Charities
Frequently Asked Questions
- A charitable organization means any person, joint venture, partnership, limited liability company, corporation, association, group, or other entity:
- who is or holds itself out to be:
- a benevolent, educational, voluntary health, philanthropic, humane, patriotic, religious or eleemosynary, social welfare or advocacy, public health, environmental or conservation, or civic organization;
- for the benefit of a public safety, law enforcement, or firefighter fraternal association; or
- established for any charitable purpose;
- who solicits or obtains contributions solicited from the public for a charitable purpose; or
- in any manner employs a charitable appeal as the basis of any solicitation or employs an appeal that reasonably suggests or implies that there is a charitable purpose to any solicitation
- who is or holds itself out to be:
- a charitable organization includes a chapter or a person who solicits contributions within the state for a charitable organization.
A charitable solicitation occurs upon the making of any request, directly or indirectly, for money, credit, property, financial assistance, or any other thing of value on the plea or representation that it will be used for a charitable purpose. A charitable solicitation may be made in any manner.
Utah Code Annotated §13-22-8 sets forth a list of organizations that are exempt from the registration requirement. Any organization that claims an exemption based on this list is required to apply to the Division for that status. The organization has the burden of proving its eligibility for, or the applicability of, the exemption claimed. Please note that the exempt status applies only to the registration requirement. Exempt organizations remain subject to all other provisions of the Charitable Solicitations Act.
To apply for exemption, please click go to APPLY FOR REGISTRATION and then click the Request Exemption Online button.
Yes, if you use the Online Charitable Organization Permit Application system you will be required to pay with a credit card. If paper applications are used, the Division accepts checks, money orders, cash or you can pay with a credit card by completing the Division’s Fax Credit Authorization Form . ALL forms of payment can be made in the office. If paying with a credit card in person, the authorization form does NOT need to be completed.
State of Utah
The registration number and license ID number are on the renewal notices. This renewal notice is emailed 3 months in advance of your expiration date. If you are renewing your permit and do not have these numbers, please contact the Division.
No. You must be issued a certificate of registration by the division before you solicit any charitable contributions. It will take us up to 20 business days to review and process your application.
Yes. Once the application has been approved, the Division will send an approval letter and certificate of registration via email.
No. The Charitable Solicitations Act only requires a copy of your most recently filed IRS Form 990, even if this copy was submitted with last year’s application.
Yes, if your organization files an IRS 990 N, 990 EZ, 990 PF, or if the organization is not required to file any type of IRS Form 990. If you have further questions regarding this, please contact the Division.
The Division launched a new online application and encourages users to complete their registration using this system. This is the Division’s preferred method of filing. The manual application, including the Supplement to the URS are no longer available to download from our website.
No. If this is an initial filing and the applicant has no previous financial information, the financial portion on the application must be completed on a pro forma basis.
It takes up to 20 business days to review and process an application. You may expedite this process to 2 – 3 business days by paying a $75 expedited fee. This can be paid by check, money order, cash or credit card. All types of payment can be made in our office. If you cannot come into the office to pay with a credit card, please complete the division’s Fax Credit Authorization form .
Please select "REMOVE" and add the charity back on your dashboard under "add existing charity". If you need the registration and/or license ID number, please contact the Division.