SALT LAKE CITY — On January 1, 2026, a new law will go into effect that will restrict people who have an extreme DUI conviction from buying alcohol. The law will also require all people — regardless of age or appearance — to show their IDs when purchasing alcohol.
It’s called the Interdicted Persons Amendment or H.B. 437. Those deemed as interdicted persons are required to get a new ID with the words ‘no alcohol sale’.
Those convicted of a DUI can be put in the interdicted category by a judge, but those convicted of extreme DUI are automatically put in the interdicted category. The period of time that a person is interdicted is up to the court.
Major Chamberlin Neff with the Utah Highway Patrol said it doesn’t change how they enforce the law, and it helps emphasize that driving under the influence is not tolerated. “When we make that enforcement encounter on a traffic stop, and we take the license from that person, and we see the no alcohol sales, it’s basically telling us that there is a DUI past with this person,” he said.”
He said, especially with the New Year’s celebrations, Utah Highway Patrol will be on high alert. In 2024, UHP reports that out of all the alcohol related arrests, 2,899 people fell into the extreme DUI category of blood alcohol concentration about .16. That was about 35% of all DUI arrests made in Utah in 2024.
He encourages people to enjoy their holiday parties, but if a person is going to drink, make sure there is a plan and a sober ride home.
“New Year’s Eve for the highway patrol is a night that we have with a lot of preventable tragedy,” he said. “My message is simple: state troopers will have zero tolerance for impaired drivers. Our citizens expect us to remove impaired drivers.”
The Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Services said those designated as interdicted persons will receive their IDs in January 2026.
