<section number="77-40a-101"><effdate>7/1/2026</effdate><histories><history>Amended by Chapter <modchap sess="2026GS">291</modchap>, 2026 General Session</history><modyear>2026</modyear></histories><catchline>Definitions.</catchline><tab/>As used in this chapter:<subsection number="77-40a-101(1)">"Agency" means a state, county, or local government entity that generates or maintains records relating to an investigation, arrest, detention, or conviction for an offense for which expungement may be ordered.</subsection><subsection number="77-40a-101(2)">"Automatic expungement" means the expungement of records of an investigation, arrest, detention, or conviction of an offense without the filing of a petition.</subsection><subsection number="77-40a-101(3)">"Bureau" means the Bureau of Criminal Identification of the Department of Public Safety established in Section <xref depth="3" refnumber="53-10-201">53-10-201</xref>.</subsection><subsection number="77-40a-101(4)">"Certificate of eligibility" means a document issued by the bureau stating that the criminal record and all records of arrest, investigation, and detention associated with a case that is the subject of a petition for expungement is eligible for expungement.</subsection><subsection number="77-40a-101(5)">"Civil accounts receivable" means the same as that term is defined in Section <xref depth="3" refnumber="77-32b-102">77-32b-102</xref>.</subsection><subsection number="77-40a-101(6)">"Civil judgment of restitution" means the same as that term is defined in Section <xref depth="3" refnumber="77-32b-102">77-32b-102</xref>.</subsection><subsection number="77-40a-101(7)">"Civil protective order" means the same as that term is defined in Section <xref depth="3" refnumber="78B-7-102">78B-7-102</xref>.</subsection><subsection number="77-40a-101(8)">"Clean slate eligible case" means a case that is eligible for automatic expungement under Section <xref depth="3" refnumber="77-40a-205">77-40a-205</xref>.</subsection><subsection number="77-40a-101(9)">"Conviction" means judgment by a criminal court on a verdict or finding of guilty after trial, a plea of guilty, or a plea of nolo contendere.</subsection><subsection number="77-40a-101(10)">"Court" means a district court or a justice court.</subsection><subsection number="77-40a-101(11)">"Criminal accounts receivable" means the same as that term is defined in Section <xref depth="3" refnumber="77-32b-102">77-32b-102</xref>.</subsection><subsection number="77-40a-101(12)">"Criminal protective order" means the same as that term is defined in Section <xref depth="3" refnumber="78B-7-102">78B-7-102</xref>.</subsection><subsection number="77-40a-101(13)">"Criminal stalking injunction" means the same as that term is defined in Section <xref depth="3" refnumber="78B-7-102">78B-7-102</xref>.</subsection><subsection number="77-40a-101(14)">"Department" means the Department of Public Safety established in Section <xref depth="3" refnumber="53-1-103">53-1-103</xref>.</subsection><subsection number="77-40a-101(15)">"Drug possession offense" means:<subsection number="77-40a-101(15)(a)">an offense described in Section <xref depth="3" refnumber="76-18-207">76-18-207</xref>, <xref depth="3" refnumber="76-18-212">76-18-212</xref>, or <xref depth="3" refnumber="76-18-213">76-18-213</xref>, except for:<subsection number="77-40a-101(15)(a)(i)">an offense under Subsection <xref depth="4" refnumber="76-18-207(3)(a)">76-18-207(3)(a)</xref>, possession of 100 pounds or more of marijuana;</subsection><subsection number="77-40a-101(15)(a)(ii)">an offense enhanced under Subsection <xref depth="4" refnumber="76-18-207(4)(b)">76-18-207(4)(b)</xref>, violation in a correctional facility; or</subsection><subsection number="77-40a-101(15)(a)(iii)">an offense for driving with a controlled substance illegally in the individual's body and negligently causing serious bodily injury or death of another, as codified before May 4, 2022, Laws of Utah 2021, Chapter 236, Section 1, Subsection <xref depth="4" refnumber="58-37-8(2)(g)">58-37-8(2)(g)</xref>;</subsection></subsection><subsection number="77-40a-101(15)(b)">an offense described in Section <xref depth="3" refnumber="76-18-304">76-18-304</xref>, regarding use or possession of drug paraphernalia;</subsection><subsection number="77-40a-101(15)(c)">an offense described in Section <xref depth="3" refnumber="76-18-403">76-18-403</xref>, regarding possession or use of an imitation controlled substance;</subsection><subsection number="77-40a-101(15)(d)">an offense described in a statute previously in effect in this state that is the same or substantially similar to a violation of an offense described in this Subsection <xref depth="4" refnumber="77-40a-101(15)">(15)</xref>; or</subsection><subsection number="77-40a-101(15)(e)">any local ordinance which is substantially similar to any of the offenses described in this Subsection <xref depth="4" refnumber="77-40a-101(15)">(15)</xref>.</subsection></subsection><subsection number="77-40a-101(16)"><subsection number="77-40a-101(16)(a)">"Expunge" means to remove a record from public inspection by:<subsection number="77-40a-101(16)(a)(i)">sealing the record; or</subsection><subsection number="77-40a-101(16)(a)(ii)">restricting or denying access to the record.</subsection></subsection><subsection number="77-40a-101(16)(b)">"Expunge" does not include the destruction of a record.</subsection></subsection><subsection number="77-40a-101(17)">"Indigent" means a financial status that results from a court finding that a petitioner is financially unable to pay the fee to file a petition for expungement under Section <xref depth="3" refnumber="78A-2-302">78A-2-302</xref>.