Assigned number format
Utah assigns numbers in the pattern UT 1234 AB, using the UT prefix. Utah has separate AIS / mussel-awareness requirements; the AIS decal is not the vessel registration decal.
State Requirement Summary
Utah Boat Registration Number Requirements
Boats registered in Utah display a UT-prefixed number such as UT 1234 AB. Utah calls for characters 3 inches high in block / clearly legible characters, reading left to right, contrasting color, positioned bow / forward half on both sides. Our lettering is designed to meet the displayed Utah size and formatting requirements. The state itself issues the validation/expiration decal — we supply the registration-number lettering.
Boat number requirements
Last regulatory review: August 22, 2026
Assigned number example
UT 1234 AB
- Minimum character height
- 3 inches
- Lettering style
- Block / clearly legible characters
- Contrast
- Contrasting color
- Spacing / separator
- Space or hyphen
- Reading direction
- Left to right
- Number location
- Bow / forward half on both sides
- Validation decal
- Follow the current Utah DMV / Outdoor Recreation bow-number placement diagram
- State agency
- Utah Division of Outdoor Recreation / Utah DMV
What we sell vs. what the state issues: RegistrationDecals.com supplies the registration-number lettering, designed to meet the displayed Utah size and formatting requirements. Utah Division of Outdoor Recreation / Utah DMV issues the official validation/expiration decal — and any separate stickers such as aquatic-invasive-species, mussel-awareness, carbon-monoxide or lake-protection stickers, which are not interchangeable with each other.
Design your UT numbers
Starts with the Utah format (UT 1234 AB). Tap the decal and type your own assigned number exactly as it appears on your certificate of number.
Tap the decal to edit
Decal color
We supply the registration-number lettering, sized to the displayed Utah requirements. Utah Division of Outdoor Recreation / Utah DMV issues the validation decal.
Utah placement diagram
Both sides of the hull carry the number. The grey square marks where the state-issued validation decal goes — follow the current utah dmv / outdoor recreation bow-number placement diagram.
- Height: 3 inches, block / clearly legible characters
- Spacing: Space or hyphen
- Location: Bow / forward half on both sides
- Validation decal: Follow the current Utah DMV / Outdoor Recreation bow-number placement diagram
Diagram is illustrative. Confirm exact positioning against the instructions issued with your Utah registration.
Official source
Utah Division of Outdoor Recreation / Utah DMV — Primary state agency source. Last verified August 22, 2026 (source check 2026-08-22).
Utah Division of Outdoor Recreation — Boat registrationRegistration requirements can change. RegistrationDecals.com summarizes publicly available boating-registration requirements to help boat owners select and display registration numbers. Always compare your registration and decals with the current instructions issued by your state boating or registration agency before applying them to your vessel.
Utah rules in detail
Minimum character height
Utah specifies characters 3 inches high. Measure the character body itself — if the state excludes borders, outlines or shading, decorative trim does not count toward the minimum.
Required lettering style
Block / clearly legible characters, reading left to right. Script, italic and decorative treatments are not what this style describes.
Contrast requirement
Contrasting color. In practice that means dark characters on a light hull and light characters on a dark hull, checked in daylight from the side of the vessel.
Spacing and separator
Space or hyphen. Example: UT 1234 AB. Running the groups together with no separation does not match the stated format.
Placement on the hull
Bow / forward half on both sides. Assigned bow numbers only.
Validation decal placement
Follow the current Utah DMV / Outdoor Recreation bow-number placement diagram. The validation or expiration decal is issued by Utah Division of Outdoor Recreation / Utah DMV — RegistrationDecals.com supplies the registration-number lettering only.
Common mistakes
- Ordering the number without the UT prefix or the suffix letters.
- Characters shorter than the stated minimum (3 inches) so they fit inside a narrow accent stripe.
- Using a script, italic or shadowed style instead of block / clearly legible characters.
- Losing the required separation between the groups — space or hyphen.
- Placing the state validation decal somewhere other than the position Utah describes: follow the current Utah DMV / Outdoor Recreation bow-number placement diagram.
Frequently asked questions
What does a Utah boat registration number look like?
Utah numbers follow the pattern UT 1234 AB, using the UT prefix, a numeral group, and suffix letters.
How tall do Utah boat registration numbers have to be?
3 inches, measured on the character itself, in block / clearly legible characters.
What lettering style does Utah require?
Block / clearly legible characters, reading left to right, and contrasting color.
How much space goes between the letters and numbers in Utah?
Space or hyphen. Example: UT 1234 AB.
Where do the numbers go on the boat in Utah?
Bow / forward half on both sides. Assigned bow numbers only.
Where does the Utah validation decal go?
Follow the current Utah DMV / Outdoor Recreation bow-number placement diagram. The decal itself is issued by Utah Division of Outdoor Recreation / Utah DMV; we supply the registration-number lettering.
Who regulates boat registration numbers in Utah?
Utah Division of Outdoor Recreation / Utah DMV. Confirm the current instructions issued with your registration before applying anything to your hull. Last regulatory review: August 22, 2026.
Can I order Utah boat registration numbers online?
Yes. Enter your assigned UT number in the designer on this page, pick a color that contrasts with your hull, and we cut a matched port-and-starboard pair and ship it to the 48 contiguous states.
Do I need two sets of Utah registration numbers?
You need the number displayed on both sides of the vessel — bow / forward half on both sides — so every order ships as a matched port-and-starboard pair.
Related guides
Ready to design your UT numbers?
Our designer starts with plain block characters and proper group spacing, so you can see exactly how UT 1234 AB will read on your hull before you order.
Source: Utah Division of Outdoor Recreation / Utah DMV · Primary state agency source · Primary · Source last checked 2026-08-22.
Registration requirements can change. RegistrationDecals.com summarizes publicly available boating-registration requirements to help boat owners select and display registration numbers. Always compare your registration and decals with the current instructions issued by your state boating or registration agency before applying them to your vessel.