(a) Scope. This rule governs proceedings in all petitions for post-conviction relief filed under the Post- Conviction Remedies Act, Utah Code Title 78B, Chapter 9. The Act sets forth the manner and extent to which a person may challenge the legality of a criminal conviction and sentence after the conviction and sentence have been affirmed in a direct appeal under Article I, Section 12 of the Utah Constitution, or the time to file such an appeal has expired.
Rule 65C.Post-conviction relief
Part VIII: Provisional and Final Remedies and Special Proceedings · Last amended May 1, 2021 · Last verified July 13, 2026
In one sentenceRule 65C governs civil petitions filed under Utah's Post-Conviction Remedies Act, letting a convicted person challenge a conviction or sentence after a direct appeal has ended or the appeal deadline has passed.
Full Text of Rule 65C
(b) Procedural defenses and merits review. Except as provided in paragraph (h), if the court comments on the merits of a post-conviction claim, it shall first clearly and expressly determine whether that claim is independently precluded under Section 78B-9-106.
(c) Commencement and venue. The proceeding shall be commenced by filing a petition with the clerk of the district court in the county in which the judgment of conviction was entered. The petition should be filed on forms provided by the court. The court may order a change of venue on its own motion if the petition is filed in the wrong county. The court may order a change of venue on motion of a party for the convenience of the parties or witnesses.
(d) Contents of the petition. The petition shall set forth all claims that the petitioner has in relation to the legality of the conviction or sentence. The petition shall state:
(1) whether the petitioner is incarcerated and, if so, the place of incarceration;
(2) the name of the court in which the petitioner was convicted and sentenced and the dates of proceedings in which the conviction was entered, together with the court’s case number for those proceedings, if known by the petitioner;
(3) in plain and concise terms, all of the facts that form the basis of the petitioner’s claim to relief;
(4) whether the judgment of conviction, the sentence, or the commitment for violation of probation has been reviewed on appeal, and, if so, the number and title of the appellate proceeding, the issues raised on appeal, and the results of the appeal;
(5) whether the legality of the conviction or sentence has been adjudicated in any prior post-conviction or other civil proceeding, and, if so, the case number and title of those proceedings, the issues raised in the petition, and the results of the prior proceeding; and
(6) if the petitioner claims entitlement to relief due to newly discovered evidence, the reasons why the evidence could not have been discovered in time for the claim to be addressed in the trial, the appeal, or any previous post-conviction petition.
(e) Attachments to the petition. If available to the petitioner, the petitioner shall attach to the petition:
(1) affidavits, copies of records and other evidence in support of the allegations;
(2) a copy of or a citation to any opinion issued by an appellate court regarding the direct appeal of the petitioner’s case;
(3) a copy of the pleadings filed by the petitioner in any prior post-conviction or other civil proceeding that adjudicated the legality of the conviction or sentence; and
(4) a copy of all relevant orders and memoranda of the court.
(f) Memorandum of authorities. The petitioner shall not set forth argument or citations or discuss authorities in the petition, but these may be set out in a separate memorandum, two copies of which shall be filed with the petition.
(g) Assignment. On the filing of the petition, the clerk shall promptly assign and deliver it to the judge who sentenced the petitioner. If the judge who sentenced the petitioner is not available, the clerk shall assign the case in the normal course.
(h) Summary dismissal of claims.
(1) The assigned judge shall review the petition, and, if it is apparent to the court that any claim has been adjudicated in a prior proceeding, or if any claim in the petition appears frivolous on its face, the court shall forthwith issue an order dismissing the claim, stating either that the claim has been adjudicated or that the claim is frivolous on its face. The order shall be sent by mail to the petitioner. Proceedings on the claim shall terminate with the entry of the order of dismissal. The order of dismissal need not recite findings of fact or conclusions of law.
(2) A claim is frivolous on its face when, based solely on the allegations contained in the pleadings and attachments, it appears that:
(A) the facts alleged do not support a claim for relief as a matter of law;
(B) the claim has no arguable basis in fact; or
(C) the claim challenges the sentence only and the sentence has expired prior to the filing of the petition.
(3) If a claim is not frivolous on its face but is deficient due to a pleading error or failure to comply with the requirements of this rule, the court shall return a copy of the petition with leave to amend within 21 days. The court may grant one additional 21-day period to amend for good cause shown.
(4) The court shall not review for summary dismissal the initial post-conviction petition in a case where the petitioner is sentenced to death.
(i) Service of petitions. If, on review of the petition, the court concludes that all or part of the petition should not be summarily dismissed, the court shall designate the portions of the petition that are not dismissed and direct the clerk to serve upon the respondent a copy of the petition, attachments, memorandum, and an electronic court record of the underlying criminal case being challenged, including all non public documents. If an electronic appellate record of the underlying case has not already been created, the clerk will create the record.
