Moving firewood in Utah: rule R68-23, the labels, the 160 degree F certificate and the US$5,000 penalty

This page reports what the official source says. It is not legal advice: ask the office named here. It follows rule R68-23 of the Utah Administrative Code, the Utah Firewood Quarantine, with an effective date of August 1, 2022, as shown on the state's rules site on October 9, 2026.

What the rule is for and what it covers

Section R68-23-1 says the rule is made under Utah Code Subsection 4-2-103(1)(k) and Section 4-35-109, and that it exists to prevent the movement of invasive insects carried by firewood, naming emerald ash borer, Asian longhorned beetle and red imported fire ant. The Utah Code section on the Plant Pest Emergency Control Act authorizes the Department of Agriculture and Food to adopt and enforce rules to administer that chapter.

The rule defines firewood as kindling, logs, timber or other portions of a tree of any species, four feet or less in length, cut or split or intended to be, in a form and size for use as fuel in open pits, grills, fireplaces, stoves or other wood-burning devices. Section R68-23-4 says the quarantine applies to any firewood offered, exposed or held for sale in the state. The rule separates two kinds of sale: sale by package, and sale from bulk, which means firewood that is not packaged.

The quarantined areas

Section R68-23-3 defines the area under quarantine as any area of the United States and Canada that the United States Department of Agriculture or the Utah commissioner declares high risk, and says the department keeps an updated list of those areas. The department's insect and pest page lists the Utah Firewood Quarantine, R68-23, among the state insect quarantines. The list of quarantined areas itself: no official page found on October 9, 2026.

Restrictions

Section R68-23-5 says firewood transported, offered, exposed or held for sale in Utah is labelled under section R68-23-6.
It says nobody transports, offers, exposes or holds for sale firewood from a quarantined area in the state unless the firewood is treated under section R68-23-7.
It says anyone who transports or supplies firewood for other than personal use keeps records, certificates or other documents for two years.

Labels and delivery tickets

Section R68-23-6 sets what each kind of sale carries.

Kind of sale	What the rule lists
Sale by package	A clear and conspicuous declaration that the package holds firewood, unless the contents can be easily identified through the wrapper; the net quantity by weight, measure or count; the name and address of the manufacturer, packer or distributor if the package was not produced where it is sold; and the origin of harvest by county and state
Sale from bulk	A delivery ticket with the name and contact information of the person who weighed or measured the wood; the date delivered; the quantity delivered in cords or cubic meters, or the count of wrapped packages; the quantity the price is based on if different; the type of firewood in the most descriptive terms commercially practicable; and the origin of harvest by county and state

Importation and treatment

Under section R68-23-7, firewood from a quarantined area is prohibited entry into Utah unless the required certification is produced. An authorized state agricultural official of the state of origin issues the certificate, and it carries the name and address of the exporter and of the importer, the inspection or certificate date and the signature of the authorized officer. The rule says certificates are issued only for a shipment that meets this heat treatment procedure:

The temperature at the centre of the wood is raised to at least 160 degrees F (71.1 degrees C) and held there for at least 75 minutes.
Internal temperatures are taken by sensors in the larger pieces of firewood at representative places in the stack, in the coldest areas of the kiln as the department identifies them, with the full depth of the probes in the wood and the probes sealed in so they read the wood, not the air.
The monitoring equipment gives a record that identifies each sensor and shows time and temperature. Portable sensors and data loggers are accurate to within plus or minus 0.9 degrees F (0.5 degrees C) at the treatment temperature, collect data at least once every five minutes and store it for 30 days.

The rule adds three duties for shipments. The certifying official sends a copy of the certificate to the department's Plant Industry Division. The exporter gives the department advance notice of a regulated shipment. The importer tells the department when the firewood arrives and holds it for inspection, and the department inspects or releases it within ten business days of delivery.

Records, exemptions and enforcement

Section R68-23-8 says the records of anyone who transports or supplies firewood for other than personal use cover the source, any treatment and what became of the wood. A seller's records cover the source and the supplier. The department may inspect records, certificates, inventory and facilities during reasonable business hours and take samples of firewood to look for invasive insects.
Section R68-23-9 exempts firewood harvested outside the quarantined areas from the treatment requirements. The department may issue an exemption from treatment for quarantined areas on written request that names the importer, the origin of harvest by county and state, and the type of wood. It answers in writing within ten business days, an exemption lasts 12 months, and the department may revoke it at any time if its risk assessment changes, by written notice giving the reason.
Section R68-23-10 says department agents refuse entry to firewood that does not meet the quarantine, and that a shipment found in Utah in violation is treated to comply or returned to the exporter at once.

Violations and penalties

Section R68-23-11 lists these as violations: fraudulent use of incorrect information on forms, intentional movement of firewood from a quarantined area (the rule counts failure to perform or have inspection as intentional movement, as well as willfully moving property after notification), failure to give advance notice, and failure to comply with any provision. It sets civil penalties of not more than US$5,000 per violation under Utah Code Section 4-2-304 and says each improperly labelled, transported or treated package or bulk sale is a separate violation. Section 4-2-304 itself sets a civil penalty not to exceed US$5,000 per violation, makes a violation of the title a class B misdemeanor in a criminal proceeding, and makes a subsequent criminal violation within two years a class A misdemeanor. It also makes a violator liable for the department's expenses in abating the violation.

For other states and provinces see the table on moving wood and firewood.