</subsection><subsection number="77-40a-101(18)">"Jurisdiction" means a state, district, province, political subdivision, territory, or possession of the United States or any foreign country.</subsection><subsection number="77-40a-101(19)"><subsection number="77-40a-101(19)(a)">"Minor regulatory offense" means a class B or C misdemeanor offense or a local ordinance.</subsection><subsection number="77-40a-101(19)(b)">"Minor regulatory offense" includes an offense under Section <xref depth="3" refnumber="76-9-110">76-9-110</xref> or <xref depth="3" refnumber="76-9-1106">76-9-1106</xref>.</subsection><subsection number="77-40a-101(19)(c)">"Minor regulatory offense" does not include:<subsection number="77-40a-101(19)(c)(i)">any drug possession offense;</subsection><subsection number="77-40a-101(19)(c)(ii)">an offense under Title 41, Chapter 6a, Part 5, Driving Under the Influence and Reckless Driving;</subsection><subsection number="77-40a-101(19)(c)(iii)">an offense under Sections <xref depth="3" refnumber="73-18-13">73-18-13</xref> through <xref depth="3" refnumber="73-18-13.6">73-18-13.6</xref>;</subsection><subsection number="77-40a-101(19)(c)(iv)">except as provided in Subsection <xref depth="4" refnumber="77-40a-101(19)(b)">(19)(b)</xref>, an offense under Title 76, Criminal Offenses; or</subsection><subsection number="77-40a-101(19)(c)(v)">any local ordinance that is substantially similar to an offense listed in Subsections <xref depth="4" refnumber="77-40a-101(19)(c)(i)">(19)(c)(i)</xref> through <xref depth="4" refnumber="77-40a-101(iv)">(iv)</xref>.</subsection></subsection></subsection><subsection number="77-40a-101(20)">"Petitioner" means an individual applying for expungement under this chapter.</subsection><subsection number="77-40a-101(21)">"Plea in abeyance" means the same as that term is defined in Section <xref depth="3" refnumber="77-2a-1">77-2a-1</xref>.</subsection><subsection number="77-40a-101(22)">"Record" means a book, letter, document, paper, map, plan, photograph, film, card, tape, recording, electronic data, or other documentary material, regardless of physical form or characteristics, that:<subsection number="77-40a-101(22)(a)">is contained in the agency's file regarding the arrest, detention, investigation, conviction, sentence, incarceration, probation, or parole of an individual; and</subsection><subsection number="77-40a-101(22)(b)">is prepared, owned, received, or retained by an agency, including a court.</subsection></subsection><subsection number="77-40a-101(23)">"Special certificate" means a document issued as described in Subsection <xref depth="4" refnumber="77-40a-304(1)(c)">77-40a-304(1)(c)</xref> by the bureau stating that the criminal record and all records of arrest, investigation, and detention associated with the case do not clearly demonstrate whether the case is eligible for expungement.</subsection><subsection number="77-40a-101(24)"><subsection number="77-40a-101(24)(a)">"Traffic offense" means:<subsection number="77-40a-101(24)(a)(i)">an infraction or a class C misdemeanor offense under Title 41, Chapter 1a, Motor Vehicle Act;</subsection><subsection number="77-40a-101(24)(a)(ii)">an infraction, a class B misdemeanor offense, or a class C misdemeanor offense under Title 41, Chapter 6a, Traffic Code;</subsection><subsection number="77-40a-101(24)(a)(iii)">an infraction or a class C misdemeanor offense under Title 41, Chapter 12a, Financial Responsibility of Motor Vehicle Owners and Operators Act;</subsection><subsection number="77-40a-101(24)(a)(iv)">an infraction, a class B misdemeanor offense, or a class C misdemeanor offense under Title 53, Chapter 3, Part 2, Driver Licensing Act;</subsection><subsection number="77-40a-101(24)(a)(v)">an infraction, a class B misdemeanor offense, or a class C misdemeanor offense under Title 73, Chapter 18, State Boating Act; and</subsection><subsection number="77-40a-101(24)(a)(vi)">all local ordinances that are substantially similar to an offense listed in Subsections <xref depth="4" refnumber="77-40a-101(24)(a)(i)">(24)(a)(i)</xref> through <xref depth="4" refnumber="77-40a-101(iii)">(iii)</xref>.</subsection></subsection><subsection number="77-40a-101(24)(b)">"Traffic offense" does not include:<subsection number="77-40a-101(24)(b)(i)">an offense under Title 41, Chapter 6a, Part 5, Driving Under the Influence and Reckless Driving;</subsection><subsection number="77-40a-101(24)(b)(ii)">an offense under Section <xref depth="3" refnumber="41-12a-302">41-12a-302</xref> for operating a motor vehicle without owner's or operator's security;</subsection><subsection number="77-40a-101(24)(b)(iii)">an offense under Section <xref depth="3" refnumber="41-12a-303.3">41-12a-303.3</xref> for providing false evidence of owner's or operator's security;</subsection><subsection number="77-40a-101(24)(b)(iv)">an offense under Sections <xref depth="3" refnumber="73-18-13">73-18-13</xref> through <xref depth="3" refnumber="73-18-13.6">73-18-13.6</xref>; or</subsection><subsection number="77-40a-101(24)(b)(v)">any local ordinance that is substantially similar to an offense listed in Subsection <xref depth="4" refnumber="77-40a-101(24)(b)(i)">(24)(b)(i)</xref> or <xref depth="4" refnumber="77-40a-101(ii)">(ii)</xref>.</subsection></subsection></subsection><subsection number="77-40a-101(25)">"Traffic offense case" means that each offense in the case is a traffic offense.</subsection></section>