(1) If the petition is a challenge to a felony conviction or sentence, the respondent is the state of Utah represented by the Attorney General. Service on the Attorney General shall be by mail at the following address:
Utah Attorney General’s Office Criminal Appeals Post Conviction Section 160 East 300 South, 6th Floor P.O. Box 140854 Salt Lake City, UT 84114-0854
(2) In all other cases, the respondent is the governmental entity that prosecuted the petitioner.
(j) Appointment of pro bono counsel. If any portion of the petition is not summarily dismissed, the court may, upon the request of an indigent petitioner, appoint counsel on a pro bono basis to represent the petitioner in the post-conviction court or on post-conviction appeal. In determining whether to appoint counsel the court shall consider whether the petition or the appeal contains factual allegations that will require an evidentiary hearing and whether the petition involves complicated issues of law or fact that require the assistance of counsel for proper adjudication.
(k) Answer or other response. Within 30 days after service of a copy of the petition upon the respondent, or within such other period of time as the court may allow, the respondent shall answer or otherwise respond to the portions of the petition that have not been dismissed and shall serve the answer or other response upon the petitioner in accordance with Rule 5(b). Within 30 days (plus time allowed for service by mail) after service of any motion to dismiss or for summary judgment, the petitioner may respond by memorandum to the motion. No further pleadings or amendments will be permitted unless ordered by the court.
(l) Hearings. After pleadings are closed, the court shall promptly set the proceeding for a hearing or otherwise dispose of the case. The court may also order a prehearing conference, but the conference shall not be set so as to delay unreasonably the hearing on the merits of the petition. At the prehearing conference, the court may:
(1) consider the formation and simplification of issues;
(2) require the parties to identify witnesses and documents; and
(3) require the parties to establish the admissibility of evidence expected to be presented at the evidentiary hearing.
(m) Presence of the petitioner at hearings. The petitioner shall be present at the prehearing conference if the petitioner is not represented by counsel. The prehearing conference may be conducted by means of telephone or video conferencing. The petitioner shall be present before the court at hearings on dispositive issues but need not otherwise be present in court during the proceeding. The court may conduct any hearing at the correctional facility where the petitioner is confined.
(n) Discovery; records.
(1) Discovery under Rules 26 through 37 shall be allowed by the court upon motion of a party and a determination that there is good cause to believe that discovery is necessary to provide a party with evidence that is likely to be admissible at an evidentiary hearing.
(2) The court may order either the petitioner or the respondent to obtain any relevant transcript or court records.
(3) All records in the criminal case under review, including the records in an appeal of that conviction, are deemed part of the trial court record in the petition for post-conviction relief. A record from the criminal case retains the security classification that it had in the criminal case.
(o) Orders; stay.
(1) If the court vacates the original conviction or sentence, it shall enter findings of fact and conclusions of law and an appropriate order. If the petitioner is serving a sentence for a felony conviction, the order shall be stayed for 7 days. Within the stay period, the respondent shall give written notice to the court and the petitioner that the respondent will pursue a new trial, pursue a new sentence, appeal the order, or take no action. Thereafter the stay of the order is governed by these rules and by the Rules of Appellate Procedure.
(2) If the respondent fails to provide notice or gives notice that no action will be taken, the stay shall expire and the court shall deliver forthwith to the custodian of the petitioner the order to release the petitioner.
(3) If the respondent gives notice that the petitioner will be retried or resentenced, the trial court may enter any supplementary orders as to arraignment, trial, sentencing, custody, bail, discharge, or other matters that may be necessary and proper.
(p) Costs. The court may assign the costs of the proceeding, as allowed under Rule 54(d), to any party as it deems appropriate. If the petitioner is indigent, the court may direct the costs to be paid by the governmental entity that prosecuted the petitioner. If the petitioner is in the custody of the Department of Corrections, Utah Code Title 78A, Chapter 2, Part 3 governs the manner and procedure by which the trial court shall determine the amount, if any, to charge for fees and costs.
(q) Appeal. Any final judgment or order entered upon the petition may be appealed to and reviewed by the Court of Appeals or the Supreme Court of Utah in accord with the statutes governing appeals to those courts.
Amendment History
Added effective July 1, 1996; amended effective November 1, 2008; amended effective January 4, 2010; amended effective April 1, 2012; May 1, 2014; May 1, 2017; May 1, 2021.
Advisory Committee Notes
Advisory Committee Notes
This rule replaces former paragraph (b) of Rule 65B. It governs proceedings challenging a conviction or sentence, regardless whether the claim relates to an original commitment, a commitment for violation of probation, or a sentence other than commitment. Claims relating to the terms or conditions of confinement are governed by paragraph (b) of the Rule 65B. This rule, as a general matter, simplifies the pleading requirements and contains two significant changes from procedure under the former rule. First, the paragraph requires the clerk of court to assign post-conviction relief to the judge who sentenced the petitioner if that judge is available. Second, the rule allows the court to dismiss frivolous claims before any answer or other response is required. This provision is patterned after the federal practice pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2254. The advisory committee adopted the summary procedures set forth as a means of balancing the requirements of fairness and due process on the one hand against the public’s interest in the efficient adjudication of the enormous volume of post-conviction relief cases.
