How to Apply for a Utah Medical Cannabis Card

Before You Begin: Eligibility

• Be a Utah resident with a Utah-issued ID or driver’s license. Out-of-state patients see reciprocity.
• Be at least 21 years old. Patients under 21 require Compassionate Use Board (CUB) approval.
• Have a qualifying condition under § 26B-4-201, or pursue the CUB petition pathway for non-listed conditions.
• Hold an active UtahID account (the state’s single sign-on).
• Not hold a commercial driver’s license (CDL). Federal regulations preempt state authorization.

Step 1: Create a UtahID Account

UtahID is the state’s identity portal at id.utah.gov. The same login works across DMV, taxpayer services, and the medical-cannabis EVS. Account creation requires email verification and identity confirmation.

Step 2: Register in the EVS

The Electronic Verification System at evs.utah.gov is the patient and provider portal. Patients create a profile, attest to Utah residency, and link to UtahID before scheduling a provider visit.

Step 3: Schedule and Attend an In-Person Visit

The first appointment must be in person, with limited exceptions for terminal-illness, hospice, or facility-bound patients. The provider must be one of two registered categories:

• Recommending Medical Provider (RMP) — an MD, DO, APRN, PA, or DPM who has registered with DHHS, holds a controlled-substance license, and completed continuing-education requirements. Full certification authority.
• Limited Medical Provider (LMP) — same license classes, but capped at 15 adult patients and unable to certify minors or non-listed conditions.

Provider visit costs vary widely — $10 to $500 — averaging:

• $190 for an initial visit
• $129 for renewal

SB 64 (2025) banned card-drives within 500 feet of a pharmacy, which eliminated the cheapest pop-up evaluations. Plan for closer to the average than the low end.

Step 4: Provider Files Certification in EVS

The RMP or LMP verifies the qualifying condition, enters the certification in EVS, and either:

• Sets dosing guidelines directly, OR
• Defers dosing to the Pharmacy Medical Provider (PMP) at the patient’s chosen pharmacy.

Once entered, the patient receives an EVS notification to pay the state fee.

Step 5: Pay the $8 State Fee and Receive the Card

Effective July 1, 2025, the state card fee dropped from $15 to $8 per year. Payment goes through EVS. Issuance:

• Standard adult card: within 15 days
• Minor cards and CUB-petition cases: up to 90 days
• Acute-pain cards: 30-day validity (post-surgical use)

The Center for Medical Cannabis verifies the qualifying medical condition and issues a medical cannabis card through the Electronic Verification System within fifteen days of receiving a complete application.

Utah Code § 26B-4-202 — Patient Cards & EVS

The Renewal Ladder

Utah uses a stepped renewal ladder designed to verify that cannabis is producing a documented benefit before extending the card term:

Telehealth Renewals

Initial visits must be in person, but renewal visits can be conducted via telehealth. The legislature permanently authorized telehealth renewals in 2023. This is the lowest-friction path for established patients.

Common Reasons for Application Denial or Delay

• Provider not registered. Only RMPs or LMPs registered with DHHS may certify.
• LMP attempting to certify a minor or non-listed condition. LMPs are capped at 15 adult patients and cannot certify minors or non-listed conditions.
• Out-of-state residency. Utah ID required.
• UtahID account issues. The UtahID account must be active and verified before the EVS profile works.
• CDL holder status. Statutory bar.
• PTSD without active mental-health therapist. PTSD certifications require active treatment by a qualifying therapist.

Special Cases

Patients Under 21

Every minor patient (under 21) requires Compassionate Use Board (CUB) approval, regardless of qualifying condition. A custodial parent or legal guardian must register as the patient’s designated caregiver. CUB processing can take up to 90 days.

Non-Listed Conditions

Patients with conditions not on the 15-condition list can petition the CUB. The Board reviews the case and either approves (when, in the Board’s judgment, cannabis would be appropriate) or denies. Processing up to 90 days.

Veterans

VA-validated PTSD diagnoses qualify under the PTSD pathway, provided the VA also serves as the qualifying mental-health therapist. Utah’s Hill Air Force Base, Camp Williams, and surrounding veteran population access the program this way.

Contact CMC

• Phone:
• Portal: medicalcannabis.utah.gov
• EVS login: evs.utah.gov

Next Steps

• Review the 15 qualifying conditions.
• See full cost and renewal breakdown.
• Out-of-state visitors: see reciprocity.