Skip to content
Oakclause

Non-Compete Laws in Utah

Utah voids post-employment non-competes longer than one year (for agreements since May 10, 2016), and since May 6, 2026 bars new non-competes with health care workers and most veterinarians.

Last checked . General information, not legal advice.

Utah at a glance

Status
Enforceable if reasonable, max 1 year
Common-law reasonableness also applies; broadcasting employees have separate rules.
Enforceable against employees
Yes, up to one year
New healthcare and veterinarian non-competes are banned from May 6, 2026 (vets with a 5% ownership stake excepted).

Sources

Last checked

The rules in Utah

Are employee non-compete agreements banned, restricted or enforceable in Utah?

Status in Utah: Enforceable if reasonable, max 1 year. Common-law reasonableness also applies; broadcasting employees have separate rules.

Can an employer enforce a non-compete against an employee in Utah?

Yes, up to one year. Enforceable against employees in Utah: yes, up to one year. New healthcare and veterinarian non-competes are banned from May 6, 2026 (vets with a 5% ownership stake excepted).

Where do the Utah non-compete laws come from?

The rules above come from Utah Code 34-51-201. Each source is linked on this page. We last checked them in October 2026.

Good to know

Chapter 341 of the 2026 General Session added the healthcare and veterinarian bans, effective May 6, 2026.

What this means in practice

Read the restriction closely before signing. Note how long it lasts, the area it covers, which activities it bars and which state's law the contract says applies. A choice-of-law clause does not always control, because some states refuse to apply another state's law to their own residents or workers.

Salary thresholds are often adjusted every year for inflation. If a state uses a threshold, check the figure for the year the agreement was signed or is being enforced, and how the statute defines earnings.

A non-compete is different from a non-solicitation or confidentiality agreement. Many states that limit non-competes still allow narrower clauses that protect trade secrets or customer lists. An employment lawyer can explain how the rules apply to a specific agreement.

General information, not legal advice. Laws change, and cities can add their own rules, so check the current statute before you rely on it.