Utah Office of Regulatory Relief

The Office of Regulatory Relief administers a general regulatory sandbox created by the Utah Legislature in 2021. The sandbox allows businesses to experiment with products, production methods, or services by temporarily waiving state law and allowing entrepreneurs to determine if customers value products that don't fit within the state's current regulatory framework.

To participate in the sandbox, companies must complete an online application with a completed Application Questionnaire and Demonstration Proposal document.

To create a user account to access the application portal, click here. Access to the application portal may take up to one business day after registration submission following a confirmation email.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sandbox Participants and Applicants

Consumer Complaints and Feedback

Advisory Committee

Sandbox News and Research

APPLY NOW

All questions must be answered in the Application Questionnaire and Demonstration Proposal document before submitting an online application (Word | PDF).

Frequently Asked Questions

1) Create a user account at utahecon.secure.force.com/econ/ptlcase.

2) Wait for an email verifying that your registration is active.

3) If you already have a user account, complete an online application with a completed Application Questionnaire and Demonstration Proposal document.

4) Wait for an acknowledgment of application receipt from the regulatory relief office.

5) Send in additional information if requested.

Upon receipt of an application, the regulatory relief office will:

Review the application for completeness.
Request additional information if necessary.
Send the application to applicable government agencies (within five business days after receipt of a completed application).
Send acknowledgment of application receipt with the contact information of each regulatory agency referred for review.

If the regulatory relief office either 1) receives a recommendation from regulatory agencies to accept the applicant or 2) does not receive a written report and recommendation within 30 days (with a possible five-day extension):

An advisory committee will review and recommend the application be either approved or denied.
The regulatory relief office will review agency and advisory committee recommendations and decide to approve or deny.
Approved applicants will enter into a contract with the office.

At least 30 days before the end of the 12-month demonstration period, the participant must notify the office of its intent to conclude the demonstration and exit the sandbox program or seek an extension of up to 12 months. Within 30 days after exiting the sandbox, a participant must submit a written report to the regulatory relief office and each applicable agency. The report will describe an overview of the sandbox participant's demonstration, any incidents of harm to consumers, legal actions filed against the participant as a result of the demonstration, and complaints filed with an applicable agency regarding the demonstration.

According to Utah Code §63N-16-201(16), regulatory sandbox applicants that have been convicted, entered a plea of nolo contendere, or held in abeyance, for any crime involving significant theft, fraud, or dishonesty associated with the ability of the applicant or other participant to safely and competently participate in the program, shall be denied. Applicants currently under investigation for a crime of a similar nature will be considered case-by-case.

For additional questions or to schedule a consultation regarding the regulatory sandbox program, please contact the Utah Office of Regulatory Relief at regrelief@utah.gov.

Sandbox Participants and Current Applicants

The regulatory relief office updates the lists of approved and pending sandbox applications, as well as previous sandbox participants, on a regular basis.

Company

Regulation

Industry

Approval Reasoning

Utah Code § 72-9-603(16)
Utah Code § 72-9-604

Towing

TowPro is a mobile app that modernizes public safety towing dispatch. Using similar technology to ride-sharing apps, TowPro applied this technology to the towing industry to automate the dispatch process and provide real-time situational awareness for dispatchers, officers in the field, and towing companies. In its application, TowPro proved its product’s positive impact for consumers and the general public by citing peer-reviewed research and referring to outcomes from its beta testing. After giving the Utah Department of Transportation an opportunity to review TowPro’s application and make a recommendation, the General Regulatory Sandbox Advisory Committee likewise reviewed and deliberated over this application. With a passing vote of 8-1, TowPro’s application was approved, and the participant entered into a contract with the regulatory relief office.

For more information about the deliberation over this application and how a decision was reached, please refer to the June 16, 2022, public meeting minutes and audio recording found on the Utah Public Notice Website.

“The state of Utah was the first U.S. state to launch a general, industry-agnostic regulatory sandbox.”

- Mercatus Center at George Mason University

Using its one-stop-shop model, Homie Title has saved customers over $13 million since its admission to the regulatory sandbox.

Two municipalities in northern Utah have used the TowPro application to successfully execute over 650 emergency, non-consent tows.

Consumer Complaints and Feedback

The Utah Office of Regulatory Relief monitors entities providing an offering through the regulatory sandbox to ensure that no public harm is occurring. Formal feedback and complaints are used to monitor those entities and their services. To file a complaint or provide feedback, email regrelief@utah.gov with “Complaint” in the subject line. While we accept feedback and complaints, individual assistance cannot be provided to consumers seeking a resolution.

The Office of Regulatory Relief also invites residents and businesses to make suggestions regarding laws and regulations that could be modified or eliminated to reduce the regulatory burden born by Utah residents and businesses. For suggestions, please email regrelief@utah.gov.

Advisory Committee

The General Regulatory Sandbox program has an advisory committee that advises and recommends to the Office of Regulatory Relief on whether an applicant should be admitted as a sandbox participant.

Learn about the Office of Regulatory Relief’s advisory committee here.

Sandbox News and Research