The requirement in paragraph (l) for a determination that discovery is necessary to discover relevant evidence that is likely to be admissible at an evidentiary hearing is a higher standard than is normally used in determining motions for discovery.
The requirement in paragraph (m) for a determination that discovery is necessary to discover relevant evidence that is likely to be admissible at an evidentiary hearing is a higher standard than is normally used in determining motions for discovery.
The 2009 amendments embrace Utah’s Post-Conviction Remedies Act as the law governing post-conviction relief. It provides an independent and adequate procedural basis for dismissal without the necessity of a merits review. See Gardner v. Galetka, 568 F.3d 862, 884-85 (10th Cir. 2009). It is the committee’s view that the added restrictions which the Act places on post-conviction petitions do not amount to a suspension of the writ of habeas corpus. See Felker v. Turpin, 518 U.S. 651, 664 (1996) (relying on McCleskey v. Zant, 499 U.S. 467, 489 (1991)).
Section 78B-9-202 governs the payment of counsel in death penalty cases.
Plain-English Summary
Once a criminal conviction has survived direct appeal — or the time to appeal has run out — Rule 65C provides the civil track for challenging it further. The petitioner files with the clerk of the district court in the county where the conviction was entered, ideally using the court's own forms, and the case goes to the judge who imposed the sentence whenever that judge is still available. The petition has to lay out everything relevant: where the petitioner is incarcerated, details of the underlying conviction, the facts supporting relief, the results of any direct appeal, whether the issue has already been raised in a prior post-conviction case, and, for newly discovered evidence claims, why the evidence couldn't have surfaced sooner. Supporting records — affidavits, appellate opinions, prior pleadings, and relevant orders — get attached; legal argument goes in a separate memorandum, not the petition itself.
The assigned judge screens every petition before the state has to respond. A claim already decided in a prior proceeding, or frivolous on its face — meaning the alleged facts don't support relief as a matter of law, have no arguable factual basis, or challenge only a sentence that has already expired — gets dismissed by mailed order without findings. A petition with a curable pleading defect instead comes back with 21 days to amend, extendable once more for good cause. That summary-dismissal screening does not apply to an initial petition in a death-penalty case. Petitions that survive get served on the state — the attorney general for felony cases, the prosecuting entity otherwise — which then has 30 days to answer, with the case proceeding to a prehearing conference and eventual hearing. Discovery is available under Rules 26 through 37, but only on a showing of good cause that it's necessary to obtain evidence likely to be admissible at the hearing — a higher bar than ordinary civil discovery. If the court vacates a felony conviction or sentence, the order is stayed for seven days so the state can decide whether to retry, resentence, appeal, or take no action; if the state does nothing or gives no notice, the stay lifts and the petitioner must be released. Final orders are appealable to the Utah Court of Appeals or Supreme Court under the ordinary rules governing appeals to those courts.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is post-conviction relief under Utah Rule 65C?
It is the civil procedure for challenging a criminal conviction or sentence under Utah's Post-Conviction Remedies Act, available after a direct appeal has concluded or the deadline to file one has passed.
Where do I file a Rule 65C petition?
With the clerk of the district court in the county where the judgment of conviction was entered. The court can change venue on its own motion if the petition lands in the wrong county, or on a party's motion for the convenience of parties or witnesses.
What can get a post-conviction petition summarily dismissed?
A claim already adjudicated in a prior proceeding, or one that is frivolous on its face — meaning the alleged facts don't support relief as a matter of law, have no arguable basis in fact, or challenge only a sentence that has already expired.
Can I fix a defective post-conviction petition instead of losing it?
Yes, if the defect is a pleading error rather than a frivolous claim. The court returns the petition with 21 days to amend, and can grant one more 21-day extension for good cause.
Does the summary dismissal screening apply in death penalty cases?
No. The court may not summarily dismiss the initial post-conviction petition in a case where the petitioner was sentenced to death.
Can I get a lawyer appointed for a post-conviction petition?
If part of your petition survives screening, the court may appoint pro bono counsel for an indigent petitioner, considering whether the case needs an evidentiary hearing and whether it raises complex legal or factual issues.
Can I get discovery in a Utah post-conviction case?
Yes, under Rules 26 through 37, but only on a court finding of good cause that discovery is necessary to obtain evidence likely to be admissible at an evidentiary hearing — a stricter standard than discovery in an ordinary civil case.
What happens if the court vacates my conviction?
For a felony, the vacating order is stayed for 7 days so the state can notify the court whether it will retry the case, resentence, appeal, or take no action. If the state fails to give notice or elects to do nothing, the stay expires and the petitioner must be released.
Source & verification. Rule text, Advisory Committee Notes, and
amendment history are reproduced verbatim from the Utah Rules of Civil Procedure,
adopted by the Utah Supreme Court. Last verified July 13, 2026. ·
Official source
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