not apply §78B-2-312 to it.
• §78B-2-104 absence tolling is gutted by the long-arm exception, the same shape as Pennsylvania's: tolling applies only when the defendant is not subject to Utah jurisdiction under §78B-3-205. For a consumer who transacted in Utah, that will rarely be true.
• §78B-2-103 is a one-way borrowing statute. A claim that arose elsewhere and is dead there is dead in Utah — unless a Utah citizen has held it since accrual. It does not import a longer foreign period. A debt buyer is unlikely to satisfy the "held … from the time it accrued" exception.
• Pre-repeal conduct is still exposed. Collecting in Utah without registration or a bond before 2023-05-03 was a class A misdemeanor (former §12-1-6), and credit information furnished by an unbonded agency was "void on its face" (former §12-1-9(2)). H.B. 20 carried no savings clause in either direction. Legacy Utah files touched before 2023-05-03 should not be assumed clean.
• UCSPA §13-11-22(1)(a) exempts acts "required or specifically permitted by or under state or federal law." Whether FDCPA/Reg F compliance defeats a UCSPA claim over collection conduct is untested and the defendant carries the burden (§13-11-22(2)). UCSPA damages are actual only — no statutory minimum — and fees are discretionary, so the UCSPA is a weaker private hook than a mini-FDCPA.
• §31A-26-313 is in the insurance code and keyed to "the insured." It does not obviously reach a wholly uninsured self-pay patient. Its trigger is also narrow: only collection action that "directly results in an adverse report to a credit bureau." A Utah medical account that will never be furnished may fall outside it entirely. Also note §31A-26-313(6) — the provider stays liable for the agency's noncompliance, which is exactly the clause a client will point to in an indemnity fight.
• §70C-7-107's notice runs on the furnisher's clock, not the consumer's. Notice may be sent before furnishing or within 30 days after; the safe-harbor sentence in (3)(c) is short enough to drop into a validation letter. The bona-fide-procedures defense in (4)(c) rewards documenting the process.
• The §70C-8-202(3)(a) sanction does not fit a collector. The penalty for not filing a CCN is that the party "may not extend credit to a consumer in this state" — meaningless for a pure collection agency, which extends no credit. The class B misdemeanor in (3)(b) attaches to a willful violation of "this Subsection (3)," i.e., of the no-extending-credit prohibition. Whether a non-filing collector faces any effective sanction is unclear from the text; do not treat the filing as optional on that basis.

Related

• ../federal/fdcpa/overview.md
• ../federal/reg-f/call-frequency.md
• ../federal/reg-f/time-barred-debt.md
• ../federal/fcra-furnishing.md
• ./tx.md · ./nv.md · ./sc.md · ./pa.md · ./_matrix.md