What Is the Standard Parent-Time Schedule in Utah? (2026)

What is the standard parent-time schedule in Utah?

When parents of a child who is 5 to 18 cannot agree on a schedule, Utah Code 81-9-302 sets the minimum parent-time for the noncustodial parent: one weekday evening from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. (Wednesday if no day is named), alternating weekends from Friday at 5:30 p.m. to Sunday at 8:30 p.m., the holidays given to that parent in odd or even years, and up to four weeks during summer break. For a child under 5, a separate age-based schedule in Utah Code 81-9-304 applies. Parents can agree to a different schedule in a parenting plan, and a court can order a different schedule based on the child's best interests. This is general information, not legal advice.

Utah also has an optional schedule for children 5 to 18 (Utah Code 81-9-303) and an equal parent-time schedule (Utah Code 81-9-305, 182 and 183 overnights a year) that a court can order when its conditions are met.

Courts generally enforce the written order, not a verbal agreement. If you and the other parent agree on a schedule, it needs to be in a parenting plan the court approves.

For a section-by-section reading of Utah Code 81-9-302, see Utah Code 81-9-302: the minimum parent-time schedule.

Tools for planning your schedule

Use the parenting plan builder to organize schedules, holidays, exchanges, and communication. The parenting plan checklist can help you keep track of the topics to discuss. These tools provide general information, not legal advice.

Table of Contents

• What is the standard parent-time schedule in Utah?
• What does the Utah parent-time schedule look like for school-age children?
• Age-by-age parent-time rules for children under 5
• How holiday parent-time and summer time work under Utah law
• When can a court deviate from the statutory minimum?
• How to turn a schedule into an enforceable court order
• Common disputes and what the law actually says
• Key Takeaways
• What parents actually struggle with, and where the statute falls short
• How divvi can help
• Authoritative sources and where to find court forms

What does the Utah parent-time schedule look like for school-age children?

Utah Code 81-9-302 applies when parents of a child who is 5 to 18 do not agree on a schedule. The schedule it sets is a minimum. A court can order a different schedule based on the child's best interests.

The default time windows

The noncustodial parent receives one weekday evening each week, from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The noncustodial parent or the court names the day. If no day is named, it is Wednesday.

At the election of the noncustodial parent, that weekday can instead run from school dismissal until 8:30 p.m. If school is not in session, the noncustodial parent is available to be with the child, and the time fits the custodial parent's work schedule, the weekday can run from 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. (81-9-302(2)(a)(ii)(B)).

Alternating weekends start the first weekend after the decree is entered, from Friday at 5:30 p.m. to Sunday at 8:30 p.m. At the election of the noncustodial parent, the weekend can start at school dismissal on Friday. If school is not in session, the noncustodial parent is available, and the time fits the custodial parent's work schedule, the weekend can start at 8 a.m. on Friday. Sunday still ends at 8:30 p.m.

The election should be made when the decree or order is entered, and it is made part of the decree. It can change by mutual agreement, by court order, or by the noncustodial parent if the child's schedule changes (Utah Code 81-9-302(5)).

When time blocks collide, Utah Code 81-9-302(6)(a) sets this order of precedence:

1. Mother's Day or Father's Day
2. The child's birthday, unless a parent is exercising uninterrupted extended summer time and has taken the child away from that parent's residence
3. Any other holiday in the holiday schedule
4. Extended summer parent-time
5. The regular weekday and weekend rotation

Compact reference table

Time Block	Default Window	Notes
Weekday evening	5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.	Wednesday if no day is named. The noncustodial parent or the court can name a different day.
Weekday election	School dismissal to 8:30 p.m., or 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. if school is not in session	The 8 a.m. start applies when the noncustodial parent is available and the time fits the custodial parent's work schedule (81-9-302(2)(a)(ii)(B)).
Alternating weekend	Friday 5:30 p.m. to Sunday 8:30 p.m.	Starts the first weekend after the decree. Election: Friday school dismissal, or Friday 8 a.m. if school is not in session, with the same availability and work-schedule conditions.
Mother's Day / Father's Day	5:30 p.m. the day before to 8:30 p.m. on the day	Highest priority. Overrides the regular rotation.
Child's birthday	3 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.	Highest priority after Mother's Day and Father's Day. The noncustodial parent has the birthday in even years and the day before or after it in odd years (81-9-302(12)).
Extended summer	Up to four weeks, 8 a.m. on the first day to 8:30 p.m. on the last	See the summer section.

