Enforcement -- Limitations on a county's ability to enforce an ordinance by withholding a permit or certificate.
Utah Code § 17-79-901
in effect17-79-901. Enforcement -- Limitations on a county's ability to enforce an ordinance by withholding a permit or certificate.
(1)
(a) A county or a land use applicant may, in addition to other remedies provided by law, institute:
(i) injunctions, mandamus, abatement, or any other appropriate actions; or
(ii) proceedings to prevent, enjoin, abate, or remove the unlawful building, use, or act.
(b) A county need only establish the violation to obtain the injunction.
(2)
(a) Except as provided in Subsections (3) through (6), a county may enforce the county's ordinance by withholding a building permit or certificate of occupancy.
(b) It is unlawful to erect, construct, reconstruct, alter, or change the use of any building or other structure within a county without approval of a building permit.
(c) The county may not issue a building permit unless the plans of and for the proposed erection, construction, reconstruction, alteration, or use fully conform to all regulations then in effect.
(d) A county may require an applicant to install a permanent road, cover a temporary road with asphalt or concrete, or create another method for servicing a structure that is consistent with Appendix D of the International Fire Code, before receiving a certificate of occupancy for that structure.
(e) A county may require an applicant to maintain and repair a temporary fire apparatus road during the construction of a structure accessed by the temporary fire apparatus road in accordance with the county's adopted standards.
(f) A county may require temporary signs to be installed at each street intersection once construction of new roadway allows passage by a motor vehicle.
(g) A county may adopt and enforce any appendix of the International Fire Code, 2021 Edition.
(3)
(a) A county may not deny an applicant a building permit or certificate of occupancy because the applicant has not completed an infrastructure improvement:
(i) unless the infrastructure improvement is essential to meet the requirements for the issuance of a building permit or certificate of occupancy under Title 15A, State Construction and Fire Codes Act; and
(ii) for which the county has accepted an improvement completion assurance for a public landscaping improvement, as defined in Section 17-79-707, or an infrastructure improvement for the development.
(b) For purposes of Subsection (3)(a)(i), notwithstanding Section 15A-5-205.6, infrastructure improvement that is essential means:
(i) for a building permit:
(A) operable fire hydrants installed in a manner that is consistent with the county's adopted engineering standards; and
(B) for temporary roads used during construction, a properly compacted road base installed in a manner consistent with the county's adopted engineering standards;
(ii) for a certificate of occupancy, at the discretion of the county, at least one of the following:
(A) a permanent road;
(B) a temporary road covered with asphalt or concrete; or
(C) another method for accessing a structure consistent with Appendix D of the International Fire Code; and
(iii) public infrastructure necessary for the health, life, and safety of the occupant.
(c) A county may not adopt an engineering standard that requires an applicant to install a permanent road or a temporary road with asphalt or concrete before receiving a building permit.
(4) A county may not deny an applicant a building permit or certificate of occupancy for failure to:
(a) submit a private landscaping plan, as defined in Section 17-79-707; or
(b) complete a landscaping improvement that is not a public landscaping improvement, as defined in Section 17-79-707.
(5) A county may not withhold a building permit based on the lack of completion of a portion of a public sidewalk to be constructed within a public right-of-way serving a lot where a single-family or two-family residence or town home is proposed in a building permit application if an improvement completion assurance has been posted for the incomplete portion of the public sidewalk.
(6) A county may not prohibit the construction of a single-family or two-family residence or town home, withhold recording a plat, or withhold acceptance of a public landscaping improvement, as defined in Section 17-79-707, or an infrastructure improvement based on the lack of installation of a public sidewalk if an improvement completion assurance has been posted for the public sidewalk.
(7) A county may not redeem an improvement completion assurance securing the installation of a public sidewalk sooner than 18 months after the date the improvement completion assurance is posted.
(8) A county shall allow an applicant to post an improvement completion assurance for a public sidewalk separate from an improvement completion assurance for:
(a) another infrastructure improvement; or
(b) a public landscaping improvement, as defined in Section 17-79-707.
(9) A county may withhold a certificate of occupancy for a single-family or two-family residence or town home until the portion of the public sidewalk to be constructed within a public right-of-way and located immediately adjacent to the single-family or two-family residence or town home is completed and accepted by the county.
Amended by Chapter 166, 2026 General Session
Source: Utah Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel (le.utah.gov)URL: https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title17/Chapter79/17-79-S901.html?v=C17-79-S901_2026050620260506Fetched: 10/26/2026