Utah raises weight cutoff that can drive up vehicle registration fees

SALT LAKE CITY — Cars, trucks and SUVs are getting bigger, and Utah law has changed because of it.

It is one of those little lines in state law that can mean hundreds of dollars when it is time to register a vehicle.

For most Utah drivers, the registration bill is based largely on the vehicle's age. That means a five-year-old luxury car and a modest five-year-old sedan land in the same fee category.

"If you have a Corvette or a Lamborghini that's five years old, it'll pay the same amount as a Toyota Corolla or Camry that is five years old," Utah State Tax Commission spokesperson Jason Gardner said.

But what Utah drivers pay can change when a vehicle gets much bigger.

For heavy vehicles, the state bases the tax on the vehicle's value, which can make the registration bill much higher.

Now that dividing line is moving.

The previous cutoff was 12,000 lbs. Utah has now increased it to 14,000 lbs.

"That 12,000 lbs limit is becoming not as much of a breakdown between consumer and commercial anymore," Gardner said.

Federal data analyzed by the KSL Investigators shows the trend behind the change: Vehicles are getting bigger and heavier.

About 60% of new vehicles produced are SUVs. Even modest sedans are about 6% bigger than they were 20 years ago.

For most sedan drivers, the change will likely mean nothing. But for someone buying or renewing the registration on a large pickup or family vehicle, it could make a significant difference.

"Some of these trucks are $70,000. So your registration fee was upwards, close to $1,000," Gardner said.

According to Gardner, the change came after constituents complained to both lawmakers and the Tax Commission that similar consumer vehicles were being taxed very differently once they crossed the old 12,000-lb line.

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