Age-by-age parent-time rules for children under 5

Utah Code 81-9-304 sets a separate minimum schedule for a child under 5, in age bands. These are the statutory minimums for the noncustodial parent when the parents do not agree:

• Under 5 months. Three 2-hour visits every week, plus 2 hours for each holiday granted.
• 5 to 9 months. Three 3-hour visits every week, plus 2 hours for each holiday.
• 9 to 12 months. One 8-hour visit and one 3-hour visit every week, plus 8 hours for each holiday.
• 12 to 18 months. One 3-hour visit every week, alternating weekends from Friday 5:30 p.m. to Sunday 7:30 p.m., plus 8 hours for each holiday.
• 18 months to 3 years. One weekday evening from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., alternating weekends from Friday 5:30 p.m. to Sunday 7:30 p.m., the holiday schedule, and two one-week extended periods (one uninterrupted, one interrupted) separated by at least four weeks.
• 3 to 5 years. The same weekday and weekend times, the holiday schedule, and two two-week extended periods (two weeks uninterrupted, two weeks interrupted) separated by at least four weeks.

For a child who is 18 months to 5 years, the noncustodial parent may instead start the weekday visit when the child is picked up from daytime care outside the home, with advance notice to the custodial parent, still ending at 7:30 p.m. The custodial parent has one week of uninterrupted extended parent-time (81-9-304(9)).

When a family has a child who is 5 to 18 and a child under 5, and both are the children of the parties, Utah Code 81-9-302(11) says the parents and the court should consider an upward deviation so the children share one schedule.

How holiday parent-time and summer time work under Utah law

The holiday schedule in Utah Code 81-9-302(12) runs on an odd-year and even-year rotation. The full table is in the statute. The rows below are the ones people most often misstate. This article uses the version effective May 6, 2026.

Key holiday windows

Thanksgiving starts at school dismissal, or at 5:30 p.m. on the day school dismisses if the parent who has the holiday elects that start. It ends at 8:30 p.m. the day before school resumes. The noncustodial parent has Thanksgiving in even years. The custodial parent has it in odd years.

Winter break's first half starts at school dismissal, or at 5:30 p.m. on the day school dismisses if that parent elects that start, and it ends December 27 at 8:30 p.m. The noncustodial parent has the first half in odd years. The second half starts December 27 at 8:30 p.m. and ends at 8:30 p.m. the day before school resumes. The noncustodial parent has the second half in even years.

Independence Day runs from July 3 at 5:30 p.m. to July 5 at 8:30 p.m. The noncustodial parent has it in odd years. Pioneer Day runs from July 23 at 5:30 p.m. to July 25 at 8:30 p.m. The noncustodial parent has it in even years. The statute writes those start and end times directly. There is no election for Independence Day or Pioneer Day.

Mother's Day and Father's Day run from 5:30 p.m. the day before to 8:30 p.m. on the day. The mother has Mother's Day every year, and the father has Father's Day every year, unless the order gives that day to the other parent.

Juneteenth timing changes on January 1, 2027, when an amended version of 81-9-302 takes effect. Through December 31, 2026, the holiday begins at 5:30 p.m. the day before (8 a.m. on Juneteenth if the day before is Father's Day) and ends at 8:30 p.m. the day after. The noncustodial parent has it in even years.

Other holidays in the same table, including school breaks and the child's birthday, have their own rows. Read 81-9-302(12) before you rely on a start time this article does not quote.

Summer extended parent-time: Under Utah Code 81-9-302, the noncustodial parent is entitled to up to four weeks of parent-time when school is not in session for summer break, from 8 a.m. on the first day to 8:30 p.m. on the last. Two of those weeks are uninterrupted. Two weeks may be interrupted by the custodial parent for one weekday visit, on the same weekday the noncustodial parent normally has. The four weeks may be split into two 14-day periods. The custodial parent gets two uninterrupted weeks, from 8 a.m. on the first day to 8:30 p.m. on the last (81-9-302(3) and (4)).

