Utah Moving Permits & Licenses: A 2025 Road-Map for Stress-Free Relocation

The sun is just clearing the Wasatch peaks as your rental truck coasts down Parley’s Canyon toward Salt Lake City. You can already smell fresh pine and Great Salt Lake brine in the air—but before those boxes come off the liftgate, you need two things: a curb slot large enough for a 26-footer and papers that prove you’re allowed to occupy it. Utah’s laissez-faire reputation often tempts newcomers to skip the paperwork, yet a single “Tow-Away” sign or an unannounced winter parking ban can throw an otherwise perfect move into chaos. That risk grows as soon as the route climbs Little Cottonwood Canyon, crosses the Bonneville Salt Flats, or stretches over state lines into neighboring Colorado.

This guide distills every permit, license, and rule that may affect your move in, out of, or across Utah in 2025—from Salt Lake City’s traffic-control placards to oversized permits for I-15, campus unloading passes at the University of Utah, and documentation for international freight leaving via West Coast ports. Three Movers has verified each requirement so you can spend moving day admiring the scenery, not scrambling for signatures.

Utah’s Permit Landscape at a Glance

Unlike highly regulated coastal states, Utah issues no statewide “moving permit” for private residents. Instead, you navigate a patchwork of municipal curb-use rules, state oversize laws, and federal interstate licensing. A quick snapshot:

Permit / License	Issued By	Typical Use
Traffic Control or Right-of-Way Permit	City public-works (e.g., Salt Lake City MyStreet)	Reserving curb lane or sidewalk for a truck or container
Portable-Storage Placement Permit	City (SLC, Provo)	PODS or U-Pack on public property
Oversize/Overweight (OS/OW) Permit	UDOT Motor Carrier Division	Vehicles > 8' 6" W, 13' 6" H, 80,000 lbs GVW on state roads
U.S. DOT & MC Numbers	FMCSA	Any mover crossing state borders
Campus Move-In Pass	University parking offices	Dorm unloading zones
Bill of Lading & Export Docs	U.S. Customs / Port agents	International shipments

City-Level Rules You Can’t Ignore

Salt Lake City (SLC)

Traffic Control Permit – Required to place a moving truck, dumpster, or container on the shoulder of any city street. The permit fee scales by day; every container must be barricaded at all four corners with Type 1 lights.
Freight Zones – Marked curb areas downtown are limited to 30-minute loading. Only vehicles displaying an SLC Freight License—or a paid Temporary Freight Loading Zone permit—may use them.
Tow-Zone Signs – Private vendors can issue temporary tow-zone signage once your permit is approved, a popular option around Capitol Hill and 9th & 9th.

Provo

Portable Storage Timelines – City code caps container placement on a residential lot to 30 days within any twelve-month period if no building permit is active. Placement on public streets requires a separate right-of-way request.

Ogden, Logan, Park City

Ogden limits truck parking Downtown after 6 p.m. on Friday and before noon Sunday during festival season.
Park City’s Old Town streets are width-restricted; trucks over 20 ft must use Swede Alley staging zones.
Logan prohibits curbside parking on snow-routes once a storm is declared—common anytime October-April.

Three Movers Tip: File local applications at least 3 business days ahead (longer during Sundance or college move-in weekends).

Intrastate Moves: Utah’s “License-Light” Environment

Utah is one of a handful of states that does not issue a dedicated household-goods carrier license for moves contained wholly inside state lines. Movers still must:

Register Commercial Vehicles with the Utah Motor Vehicle Division and carry appropriate plates.
Maintain Liability & Cargo Insurance at or above federal minimums.
Comply with the Utah Division of Consumer Protection on written estimates and claims handling.

For consumers, that means verifying insurance certificates and the mover’s U.S. DOT number even for a Provo-to-St. George relocation. Three Movers pre-screens every carrier for active insurance and safety records, closing the gap created by Utah’s lighter licensing regime.

Oversize & Overweight Rules on I-15, I-80, and Beyond

The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) requires an OS/OW permit for any vehicle or combination exceeding:

Dimension	Legal Limit
Width	8 ft 6 in
Height	13 ft 6 in
Length (combo)	65 ft
Gross Weight	80,000 lbs

Permits must be purchased before entering Utah unless arriving through designated POEs at St. George, Echo, or Wendover. Loads over 10 ft wide or 92 ft long may also require bridge-clearance validation—processing can take up to 14 days.

Three Movers ensures any carrier running a high-cube trailer, double-driveaway setup, or office modular rig across Utah obtains the correct permit and pilot-car escort where mandated.

Federal Numbers & Consumer Protections

Once your route crosses into Idaho, Nevada, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, or Arizona, federal law kicks in. The mover must:

Display an active U.S. DOT Number and MC Authority.
Provide you with the “Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move” booklet.
Offer two valuation options: released value (60 cents/lb) or full-value protection.
Maintain a public safety rating of “Satisfactory” or “Conditional” with FMCSA.

We deliver those IDs with your estimate link, and you can double-check them on FMCSA’s “Company Snapshot” database before signing.

