UtahUtah law restricts foreign entities' land purchases and requires disclosures
Effective May 6, 2026, Utah law bars restricted foreign entities from acquiring land and sets out how the state handles suspected prohibited transfers.
What it does
An entity is restricted if a covered foreign entity owns at least 25% of it, and restricted entities may not acquire an interest in Utah land.
After a county recorder reports a possibly prohibited land transfer, the department must send the parties a letter unless that would interfere with its duties. An entity that does not answer within 30 days may face a daily fine and a forced sale of its land interest.
People may not knowingly buy or lease Utah land for a restricted foreign entity using its money or direction. Individual land buyers must disclose if they served in such an entity's military; violations are third-degree felonies.
Argument forThe 25% ownership threshold could help prevent covered foreign entities from acquiring Utah land through partly owned companies.
Argument againstA suspected entity could have to overcome a presumption with evidence and may face daily fines if it misses the 30-day deadline.
More detail
Utah law bars a restricted foreign entity from acquiring an interest in land. The definition includes entities linked to listed military companies, China, Iran, North Korea, or Russia, and entities in which a covered entity owns at least 25%. Land includes Utah real property except property owned, controlled, or held in trust by the federal government. These provisions take effect May 6, 2026.
After a county recorder reports a possibly prohibited land transfer, the Department of Public Safety must send a letter to the parties unless doing so would interfere with its duties. The process follows a county recorder's report of a land transfer the recorder suspects is prohibited. The letter says the department suspects an entity is restricted, and the entity must provide evidence to overcome that presumption. If the entity does not provide enough evidence within 30 days, the department must notify it that it must sell its interest within one year or the Division of Facilities Construction and Management will sell it. The department must notify the county recorder and coordinate the sale with the attorney general and that division. The department may fine an entity $500 for each day it does not respond after the 30-day period ends. It may not impose the fine on or after the day the land interest is sold. The 30-day response period starts when the entity receives the letter. If it fails to overcome the presumption, it must sell its interest within one year or the state division will sell it; daily fines may begin after the response period and end when the interest is sold.
A person may not knowingly buy or lease land on behalf of a restricted foreign entity using that entity's funds or under its direction. An individual buying land must disclose prior service in a restricted foreign entity's military. The purchase rule applies to people acting on behalf of a restricted foreign entity; the disclosure rule applies to individuals purchasing an interest in land who served in a restricted foreign entity's military. The individual must disclose the military service to the county recorder using the required form. A person who violates the purchase restriction or an individual who fails to disclose the service is guilty of a third-degree felony. These provisions take effect May 6, 2026.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Mar 24Governor Spencer Cox SignedBecame Law
- Mar 3House/ to GovernorTo Governor
- Mar 3House/ received enrolled bill from PrintingMinor
- Feb 26House/ enrolled bill to Printing
- Feb 26Enrolled Bill Returned to House or SenateMinor
- Feb 25Draft of Enrolled Bill Prepared
- Feb 25Bill Received from House for EnrollingMinor
- Feb 20House/ signed by Speaker/ sent for enrollingMajor
- Vote recorded Senate/ passed 3rd reading. Result: pass.Upper
- Feb 20House/ received from SenateMinor
- Feb 20Senate/ to House
- Feb 20Senate/ signed by President/ returned to HouseMajor
- Feb 20Senate/ passed 3rd readingPassed Senate
- Feb 20Senate/ 3rd readingMinor
- Feb 19Senate/ passed 2nd readingMinor
- Vote recorded Senate/ passed 2nd reading. Result: pass.Upper
- Feb 19Senate/ 2nd readingMinor
- Feb 17Senate/ placed on 2nd Reading Calendar
- Feb 17Senate/ committee report favorable [Senate Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee]Minor
- Feb 17Senate Comm - Favorable Recommendation [Senate Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee]Minor
- Feb 10Senate/ to standing committee [Senate Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee]Minor
- Feb 9Senate/ 1st reading (Introduced)Minor
- Feb 6Senate/ received from HouseMinor
- Vote recorded House/ passed 3rd reading. Result: pass.Lower
- Feb 6House/ to Senate
- Feb 6House/ passed 3rd readingPassed House
- Feb 6House/ 3rd readingMinor
- Jan 29House/ 2nd readingMinor
- Jan 29House/ comm rpt/ amended [House Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee]Major
- Jan 28House Comm - Favorable Recommendation [House Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee]Minor
- Jan 28House Comm - Amendment Recommendation [House Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee]Minor
- Jan 27House/ to standing committee [House Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee]Minor
- Jan 26House/ received fiscal note from Fiscal AnalystMinor
- Jan 26LFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0291
- Jan 22LFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0291
- Jan 20House/ 1st reading (Introduced)Minor
- Jan 20House/ received bill from Legislative ResearchMinor
- Jan 20LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0291
- Jan 20LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0291
- Jan 20Numbered Bill Publicly Distributed
- Jan 20Bill Numbered but not DistributedIntroduced
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