Comprehensive statutory framework

Surrogacy laws in Utah

Utah has a detailed gestational-agreement framework in Title 81, Chapter 5, Part 8. The framework is comprehensive, but it contains significant eligibility and judicial-validation requirements.

What Utah law currently requires

Effective September 1, 2025, Utah's gestational-agreement provisions are codified in Title 81. The statute authorizes written gestational agreements and requires judicial validation for enforceability.

  • The prospective gestational mother and the parties must meet statutory age requirements.
  • The intended parents must be married and both must be parties to the agreement.
  • The gestational mother's eggs cannot be used in the assisted-reproduction procedure.
  • The agreement does not apply if neither intended parent is a donor.
  • The statute states that the intended gestational mother may not currently be receiving Medicaid or other state assistance.
What the green classification means: Utah has a comprehensive statute. It is not a statement that every proposed match qualifies under that statute.

Parentage after a validated agreement

After a child is born under a validated gestational agreement, Utah law provides for notice to the tribunal and an order confirming the intended parents' parentage and directing issuance of the birth certificate. A nonvalidated agreement is not enforceable under Part 8.

What this means for a prospective carrier

The carrier and intended parents should confirm eligibility and complete the required validation process before treatment. Do not rely on older Utah Code section numbers, because the relevant provisions were renumbered effective in 2025.

Primary authorities: Utah Code §§81-5-801, 81-5-807 and 81-5-809.

Considering becoming a surrogate in Utah?

State law is only one part of eligibility. You can review the common screening requirements and, when you are ready, continue to a formal eligibility review with Expecting.

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The formal review is provided by Expecting and is separate from the educational information on Surrogate Expert.

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