Suspicious Land Conveyance
Safeguarding Utah with Protective Intelligence
The Department of Public Safety is invested in protecting Utah from restricted foreign entities. During the 2024 legislative session, representatives passed HB516, which goes into effect on May 1, 2024.
Restricted foreign entities may not acquire an interest in land in Utah according to 63L13-201, and HB516 expands the definition of restricted foreign entities in 63L-13-101 to the following:
- a company that the United States Secretary of Defense is required to identify and report as a military company under Section 1260H of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021, Pub. L. No. 116-283;
- an entity that is owned or directly controlled by the government of China, Iran, North Korea, or Russia;
- an affiliate, subsidiary, or holding company of an entity described in Subsection (4)(a) or (b);
- a country with a commercial or defense industrial base of which an entity described in Subsection (4)(a), (b), or (c) is a part;
- a state, province, region, prefecture, subdivision, or municipality of a country described in Subsection (4)(d);
- an agency, bureau, committee, or department of a country described in Subsection (4)(d); or
- any entity in which any entity described in Subsections (4)(a) through (f) maintains at least a 51% ownership interest.
Report Suspicious Land Conveyance - County Recorders
DPS’s role is to publicly provide a list of restricted foreign entities, provide the ability of county recorders to report suspected land conveyance, and investigate the validity of the land conveyance. If the land conveyance violates law, DPS will give notice to the restricted foreign entity, which will require the entity to alienate interest in the land.
