Dealer Licensing in Utah

It’s not against the law to sell your own privately owned vehicle to a third-party buyer; however, if you’re planning on making a business of selling motor vehicles, you have to get a car dealer license in Utah.

Utah Dealer Licenses

You must obtain the appropriate UT dealer license if you’re in the business of:

  • Selling, displaying for sale, or offering motor vehicles for sale.
  • Exchanging or transporting motor vehicles.
  • Manufacturing or distributing motor vehicles.
  • Dismantling or crushing motor vehicles.

You also need a license if you:

  • Work as a salesperson for a dealership.
  • Represent a distributor or factory.
  • Operate a body shop.

For our purposes, we’re going to explain how to apply for the most basic car dealer licenses via the Utah Motor Vehicle Enforcement Division (MVED), which are:

  • New car dealer license, which allows you to:
    • Sell and dismantle new and used motor vehicles AND new and used trailers weighing 2,000 lbs. or more.
    • Operate a body shop.
  • Used car dealer license, which allows you to:
    • Sell and dismantle used motor vehicles AND used trailers weighing 2,000 lbs. or more.
    • Operate a body shop.

For information on other types of dealer licenses—including licenses for transporters, dismantlers, and salvage buyers—refer to the MVED’s website.

Motor Vehicle Dealer Training

All dealership owners, partners, corporate officers, and members MUST attend a training seminar before applying for a dealer license.

Courses last 8 hours and can be completed:

Once your training is over, make sure you keep track of your course completion certificate—you will need to provide it when applying for your new or used dealer license.

Apply for UT Dealer License

After you’ve completed your training course, it’s time to apply for your dealer license. 

Pre-Application Requirements

Before submitting anything, you’ll need to contact the MVED at (801) 297-2600 and get approval for your business name. Once you have approval, you must register your business name with the Utah Department of Commerce— call the department at (801) 530-4849 for details.

Next, you need to obtain the following:

Utah Dealer License Application

Once you’ve completed the pre-application requirements, it’s time to gather up all other dealer license application materials and fees.

You AND each owner, partner, corporate officer, and member must complete and/or sign and submit:

Mail everything to:

Motor Vehicle Enforcement Division
210 North 1950 West
Salt Lake City, UT 84134

Requirements for Car Dealerships

Once the UT MVED has received your dealer license application, they’ll send a representative to inspect your dealership, ensuring it has the proper:

  • Office structure, which:
    • Must be a permanent structure.
    • Be able to safely store and review dealership records.
    • Can’t be shared with another business.
    • Must meet all local zoning and business requirements.
  • Display area that:
    • Has space for at least 3 vehicles.
    • Is used for displaying vehicles only.
    • Is designated by a chain, fence, or other approved method.
  • Signage, which must:
    • Be a permanent sign painted on or attached to the building or grounded with cement.
    • Not be a banner, unless they’re permanently attached.
    • Be at least 24 square feet.

The office structure, display area, and signage must be adjoining. No other business can hinder or block a person’s ability to get to the dealership.

If your location passes and all your application materials check out, you should receive your dealer license in the following days.

Dealer licenses expire on June 30 and are not prorated.

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