Restoring Voting Rights After a Utah Felony Conviction
Short answer: Utah is more permissive about felon voting rights than a lot of people assume. Under Utah Code § 20A-2-101.5, voting rights are restored automatically when a person is sentenced to probation, granted parole, or completes incarceration — meaning someone on probation or parole in Utah can generally still vote, not just people who've finished their entire sentence. And since a 2019 law change, no one has to petition the Board of Pardons and Parole for a certificate to get their rights back after completing their sentence — restoration is automatic.
Who this guide is for
Anyone with a Utah felony conviction — or a family member of someone with one — trying to understand when voting rights actually come back, since assumptions here are often wrong in the direction of thinking it's more restrictive than it actually is.
When rights are restored
- Sentenced to probation (instead of prison) — rights restored at that point, meaning many people convicted of a felony in Utah never actually lose their voting rights at all if they're placed on probation rather than incarcerated.
- Granted parole — rights restored upon parole, while still under supervision.
- Completes incarceration — for those who do serve time, rights are restored once incarceration itself ends.
The 2019 change that removed a real barrier
Before House Bill 431 took effect on January 1, 2020, someone who'd completed their full sentence still had to petition the Board of Pardons and Parole for a certificate of restoration before their voting rights actually came back — an extra administrative step that could create delay or simply go undone. That requirement was eliminated. Since 2020, restoration for someone who's completed their sentence happens automatically, without needing to apply for anything.
Why this surprises people
The common assumption — often shaped by how much more restrictive some other states are — is that a felony conviction means losing the right to vote for a long time, possibly permanently without a specific application process. Utah's actual rule is considerably more permissive: many people never lose the right at all (if sentenced to probation), and those who do regain it automatically, without paperwork, once probation, parole, or incarceration ends.
How this relates to other rights restoration
Voting rights restoration is separate from — and generally easier than — restoring firearm rights after a Utah conviction, which typically requires expungement or a pardon rather than happening automatically. See Restoring Your Right to Own a Firearm After a Utah Conviction for that more involved process.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to re-register to vote after my rights are restored? Generally yes — restoration of eligibility doesn't automatically re-register you; you'll generally need to (re-)register to vote through the normal Utah voter registration process once you're eligible again.
Does this apply to federal elections too, or just Utah state elections? Voting eligibility is generally determined by state law for the state you're voting in, and Utah's restoration rule governs your eligibility to vote in Utah, including federal elections held there.
What if I'm convicted of a felony in a different state but live in Utah? This can be more complicated — voting rights restoration is often governed by the law of the state where the conviction occurred, not necessarily where you currently live; this is worth confirming directly given how much state law varies on this exact question.