Portable Storage & PODS: Rules by Region

City	Permit Needed on Public Land?	Max Days w/out Extension	Lighting/Barricade Requirements
Salt Lake City	Yes – Traffic Control Permit	3–7 days typical	Four Type 1 barricades w/ lights
Provo	Yes – Right-of-Way Permit	30 days only on private property	None specified
Park City	Yes – Engineering Dept.	5 days peak season	Reflective delineators
Rural Counties	Usually none on private drives	Varies	Follow state setback rules

Containers must never block fire hydrants, handicapped zones, or snow-removal routes. In winter, municipalities may revoke outdoor container permits with 24 hours’ notice to enable plowing.

Campus-Move Protocols: U of U, BYU, Utah State

University of Utah (Salt Lake City)

Housing parking lots close for four days every August; students unload curbside then move vehicles to off-campus overflow lots until the “green-zone” re-opens. A paid parking permit is required to return vehicles to residence-hall lots.

Brigham Young University (Provo)

BYU issues free 30-minute unloading passes at Lot 26A; all trucks must exit campus afterward. Volunteers with golf carts assist first-years during “Y-Serve Move-In.”

Utah State University (Logan)

Resident-parking waitlists open midsummer, and only those pre-approved can access Garage C during freshman move-in. Wide trucks may be routed to Aggie Boulevard, where shuttle vans handle final delivery.

Three Movers syncs truck arrival with each university’s assigned time slot and can arrange a smaller shuttle van if the primary truck exceeds campus height bars.

Canyons, Deserts, and Winter: UT's Geography-Driven Gotchas

Canyon Roads – Big Cottonwood Canyon (SR-190) caps vehicles at 30 ft overall length; Guardsman Pass closes in winter.
Bonneville Salt Flats – No cell service; breakdowns delay tow-trucks for hours—carriers need satellite comms.
Summit County Snow Ordinances – On-street parking bans activate whenever two inches of snow accumulate, nullifying local permits.
Monsoon Flash-Flooding in Washington County may shut down secondary roads—check UDOT alerts.

We route moves away from restricted canyon routes and plan alternate dates when the National Weather Service issues winter-storm or flash-flood watches.

International Moves Originating in Utah

Utah’s landlocked status means ocean-bound shipments travel by rail or truck to West Coast ports like Oakland, Los Angeles, or Seattle. Expect:

Household Goods Export Declaration (AES/ITN) for shipments valued above $2,500.
Inventory Lists in English and the destination language.
Customs Power of Attorney appointing a freight forwarder.
Container Inspection by U.S. Customs at departure terminal.

Three Movers partners with licensed NVOCCs (Non-Vessel-Operating Common Carriers) to bundle ground transport, rail drayage, and ocean freight into a single bill of lading so you never juggle multiple carriers.

Mandatory Insurance for Legitimate Utah Movers

Policy	Typical Minimum
Auto Liability	$750k–$1 M
Cargo Liability	$5k per load minimum
General Liability	$1 M aggregate
Workers’ Comp	Statutory

Always demand a Certificate of Insurance naming you as the certificate holder—no COI, no move. Three Movers provides it automatically once your carrier is assigned.

Common Pitfalls and How to Dodge Them

Assuming Utah’s “no license” rule means zero vetting – always verify insurance.
Booking 28-ft trailers for Old Town Park City – narrower streets require 20-ft trucks and traffic-control flaggers.
Parking on SLC snow routes – a sudden storm cancels your permit overnight.
Ignoring canyon restrictions – SR-190, SR-210, and SR-224 have length and chaining rules.
Skipping OS/OW permits for fifth-wheel toy-haulers – personal RV transports still count if hauled commercially.

Summary of UT Moving Paperwork

Requirement	Trigger	Authority
Traffic-Control / Curb Permit	Truck or container on city street	SLC MyStreet, Provo Engineering, etc.
UDOT OS/OW Permit	Width > 8' 6", height > 13' 6", weight > 80k lbs	UDOT Motor Carrier Div.
Portable-Storage Placement	POD on public right-of-way	City Public-Works Dept.
U.S. DOT & MC Numbers	Crossing state lines	FMCSA
Campus Move-In Pass	University dorm unloading	U of U, BYU, USU parking services
Export Docs & ITN	International household goods > $2,500	U.S. Customs & port agents

How Three Movers Makes UT Moves Easy

Paperwork pre-flight – We secure curb permits, OS/OW clearances, and campus passes before wheels roll.
Licensed-carrier match – Every mover in our network carries active insurance and a clean safety record, even though Utah doesn’t mandate a state certificate.
Route intelligence – We avoid canyon restrictions, check weather alerts, and plan alternates in case a snow ban triggers.
One-stop international handling – Ground transport, rail handoff, ocean freight, and customs filings bundled in a single service path.

Your only “job” on moving day is to unlock the door—we’ll handle the signage, the permits, and the peace of mind.

Utah Moving Permits & Licenses: A 2025 Road-Map for Stress-Free Relocation