Uintah County Criminal Court Records Lookup
Uintah County criminal court records are held by the Eighth District Court at the Uintah County Courthouse in Vernal, Utah. Uintah County sits in the Uinta Basin in northeastern Utah, a region known for oil and gas production and the nearby Dinosaur National Monument. The Eighth Judicial District also serves Daggett and Duchesne counties, but Uintah County records are filed and accessible at the Vernal courthouse. This guide explains how to find Uintah County criminal court records online or in person, how to submit a GRAMA request, and what options exist for clearing a record.
Uintah County Quick Facts
Eighth District Court in Uintah County
The Eighth District Court serves Uintah County from the Uintah County Courthouse in Vernal, UT 84078. The court has jurisdiction over felony criminal cases, civil matters over $11,000, family law, and probate. The Uintah County Justice Court, located in the same facility, handles misdemeanor criminal cases, traffic violations, infractions, and small claims. Both courts produce records that are part of the Uintah County public court file.
Uintah County criminal court records created in Vernal include case filings, charge data, hearing dates, motions, orders, judgments, and sentencing information. Public access terminals at the Vernal courthouse allow anyone to search basic case information at no charge during regular business hours. Staff at the clerk's office can also search cases by name or case number and provide copies of records from the Uintah County criminal file.
The Utah Courts XChange system gives subscribers full remote access to Uintah County criminal court records and all other district and justice court filings across Utah.
Note: Juvenile court records in Uintah County are not available to the public under Utah law, regardless of how a request is submitted.
How to Search Uintah County Criminal Court Records
The main online option for Uintah County criminal court records is Utah Courts XChange. XChange is a subscription service at $30 per month that provides full access to case dockets, filings, charges, and dispositions for Uintah County and all Utah courts. You can search by party name, case number, or filing date range. Data is updated regularly. Document images are available to subscribers for Uintah County cases going back to when digitization began.
For free basic searches, MyCase is the public-facing portal for the Utah court system. MyCase shows limited case data for active and recent Uintah County criminal cases at no cost. You can check whether a case was filed or look up a scheduled court date. MyCase is a good first step before deciding to subscribe to XChange for full document access.
You can also search in person at the Uintah County Courthouse in Vernal during regular business hours. The clerk's office can search by name or case number. Under Utah Code § 63G-2-201, most criminal court records are public documents. Bring a valid photo ID when visiting. Per-page copy fees apply for printed records, and older or historical Uintah County records may require additional processing time. You can also submit a written GRAMA request by mail to the court clerk if an in-person visit is not possible.
Uintah County Sheriff and Arrest Records
The Uintah County Sheriff's Office maintains arrest records and incident reports for Uintah County. The office is accessible through the county's main line at 435-781-5361 and through the Uintah County government website. The Sheriff's Office is the primary agency for requesting arrest records from incidents in unincorporated parts of Uintah County and the Vernal area.
Uintah County arrest records typically contain the person's name, date of birth, booking date, arrest location, charges filed, bond status, and other identifying information. Incident reports include the date, time, location, officer narrative, and witness details. To request records, submit a completed GRAMA request form to the Uintah County Sheriff's Office or the Clerk-Auditor's office. The form requires your name, mailing address, daytime phone, email, and a specific description of the records you want. Include dates, names, and incident numbers when available. Standard response time is 10 business days, with expedited 5-business-day responses available for qualifying requests.
If you are not sure which office holds the records you need, contact the Uintah County Clerk-Auditor at 435-781-5361 for guidance on where to direct your GRAMA request. The GRAMA request form for Uintah County is also available in PDF format on the county website. For statewide offender information, the Utah Department of Corrections offender search is publicly available at no cost.
Note: Requests for private or controlled records in Uintah County require the requestor to demonstrate legal entitlement, such as being the subject of the record or an authorized representative.
GRAMA Public Access in Uintah County
Utah's Government Records Access and Management Act, found at Utah Code § 63G-2, gives anyone the right to inspect and copy public government records held by Uintah County agencies. This includes Uintah County criminal court records, arrest logs, booking records, incident reports, and other documents held by the county clerk and the sheriff's office. You do not need to explain your reason for requesting records or be a party to any case to make a GRAMA request.
Uintah County uses a standardized GRAMA request form that is available in PDF format on the county website. Direct your request to the specific office that holds the records. If you are unsure, contact the Clerk-Auditor at 435-781-5361. Your written request must include your name, address, daytime phone, email, a specific description of the records sought, and whether you want to inspect them or receive copies. For copy requests, you must authorize a maximum cost amount. Prepayment may be required when estimated fees exceed $50. If a request for non-public records is made, you must explain the basis for your entitlement to access those records. Notarized releases are required for third-party access to private records in Uintah County.
Fee waivers are available when the release of the record primarily benefits the public rather than a private individual. If your Uintah County GRAMA request is denied, you have the right to appeal first to the head of the governmental entity, then to the Utah State Records Committee or a district court.
BCI Criminal History for Uintah County Residents
The Utah Bureau of Criminal Identification maintains the statewide criminal history database. Uintah County residents can request their own criminal history through BCI. The BCI record covers all Utah criminal court records tied to your name, including any cases filed in Uintah County and all other Utah courts.
The Utah courts directory at utcourts.gov lists all district court locations, including the Eighth District that serves Uintah County, along with contact information and hours for each courthouse.
BCI is at 4315 S 2700 W, Suite 1300, in Taylorsville, UT, and is reachable at 801-965-4445. As of July 1, 2025, the fee for a criminal history request is $20. You can learn more and start the process at bci.utah.gov/criminal-records. The BCI record includes charge data, case dispositions, and conviction information from all Utah courts, making it a broader search than looking only at Uintah County records. BCI is useful when you need a complete state-level view of Utah criminal history tied to a name.
Note: BCI criminal history requests are for your own record only and are not meant for checking another person's history.
Expungement of Uintah County Criminal Records
Utah law provides two ways to seal qualifying Uintah County criminal court records. The first is automatic expungement under the Clean Slate Act. The second is a formal petition to the court.
Utah's Clean Slate Act, effective February 2022, allows the state to automatically seal many low-level Uintah County criminal court records without a petition. This includes qualifying misdemeanor convictions and arrests that did not result in conviction. Not all Uintah County records are eligible for automatic sealing. Clean Slate Utah provides a detailed breakdown of which records qualify and tracks the status of the program statewide. If your Uintah County criminal court record does not qualify for automatic expungement, you can file a petition with the Eighth District Court in Vernal. BCI processes the paperwork once the court grants the order. Full instructions and forms are available at bci.utah.gov/expungements.
Once an Uintah County record is expunged, the court seals the file and BCI removes it from general public access. Standard XChange searches and public criminal history reports will no longer show the record. Specific law enforcement agencies may still access sealed Uintah County records under conditions allowed by Utah law.
Cities in Uintah County
Uintah County is a northeastern Utah county centered on Vernal, the county seat. The Uinta Basin region includes several smaller communities tied to the energy industry and tourism near Dinosaur National Monument. All Uintah County criminal court records are filed and maintained at the Eighth District Court at the Uintah County Courthouse in Vernal.
Nearby Counties
Uintah County borders several other Utah and Colorado counties. If you are searching for a criminal court record and are not certain which county has it, check the location of the incident or the address of the person named in the case file to determine the right jurisdiction.