Notice deadlines are in 81-9-302(4). In odd years, the noncustodial parent gives notice by May 1 and the custodial parent gives notice by May 15. In even years, the custodial parent gives notice by May 1 and the noncustodial parent gives notice by May 15. If a parent misses the deadline, the parent who complied may set the summer schedule for the parent who did not.

How an odd year and an even year play out

In 2026, an even year, the noncustodial parent has Thanksgiving under the statutory table. In 2027, an odd year, the custodial parent has Thanksgiving, and the noncustodial parent's regular alternating weekend rotation continues. Once a holiday window closes, the regular weekend rotation picks back up. The statute does not provide make-up time for a weekend the holiday displaced.

The priority rule applies here too. If a holiday falls on a regular weekend belonging to the other parent, the holiday schedule wins.

In an even year, the noncustodial parent has both Thanksgiving and the second half of winter break. In an odd year, that parent has the first half of winter break, and the custodial parent has Thanksgiving. Parents who want a different split can agree to one in a parenting plan.

When can a court deviate from the statutory minimum?

When a parent asks for a schedule that differs from the statutory minimum, the court decides custody and parent-time under Utah Code 81-9-204. That section requires the court to consider the minor child's best interests, and it lists the factors. This article does not restate them. Parents still choosing between arrangements can compare joint vs sole custody in Utah.

The statute sets a minimum. Parents can agree to more, and a judge decides what schedule to order based on the child's best interests under 81-9-204.

How to request a modification

1. Check whether there is a material change in circumstances. A modification generally depends on what has changed since the last order, such as a parent's relocation, a change in the child's school, or a substantial shift in either parent's work schedule. A judge decides whether the change is enough.
2. Consider mediation. Mediation can help parents agree on a schedule before a judge decides it. divviMediate pairs both parents with one qualified mediator. Mediation does not always end in an agreement.
3. File a motion to modify the decree. The motion goes to the district court that issued the original order. You file it. Attach the proposed parenting plan and the facts that show what changed.
4. Serve the other parent. Proper service is required. Failure to serve correctly can delay the proceeding.
5. Attend the hearing. A commissioner or judge reviews the motion and hears both sides.

For a deeper look at the process, the divorce decree modification guide covers what to expect at each stage.

Relocation adds another notice rule. If a parent plans to move 150 miles or more from the other parent's residence, Utah Code 81-9-209 requires written notice at least 60 days before the move. The relocation explainer covers the notice and how a court weighs a move against the existing parent-time order.

Parent-time and child support are generally treated as separate obligations. Withholding one because of the other can create legal problems, so talk to the court's self-help center or a Utah-licensed attorney first.

How to turn a schedule into an enforceable court order

An informal agreement, even a written one that both parents sign, is not a court order. If the other parent stops following it, enforcement starts with the order the court actually signed. A parenting plan the court approves is the version that carries enforcement weight.

The Post-Divorce Family Management Plan is a post-divorce planning tool for co-parenting logistics. It does not prepare the parenting plan you file with the court.

Filing checklist

• Parenting plan or stipulated decree language
• Petition or motion, depending on whether this is an initial case or a modification
• Financial declaration if child support is being set at the same time
• Proof of service on the other parent
• The court's filing fee (check the current fee with the district court)
• Proposed order for the judge's signature

If you need an order in place while a final hearing is pending, a temporary custody order can hold a schedule during that gap.

Common disputes and what the law actually says

Most enforcement problems come down to a handful of recurring misunderstandings.

• Withholding visits over unpaid support. Parent-time and child support are generally enforced separately, and a judge decides whether withholding visits violates the order.
• Overlapping holidays and regular weekends. When a holiday falls on a regular weekend, the holiday schedule controls. The statute does not provide a make-up weekend.
• Verbal changes to the schedule. Courts look to the written order. A verbal agreement to swap weekends or skip a holiday may be hard to enforce if one parent later disputes it. Put a change in writing.
• Old Title 30 citations in existing orders. The 2024 recodification moved Utah's domestic relations statutes from Title 30 into Title 81. An order that references 30-3-35 is citing what is now 81-9-302. The schedule times in 81-9-302 were amended effective May 6, 2026, so an article or form that still uses the pre-2026 clock is out of date. Use the current Title 81 text in anything you file today. The 2026 Utah divorce law overview covers the recodification.
• Right of first refusal. This right applies only if it is written into the parenting plan. Utah Code does not create an automatic right of first refusal. If you want it, it has to be written into the order.

