BY STATE · UTAH · 49 CFR §40.281

How to Become a DOT SAP in Utah

Becoming a DOT Substance Abuse Professional is one uniform federal pathway, set in 49 CFR §40.281 and applied the same way in every state. What is specific to Utah is the underlying clinical credential — the license or certification you earn through the boards below to satisfy the §40.281(a) requirement before you complete SAP qualification training and pass the national exam.

TRACK A

Addiction-counselor certification (the DOT counselor path)

This is the path that satisfies the §40.281(a) “drug and alcohol counselor” category, which DOT accepts only through a NAADAC-, IC&RC-, or NBCC-affiliated board. In Utah that credential is:

Substance Use Disorder Counselor (SUDC); Advanced SUDC (ASUDC); Master Addiction Counselor (MAC)

IC&RC-affiliated: No

Issuing board: Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing (DOPL) — state agency (the SUDC is a state license, not an IC&RC member-board credential)
Education requirement: Tiered by credential (SUDC vs ASUDC vs MAC); see DOPL SUDC pages for current education requirements — exact figures not board-pulled this pass.
Supervised hours: See Utah DOPL for current supervised-hour requirement per tier — not board-verified this pass.
Required exam: SUDC: no national exam required post-2024 (verified). ASUDC: NAADAC NCAC II or MAC, or IC&RC AADC (verified). Confirm on DOPL exam-information page.
Also accepted: State-agency credential accepting both national paths: DOPL accepts NAADAC (NCAC I/II or MAC) and IC&RC (ADC or AADC) exams. Post-2024 the base SUDC no longer requires a national exam; ASUDC requires NAADAC NCAC II/MAC or IC&RC AADC — so DOT §40.281 counselor eligibility is met via that national exam.

TRACK B

State clinical license

Utah also issues a clinical license that qualifies on its own under §40.281(a).

Substance Use Disorder Counselor (SUDC) / Advanced SUDC (ASUDC) — Utah state license

Issuing board: Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing (DOPL)

OTHER PATHS

Other SAP-eligible boards in Utah

You do not have to be an addiction counselor. Any one of these Utah boards licenses a profession that satisfies one of the other five §40.281(a) SAP credential categories — physician, social worker, psychologist, employee assistance professional, or marriage and family therapist.

Social worker Utah DOPL — Social Worker Licensing Board (LCSW)

Psychologist Utah DOPL — Psychologist Licensing Board

Marriage & family therapist Utah DOPL — Clinical Mental Health Counselor (CMHC) and Marriage & Family Therapist (LMFT) Boards

Physician Utah DOPL — Physicians and Surgeons Licensing Board

THE FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS

The federal steps are the same in every state

Once you hold a qualifying Utah credential above, the rest of the SAP pathway is set by federal rule and does not change by state. See the full federal requirements →

1 What credential do you need to become a DOT SAP?
2 What knowledge does a SAP need?
3 What qualification training and exam are required?
4 What continuing education must a SAP maintain?
5 What documentation must a SAP keep?
6 What does a DOT SAP actually do?

Sources

Last reviewed: 2026-07-07

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