The Utah Constitution over time -- Adam Brown, BYU Political Science

Utah Constitution navigation: Home (browse by year) • Amendment index

This is a work in progress, so take it with a grain of salt. You might also be interested in my Guide to the Utah Legislature.

Historical development of the Utah Constitution

I have searched legislative journals, voter pamphlets, election results, and news reports to locate all amendments to the Utah Constitution. I include here all amendments proposed by a two-thirds legislative vote, including those rejected by voters. I believe I have accurately reconstructed the Utah Constitution's historical text as of January 1st of each relevant odd-numbered year, but see important caveats at the bottom of this page.

To compare the Utah Constitution from two years, check one left box and one right box, then click "Compare Selected Versions."
You may view an index of amendments organized by article.
You may view a more finegrained index organized by article and section.
Click any of the charts below to enlarge them.

Words in the Utah Constitution

Percent of 1896 text remaining

Amendments per decade

Words added/deleted per biennium

Compare?	Year	Amendments proposed by two-thirds legislative vote
	1896 View 1896 text	This is the original Utah Constitution, drafted at the March-May 1895 Utah Constitutional Convention and ratified by voters November 5, 1895. You can view scans of the original handwritten document. I use the transcription available here, except for Article II, Section 1, where the transcription contains an important error (substituting "east" for "west") that was not present in the original document.
	1899	Rejected by voters: HJR23 1897 Regular Session Rejected by voters: HJR7 1897 Regular Session Rejected by voters: SJR6 1897 Regular Session Rejected by voters: SJR7 1897 Regular Session Rejected by voters: SJR9 1897 Regular Session
	1901 View 1901 text	Enacted: HJR3 1899 Regular Session Enacted: HJR5 1899 Regular Session Enacted: SJR7 1899 Regular Session
	1907 View 1907 text	Enacted: HJR1 1905 Regular Session Enacted: HJR3 1905 Regular Session
	1909 View 1909 text	Enacted: SJR5 1907 Regular Session Rejected by voters: SJR2 1907 Regular Session Rejected by voters: SJR4 1907 Regular Session
	1911 View 1911 text	Enacted: HJR14 1909 Regular Session Enacted: HJR6 1909 Regular Session Enacted: SJR2 1909 Regular Session Enacted: SJR8 1909 Regular Session
	1913	Rejected by voters: HJR2 1911 Regular Session Rejected by voters: HJR3 1911 Regular Session Rejected by voters: SJR12 1911 Regular Session Rejected by voters: SJR15 1911 Regular Session Rejected by voters: SJR20 1911 Regular Session Rejected by voters: SJR7 1911 Regular Session Rejected by voters: SJR8 1911 Regular Session
	1917	Rejected by voters: HJR6 1915 Regular Session Rejected by voters: SJR8 1915 Regular Session
	1919 View 1919 text	Never brought before voters: HJR1 1917 Regular Session Enacted: HJR14 1917 Regular Session Enacted: HJR8 1917 Regular Session Enacted: HJR9 1917 Regular Session
	1921 View 1921 text	Enacted: SCR1 1919 Special Session Rejected by voters: SCR6 1919 Regular Session Rejected by voters: SJR5 1919 Regular Session Rejected by voters: SJR6 1919 Regular Session
	1923	Rejected by voters: SCR2 1921 Regular Session Rejected by voters: SCR4 1921 Regular Session Rejected by voters: SJR1 1921 Regular Session
	1931 View 1931 text	Never brought before voters: HJR3 1929 Regular Session Never brought before voters: HJR8 1929 Regular Session Enacted: HJR10 1930 Special Session Enacted: HJR9 1930 Special Session Enacted: SJR2 1930 Special Section Enacted: SJR3 1930 Special Session Enacted: SJR5 1930 Special Session Enacted: SJR6 1930 Special Session
	1933 View 1933 text	Enacted: SJR5 1931 Regular Session
	1935 View 1935 text	Enacted: HJR10 1933 Regular Session Enacted: HJR5 1933 2nd Special Session
	1937 View 1937 text	Enacted: SJR2 1935 Regular Session Rejected by voters: HJR17 1935 Regular Session Rejected by voters: HJR19 1935 Regular Session Rejected by voters: SJR3 1935 Regular Session Rejected by voters: SJR4 1935 Regular Session Rejected by voters: SJR5 1935 Regular Session
	1939 View 1939 text	Enacted: HJR5 1937 Regular Session Rejected by voters: HJR1 1937 Regular Session Rejected by voters: HJR4 1937 Regular Session