When a dispute arises, a practical sequence is: write down what happened, try mediation, and if that does not resolve it, file a motion to enforce with the court. A judge decides what remedy, if any, applies when an order isn't followed.

Key Takeaways

Utah's statutory parent-time schedule under 81-9-302 is the legal minimum for a child who is 5 to 18 when the parents do not agree. A different schedule needs to be in a parenting plan the court approves before a court will enforce it as an order.

Point	Details
Controlling statutes	81-9-302 is the minimum for ages 5 to 18. 81-9-304 is the age-band schedule for a child under 5. 81-9-303 is an optional schedule. 81-9-305 is equal parent-time.
Weekday and weekend	Weekday evening 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Alternating weekends Friday 5:30 p.m. to Sunday 8:30 p.m. Elections are in 81-9-302(2) and (5).
Holiday rotation	Odd and even years, from the table in 81-9-302(12). Once a holiday window closes, the statute does not provide a make-up weekend.
Summer	Up to four weeks for the noncustodial parent, 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., with the May 1 and May 15 notice deadlines in 81-9-302(4). The custodial parent has two uninterrupted weeks.
Support vs. parent-time	Parent-time and child support are generally treated as separate obligations. A judge decides what happens if one is withheld because of the other.
Post-divorce planning tool	The family management plan is a post-divorce planning tool. It is not the parenting plan filed with the court.

What parents actually struggle with, and where the statute falls short

The schedule in 81-9-302 is a baseline for parents who do not agree. It does not account for shift work, homes an hour apart, or a child with a heavy activity schedule. It is a minimum, and treating it as a finished plan is where a lot of friction starts.

The holiday rotation is the clearest example. In an even year the noncustodial parent has Thanksgiving and the second half of winter break. In an odd year that parent has the first half of winter break, and the custodial parent has Thanksgiving. Parents who want a different split, and who agree on one, can put that split in a parenting plan. Parents who discover the statutory split in late November are reading the order they already have.

The under-5 minimums are short, especially under 5 months: three 2-hour visits a week, plus holiday hours. That is the statutory minimum when the parents do not agree. Parents who were both caregivers can agree to more time, and a court can order more, based on the child's best interests. The minimum is not a cap. More time still has to be in an order.

Do not wait for a dispute to write the schedule down. A custom arrangement that lives in a text thread is not the order a court enforces.

How divvi can help

Knowing the statutory schedule is step one. Getting an agreed schedule into a parenting plan the court can sign is the step that makes it enforceable.

If you and the other parent agree on everything, divvi's free uncontested divorce path prepares your court documents, including a parenting plan when you have children, and explains how to file them. You file them with the court yourself; divvi does not file for you. If you don't agree on a schedule yet, mediation may help. divvi is not a law firm and doesn't give legal advice.

Authoritative sources and where to find court forms

The 2024 recodification moved Utah's domestic relations statutes from Title 30 into Title 81. The parent-time times in 81-9-302 were amended again effective May 6, 2026. Use the current section on le.utah.gov.

• Utah Code 81-9-302: minimum parent-time for a child 5 to 18, including the holiday table and summer rules. Current version effective May 6, 2026.
• Utah Code 81-9-304: minimum parent-time for a child under 5, by age band.
• Utah Code 81-9-305: equal parent-time.
• Utah Courts, Child Custody and Parent-Time: court self-help page on custody and parent-time.
• Utah Code 81-9-302, section by section: divvi's longer reading of the school-age schedule.

Checked against the Utah Code on October 19, 2026.

This article is general information about Utah parent-time law and is not legal advice. divvi is not a law firm and can't give legal advice. If your situation needs a lawyer, consider talking to a Utah-licensed attorney. Check the current statute on le.utah.gov before you rely on it.

Recommended

• Utah Code 81-9-209: Parental Relocation Rules Explained
• Right of First Refusal Utah: What Parents Need to Know
• Temporary Custody Orders in Utah: A Parent's Guide