Steven Marquardt has made it his mission to help Utahns exercise their Second Amendment rights. A United States Marine veteran, Marquardt researches, analyzes and informs Utah residents about concealed carry laws through his site utahcarrylaws.com.
A father of four who works for the US Department of Homeland Security, Marquardt has also been a Utah-certified concealed carry training instructor since 2014. He explained that he went to a training class and received questionable information about concealed carry training. Then, after seeking out more training, he attended a few other classes and was surprised by the misinformation regarding what was and was not legal when carrying a firearm in Utah.
“I started Utah Carry Laws in 2016,” Marquardt said. “I was at a class, actually multiple classes, where outdated information was being provided and I thought, ‘that’s dangerous.’ It should be harder to be an instructor.”
Currently, to become a civilian firearms instructor, one must be certified by a national organization, such as the National Rifle Association, that is recognized by the Utah Bureau of Criminal Investigation. The BCI provides a training deck for instructors as well as other resources for its concealed carry classes. Residents and non-residents may gain their permits, which provide for enhanced carry within the state as well as reciprocal carry privileges in states that recognize Utah’s permit. Currently, 38 states recognize Utah’s permit for residents and 31 for non-resident Utah permits.
Marquardt makes it clear he is not a lawyer. He refuses to give legal advice but strives to distill legal jargon into plain English. He will often answer questions on his accompanying Facebook page, which has over 3700 members, allowing for direct engagement. He recently reached out to Southern Utah University after a Facebook user asked a question about carrying a concealed firearm on campus. The resulting discussion between campus police, campus legal and Marquardt highlights the different interpretations of the law.
“I had a question about carrying a firearm on the Southern Utah University campus with an out of state permit and if that was OK,” he said. “Looking at Utah law, only a Utah CFP would be recognized. In the campus (frequently asked question) online, it says any valid concealed permit is accepted. I contacted campus police which referred me to the school’s legal department. They refused to make changes or help and said they ‘didn’t give legal advice.’ ”
Upon hearing that statement, Marquardt has been vocal to warn on Facebook and Utah Carry Laws that carrying on a Utah campus without a valid Utah CFP could result in an arrest, loss of permit and denial of rights.
James D. ”Mitch” Vilos, Utah’s foremost firearms case attorney and Second Amendment advocate, appreciates the contributions Marquardt has made through his site and education.
“My opinion is that anyone who contributes in any way to preserve our Second Amendment should be applauded and praised,” Vilos said. “Steve has checked with me on complicated gun issues and tries conscientiously to keep everything current and accurate on his website, which isn’t always easy to do.”
During the 2024 Utah Legislative Session, Marquardt tracked 26 bills and gave analysis of what each bill meant as well as the expected impact on firearms owners. He groups bills by “good” and “bad” rankings based on how the bill may affect or infringe upon the rights of Utah citizens. During this year’s session, bills he deemed as bad bills were all defeated.
Marquardt’s passion for firearms includes security training through his company Utah FAST (Firearms and Security Training), as well as possessing a Federal Firearms License to sell and transfer guns. And if that was not enough, he is matriculating through the gunsmithing program at Sonoran Desert Institute.
One of Marquardt’s proudest accomplishments is how he was able to build support for an amendment to an existing law that shields property owners from liability when a firearm is discharged by someone else on their property. He felt compelled to act when Utah’s permitless carry law, commonly called Constitutional Carry, went into effect.
“As the law was written, property and business owners were only protected from liability if a firearm was discharged by a concealed firearm permit holder,” he said. “With Constitutional carry, there was risk to a property owner or business owner if a firearm was discharged in the case of self defense or robbery. I contacted (State Legislator) Karianne Lisonbee and she referred me to another representative who took on the amendment and it passed through.”
That representative, Trevor Lee, sponsored H.B. 165 which in 2023 became 53-5a-103 in the Utah State Code.
When asked why puts so much effort into informing the public, Marquardt emphasizes it is a labor of love.
“I have a huge passion for wanting to see people carrying legally and safely,” he said. “It’s our right.”
I do not know of anyone here in the state of Utah that knows more than Steve when it comes to all things related to gun laws. He has always been right there on the spot to answer any questions I have had regarding what the rules and laws are pertaining to guns and explains in simple terms for all to understand.