Updated September 3, 2026. Quick answer: $5,000 per individual if the property is not the primary residence; $42,000 per individual if it is the primary residence. Jointly owned property: each joint owner gets their own exemption, capped per household at $10,000 (non-primary) or $84,000 (primary residence).
This is protection against an ordinary money judgment creditor under Utah Code § 78B-5-503, a different question from a property tax bill or exemption, which this page does not cover.
How it works in Utah
- Filing rule not addressed in the cited source. Confirm with a local attorney or your county recorder before relying on this being automatic.
- Married couples and joint owners: Each joint owner (including each spouse) gets their own exemption, but the combined household total is capped at $10,000 (non-primary) or $84,000 (primary residence).
If you sell the home
Sale proceeds, up to the exemption amount that applied at the time of sale, stay exempt for one year after the person entitled to the exemption receives them.
What it does not protect against
Property-tax and assessment liens, purchase-money security interests and judicial liens, judicial liens for unpaid child/dependent support, and consensual liens created by mutual contract.
Read it yourself
Verbatim from Utah Code § 78B-5-503: “(a) An individual is entitled to a homestead exemption consisting of property in this state in an amount not exceeding: (i) $5,000 in value if the property consists in whole or in part of property that is not the primary personal residence of the individual; or (ii) $42,000 in value if the property claimed is the primary personal residence of the individual.” Read the full official text before relying on any figure here. Exemption law is fact-specific, and this is a source-backed planning guide, not individualized legal advice.