For 40 years Utah has had the unique status of being the only state to enforce so called “Private Club” rules. These rules stated that any bar, club, or other establishment that could serve alcohol (resaurants escape the rule by requiring drinking patrons to also order food) require patrons to join for a fee. Fees varied from a couple of bucks to $20+ dollars, and the membership was good for a year.
This strange custom often confused tourists and newcomers, and according to some in the tourism and hospitality industries, made Utah a consistent butt of jokes.
But all that will change now. Last night, Utah’s House of Representatives passed a bill that will repeal the “Private Club” portion of Utah’s laws. In place of memberships, clubs will now be required to have an electronic scanner to read ID’s and ensure against underage drinking. Clubs will be required to keep a record of ID’s scanned for 7 days, but this pales in comparison to the current three year requirement for private club information.
Now that it’s passed the Legislature, it’s on to Governor Huntsman, who has already promised to sign the legislation. The new law is slated to take effect July 1st.
For the full read (I recommed massive amounts of caffeine before attempting) visit the Utah Legislature site by clicking here: Substitute Senate Bill 187
