Vehicle Odometers

General Information

Every vehicle subject to registration in Utah must be equipped with a properly functioning odometer. It is illegal to operate, or to cause to be operated, a motor vehicle in which the odometer is known to be disconnected or nonfunctional, except while taking the vehicle to a repair shop.

It is a class A misdemeanor to install on any motor vehicle a device which causes the odometer to register mileage other than the true mileage, or to knowingly sell any vehicle on which the odometer has been altered in this manner.

It is a third-degree felony to issue a false odometer statement, to disconnect, turn back, or reset the odometer of any motor vehicle, or to knowingly sell a vehicle on which the odometer has been altered in this manner.

Odometer Mileage Disclosure Statement

At the time of the sale or transfer of any motor vehicle, the transferor is required to give the transferee a signed odometer mileage disclosure statement. Failure to provide such a statement, or violation of any rule concerning such a statement, is a Class B misdemeanor. The transferee should acknowledge receipt of the statement by signing it and both the transferee and the transferor should keep a legible copy. The original odometer statement must be surrendered to the Motor Vehicle Division when the vehicle is titled and registered. Information contained in the odometer mileage disclosure statement includes the following:

• The odometer reading at the time of transfer,
• The date of transfer,
• The transferor's name and address or the transferor's authorized agent's name and address if the transferor is a company,
• The transferee's name and address or the transferee's authorized agents name and address if the transferee is a company,
• The make, model, year, body type, and identification number of the vehicle, and,
• An affirmation that the odometer mileage shown on the odometer statement is either the actual mileage, exceeds the mechanical limits of the odometer, or is not the actual mileage

Odometer Replacement or Repair

If the odometer needs to be repaired or replaced , the disclosure statement should read:

• That the odometer was repaired or replaced and that the present reading is identical to the reading before the repair, or,
• That the odometer was repaired or replaced, and because it was incapable of registering the same mileage as before, it was reset to zero.

If the odometer is repaired or replaced and then reset to zero, the disclosure statement must specify the mileage on the vehicle before the reading was altered. A notice in writing, on a form available from MVED, specifying both the date the odometer was repaired or replaced and the mileage on the vehicle before this occurred, must be permanently affixed to the left door frame of the vehicle.

Dealer Retention of Disclosure Statements

Every dealer should keep every odometer mileage disclosure statement he receives and a legible copy of every statement he issues. These statements should be kept on file at the dealer's principal place of business for five years and will be subject to inspection by any peace officer during business hours.

Mileage Recorded on Title

The mileage of a motor vehicle must be included on the vehicle's title and on the application for transfer of ownership, and will be printed on the new title certificate.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are there any exceptions to the odometer mileage disclosure statement rule?

Odometer mileage disclosure statements do not need to be given for vehicles having a gross vehicle weight rating of 16,000 pounds or more, vehicles 10 years old or older, or vehicles sold directly by the manufacturer to any agency of the United States Government (41-1a-902).

Are there any motor vehicles which are not required to have a working odometer?

Only vehicles which are not subject to registration and trailers (41-1a-901 UCA).

Can I check more than one box on the disclosure statement form?

No.

Should I sign, or ask my customer to sign, a blank disclosure statement with the assurance that it will be filled out later?

No. All signers are responsible for the certification of all information on the disclosure statement.

Is it illegal for a dealer to give a prospective purchaser the name of an automobile's previous owner?

Yes. All motor vehicle records are protected by law.