	1941 View 1941 text	Enacted: SJR4 1939 Regular Session
	1943	Rejected by voters: HJR2 1941 Regular Session
	1945 View 1945 text	Enacted: HJR1 1944 1st Special Session Enacted: SJR2 1943 Regular Session
	1947 View 1947 text	Enacted: HJR1 1946 1st Special Session Enacted: HJR12 1945 Regular Session Enacted: HJR2 1946 1st Special Session Enacted: HJR3 1945 Regular Session Enacted: HJR4 1945 Regular Session Enacted: SJR4 1946 1st Special Session Enacted: SJR5 1946 1st Special Session Enacted: SJR6 1946 1st Special Session
	1949 View 1949 text	Enacted: SJR5 1947 Regular Session
	1951 View 1951 text	Enacted: HJR5 1949 Regular Session Enacted: HJR6 1949 Regular Session Enacted: SJR3 1949 Regular Session
	1955	Rejected by voters: HJR5 1953 Regular Session
	1959 View 1959 text	Enacted: HJR2 1957 Regular Session Enacted: HJR7 1957 Regular Session Rejected by voters: HJR14 1957 Regular Session Rejected by voters: SJR2 1957 Regular Session
	1961 View 1961 text	Enacted: HJR2 1959 Regular Session Rejected by voters: SJR5 1959 Regular Session
	1963 View 1963 text	Enacted: SJR6 1961 Regular Session Enacted: SJR9 1961 Regular Session Rejected by voters: SJR3 1961 Regular Session
	1965 View 1965 text	Enacted: SJR11 1963 Regular Session Enacted: SJR5 1963 Regular Session
	1967	Rejected by voters: HJR1 1966 2nd Special Session Rejected by voters: SJR1 1965 Regular Session Rejected by voters: SJR1 1966 2nd Special Session Rejected by voters: SJR14 1965 Regular Session Rejected by voters: SJR2 1966 2nd Special Session Rejected by voters: SJR3 1966 2nd Special Session Rejected by voters: SJR4 1966 2nd Special Session
	1969 View 1969 text	Enacted: SJR1 1967 Regular Session Enacted: SJR2 1967 Regular Session Enacted: SJR5 1967 Regular Session Enacted: SJR7 1967 Regular Session Enacted: SJR8 1967 Regular Session
	1971 View 1971 text	Enacted: SJR1 1969 Regular Session Enacted: SJR3 1969 Regular Session Enacted: SJR5 1969 Regular Session
	1973 View 1973 text	Never brought before voters: HJR1 1971 Regular Session Never brought before voters: SJR11 1971 Regular Session Enacted: HJR5 1971 Regular Session Enacted: SJR1 1971 Regular Session Enacted: SJR1 1972 Budget Session Enacted: SJR2 1971 Regular Session
	1975 View 1975 text	Enacted: SJR2 1974 2nd Special Session Rejected by voters: HJR1 1974 Budget Session Rejected by voters: SJR2 1974 Budget Session Rejected by voters: SJR3 1974 Budget Session
	1977 View 1977 text	Enacted: HJR3 1975 Regular Session
	1981 View 1981 text	Never brought before voters: HJR23 1979 Regular Session Never brought before voters: HJR25 1979 Regular Session Never brought before voters: HJR31 1979 Regular Session Enacted: SJR11 1979 Regular Session Enacted: SJR7 1979 Regular Session Rejected by voters: SJR3 1980 Budget Session Rejected by voters: SJR6 1980 Budget Session
	1983 View 1983 text	Enacted: HJR1 1982 Budget Session Enacted: HJR27 1982 Budget Session Enacted: Questionable 1982 amendment Enacted: SJR3 1982 Budget Session Enacted: SJR5 1982 Budget Session
	1985 View 1985 text	Never brought before voters: SJR2 1983 Regular Session Enacted: HJR1 1984 2nd Special Session Enacted: HJR4 1984 2nd Special Session Enacted: SJR1 1984 2nd Special Session Enacted: SJR3 1984 2nd Special Session Enacted: SJR8 1983 Regular Session
	1987 View 1987 text	Enacted: HJR18 1986 General Session Enacted: SJR1 1986 General Session Rejected by voters: SJR4 1986 General Session
	1989 View 1989 text	Enacted: SJR3 1988 General Session Enacted: SJR4 1988 General Session
	1991 View 1991 text	Enacted: HJR26 1989 General Assembly Enacted: SJR9 1990 General Assembly
	1993 View 1993 text	Never brought before voters: SJR4 1992 General Session Enacted: SJR1 1992 3rd Special Session Enacted: SJR7 1992 General Session Enacted: SJR8 1992 General Session
	1995 View 1995 text	Enacted: HJR15 1994 General Session Enacted: SJR6 1994 General Session Rejected by voters: HJR17 1994 General Session
	1997 View 1997 text	Never brought before voters: SJR5 1995 General Session Enacted: HJR7 1996 General Session Enacted: HJR8 1996 General Session Enacted: SJR1 1996 General Session Enacted: SJR17 1996 General Session Enacted: SJR6 1996 General Session Enacted: SJR7 1996 General Session
