Utah bounces outdated booze laws
In the old days, getting into a bar in Utah meant filling out on application and paying a fee to become a member of a private club. No more.
Getting into a bar in Utah is now as simple as showing a bouncer a valid ID.
The state hopes the move will lure more vacationers and tourists, which is a $7 billion a year industry.
Celebratory pub crawls are planned throughout the state.
"It’s 40 years of oppression come to an end," said Dave Morris, owner of Piper Down. "There’s this national perception that we don’t have bars here, so hopefully this gets out there that we’re open for business."
Utah has long had a host of liquor laws that befuddled newcomers, but none was as maddening as the state’s private club system. While technically private, anyone willing to pay a membership fee costing at least $12 a year could come into a bar. Each bar required a separate membership.
Adding to the confusion, hotel guests had membership fees at their hotel bars included in their room rates and no memberships were needed to go into a bar that only served beer.
Report by David Wilkening
David
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Global tourism exceeds 1.5 billion travelers announces UN-Tourism
Qatar Airways offers reduced timetable to over 60 destinations
WTTC global tourism reached record economic impact of 11 trillion in 2025
Hands In, UATP join forces for airline multi-card payments
Overseas travelers to the United States declined by 2.5% in 2025