| Effect | Supported detail | Planning use |
|---|---|---|
| Statewide removal trigger | Three districts, or two districts plus five charter schools, removing a title | Check whether neighbouring districts have already acted on a title before assuming your school can keep it. |
| Who is covered | Public schools only; private and homeschool institutions are outside the framework | Families outside public schools are not bound by the list, though it still shapes what public schools stock. |
| Size of the list | 22 titles prohibited in any Utah public school as of January 2026 | Treat any count as a snapshot and confirm the current list before citing it. |
| Where decisions cluster | Davis and Washington districts account for nearly 80% of statewide bans | Board decisions in those districts are the practical place to see which titles may be heading statewide. |
Figures in the table come from Book Riot’s tally of Utah’s prohibited titles.
Banned books in Utah are titles removed from public school libraries, and a title can leave every school once enough districts remove it. The rule covers public schools only; private and homeschool institutions fall outside it.
For titles to read beyond the restricted list, browse our best books to read, then use the sections below to see what is restricted, how removals happen and where challenged books can still be found.
Practical effects of Utah’s school book removals
The main consequence is that a decision made in a few districts can change what every public school student in Utah can borrow. Book Riot explains that any individual district can ban a book, and once three districts have done so the book must be removed everywhere.
- One district can start a statewide change. After a title meets the threshold, all schools are notified and expected to dispose of it, so a local board vote can reach schools far from that district.
- A few districts drive most outcomes. Two districts, Davis and Washington, account for nearly 80% of the books banned statewide. Following their board decisions is a practical way to see which titles may be next.
- Private and homeschool readers are not bound. The same reporting notes that these laws do not apply to private or homeschool institutions, so the list governs public schools rather than every reader in the state.
- Authorship patterns show in the list. The Park Record reported in January 2025 that the list totalled 15 books, with 14 of them written by women.
- Students look elsewhere. The same article describes high school students without a school library heading to Summit County Library, Dolly’s Bookstore, Barnes & Noble or a middle school library.
Titles restricted so far
Several lists circulate, and they differ mainly by the date they were compiled. The sensible approach is to read each figure as a snapshot and check the current tracker for the live list.
The first statewide titles
HB 29 took effect on July 1, 2024, retroactively banning 13 books statewide, according to the ACLU of Utah. EveryLibrary’s list of those titles includes Blankets by Craig Thompson, Fallout by Ellen Hopkins and Forever by Judy Blume. It also names Milk and Honey, Oryx & Crake, Tilt and What Girls Are Made Of.
Later additions and how counts differ
The list kept growing after that first group. The Park Record counted 15 titles in January 2025, and Book Riot counted 22 titles as of January 2026. The ACLU of Utah, writing at a later point it does not date, reported 36 titles banned statewide from every public school in Utah.
The Utah statewide removal tracker records title-level dates and the districts involved. It lists Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher as removed in Nebo, Tooele and Washington. It lists Different Seasons by Stephen King as removed in Davis, Jordan, Tooele and Washington. Because the entries carry both dates and district names, the tracker is the better reference than any fixed count.
How a title reaches the statewide list
Statewide removal runs through HB 29, which Utah legislators passed in 2024 according to EveryLibrary. The tracker lists HB 29 (2024) as active and enforced.
Challenge and review
Once a challenge to a book is made, the title is reviewed to identify “sensitive material,” the Park Record reports. One district there convened a committee of its librarians when it was required to put together a more formal challenge process. For a challenged book, the district’s own challenge procedure is therefore the first thing to read.
Threshold and the State Board list
When a school removes a sensitive-material book, it must notify the State Board of Education. The ACLU of Utah describes the trigger as three school districts banning a book for containing “objectively sensitive material.” Book Riot gives an alternative route of two districts plus five charter schools. After the threshold, the Utah State Board of Education must place that title on a statewide removal list.
Disposal
Once removals meet the threshold, all schools are notified and expected to dispose of the book. State Board guidelines, as the Park Record describes them, say challenged books should be discarded from school library circulation and disposed of, avoiding school dumpsters. A listed title is therefore pulled from circulation rather than moved to a restricted shelf.
Where the restrictions apply
The statewide framework applies to public schools. School boards make the district-level removals that feed it, and a school library is the place a student is most likely to notice a gap. Book Riot states that these laws do not apply to private or homeschool institutions, so a private school’s library follows its own policy.
The legal challenge to HB 29
On January 6, 2026, the ACLU of Utah filed Vonnegut v. Utah in the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah. The lawsuit argues that HB 29’s statewide ban provisions are unconstitutionally overbroad in violation of the First Amendment. That is the plaintiffs’ claim in pending litigation, not a ruling. If you rely on the list for a school or classroom decision, check the case status and the tracker before acting.
How to find and read challenged books
A school removal does not stop you from reading a title. These routes, drawn from Utah reporting, work for most readers:
- Public libraries. The Park Record names Summit County Library as a first stop for high school students who cannot find a book at school.
- Bookstores and nearby school libraries. The same report mentions Dolly’s Bookstore, Barnes & Noble and middle school libraries as alternatives.
- Community shelves. In Weber County, a couple created a “Little Banned Books Library,” and local curated shelves lend banned titles.
- American Library Association award lists. A media specialist quoted in the Park Record checks American Library Association award winners before stocking books, which makes those lists a useful source of replacement reading.
- The tracker. The statewide removal tracker shows which districts removed a title and when, which tells you whether a book is only restricted locally or listed statewide.
If you are building a wider reading list, The 10 Best Books About Greek Mythology To Read In 2026 — Classics, Retellings, And Reference Picks and Best Books About Money: 25 Timeless Reads To Master Your Finances In 2026 both offer curated starting points.
Frequently asked questions
Which books are banned in Utah?
Titles on the statewide removal list, including Forever by Judy Blume, Oryx & Crake and Thirteen Reasons Why. The list grows as districts act, so confirm current entries on the tracker.
Does the ban apply to private schools or homeschoolers?
No. Book Riot reports that these laws do not apply to private or homeschool institutions.
How many districts must remove a book before it goes statewide?
Three districts, or two districts plus five charter schools, according to Book Riot. The Utah State Board of Education then places the title on the removal list.
Is HB 29 being challenged in court?
Yes. The ACLU of Utah filed Vonnegut v. Utah on January 6, 2026, arguing the statewide provisions are unconstitutionally overbroad under the First Amendment.
