SB 262: Restrict Unmarked Police Car Traffic Stops

Senate Bill 262 by Sen. Daniel McCay will place new limits on how law enforcement officers can use unmarked vehicles during traffic enforcement. 

Specifically, it prohibits officers from using unmarked law-enforcement vehicles to initiate stops for ordinary traffic infractions such as speeding, running a stop sign, or other minor violations of Utah’s Traffic Code. 

Additionally, marked vehicles deter violations in a way that unmarked ones simply don’t. Drivers slow down when they see a patrol car. That visible presence changes behavior in real time, increasing public safety as people slow down on the roads.

The bill doesn’t ban the use of unmarked vehicles altogether. The bill still allows officers to use them to investigate potential crimes, including serious driving offenses or other criminal activity. The restriction only applies to traffic infractions. In other words, if an officer suspects criminal behavior beyond a basic infraction, they may still initiate a stop using an unmarked vehicle.