	1999 View 1999 text	Never brought before voters: SJR1 1997 General Session Enacted: HJR14 1997 General Session Enacted: HJR4 1998 General Session Enacted: HJR8 1997 General Session Enacted: HJR8 1998 General Session Enacted: SJR10 1998 General Session Enacted: SJR13 1998 General Session
	2001 View 2001 text	Never brought before voters: SJR5 1999 General Session Enacted: SJR14 2000 General Session Enacted: SJR8 2000 General Session
	2003 View 2003 text	Enacted: HJR11 2002 General Session Enacted: HJR14 2002 General Session Enacted: SJR10 2002 General Session Enacted: SJR2 2002 General Session Enacted: SJR4 2002 General Session Rejected by voters: HJR30 2002 General Session
	2005 View 2005 text	Enacted: HJR12 2004 General Session Enacted: HJR25 2004 General Session Enacted: SJR6 2004 General Session
	2007 View 2007 text	Enacted: HJR1 2006 General Session
	2009 View 2009 text	Enacted: HJR4 2007 General Session Enacted: SJR12 2007 General Session Enacted: SJR2 2007 General Session Enacted: SJR5 2008 General Session Rejected by voters: HJR12 2008 General Session
	2011 View 2011 text	Enacted: HJR15 2010 General Session Enacted: HJR2 2010 General Session Enacted: HJR8 2009 General Session Enacted: SJR8 2009 General Session
	2013 View 2013 text	Enacted: HJR6 2012 General Session Enacted: SJR8 2012 General Session
	2015 View 2015 text	Enacted: SJR8 2014 General Session Rejected by voters: HJR12 2014 General Session Rejected by voters: SJR7 2014 General Session
	2017 View 2017 text	Enacted: HJR8 2015 General Session Enacted: SJR12 2016 General Session Rejected by voters: SJR3 2016 General Session
	2019 View 2019 text	Enacted: HJR18 2018 General Session Enacted: SJR7 2017 General Session Rejected by voters: SJR2 2018 General Session
	2021 View 2021 text	Enacted: HJR15 2020 General Session Enacted: HJR3 2020 General Session Enacted: HJR4 2019 General Session Enacted: HJR8 2019 General Session Enacted: SJR3 2020 General Session Enacted: SJR7 2019 General Session Enacted: SJR9 2020 General Session
	2023	Rejected by voters: HJR12 2021 General Session
	Notes	I have derived the most recent text of the Utah Constitution posted here by starting from the 1896 Constitution and incorporating each successful amendment. When I compare my most version of the Constitution to the current official text of the Utah Constitution available from the Utah Legislature two unauthorized amendments appear. (1) Article XVI, section 8, of the official document erroneously omits the word "health" from this clause: "comfort, health, safety and general welfare." (2) Article XXIV, section 4, of the official document erroneously omits the language shown here in brackets: "All fines, penalties and forfeitures accruing [to the Territory of Utah, or] to the people of the United States in the Territory of Utah." It appears that these errors crept into the published text in the 1980s. The Utah Constitution as published in 1979 by the State Archives and Records Service includes the missing language. A version published 8 years later by the Utah Constitutional Revision Commission omits it—despite including annotations indicating that Article XVI, section 8, was last amended in 1933, and Article XXIV, section 4, had never been amended. The Commission's two errors have apparently been carried forward into the current official text of the Constitution and ought to be corrected. (The version of the Constitution published by Lexis Nexis, like my version, includes the missing language.) A more significant error crept into official copies of the Utah Constitution some time in the 1980s but was eliminated a few years later by an amendment ratified in 1992. See the commentary in this entry about a questionable 1982 amendment. Three articles have had their titles change in official publications of the Utah Constitution. See commentary on these amendments: SJR7 1979 Regular Session (Article VII), SJR8 2000 General Session (Article XI), SJR1 1969 Regular Session (Article XXIII). Official publications of the Constitution have made many other minor stylistic changes over the years, such as replacing "A.D." with "AD." I have incorporated many of these changes into all versions shown here to minimize confusion when comparing two versions of the text. Please inform me of any errors. I thank Justin Chang for research assistance.