All publicly owned vehicles and vehicles leased by public entities must be registered as “exempt” vehicles and bear “EX” (exempt) plates. To qualify as publicly owned, a vehicle’s title/registration must name a recognized public entity as the owner or lessee. Vehicles not titled and/or registered in the name of a recognized public entity are not entitled to exempt registration. Examples of recognized public entities include:
- State of Utah;
- Counties;
- Incorporated Cities or Towns;
- School Districts;
- Public Colleges or Universities;
- Official vehicles belonging to Indian tribes that are recognized by the Federal Bureau of Indian Affairs;
- Water Conservancy Districts
Note: To be an eligible public entity, all funding must come from government sources. Vehicles owned by constables, arts groups or any religious organization are not considered to be publicly owned.
No fee is charged for an exempt registration, however, the following requirements apply:
- Exempt registrations must meet yearly emission requirements.
- Exempt registrations do not have an annual renewal requirement and are valid until the vehicle is sold.