No, chopping down a cactus in your own Utah yard is not illegal like Arizona’s saguaro felony; private property owners face no state prohibition, though local ordinances or HOA rules may apply.​
Arizona Comparison
Arizona classifies saguaros as protected native plants under ARS § 3-901 et seq., making removal, destruction, or sale from any land (public or private) a class 6 felony without a permit from the Arizona Department of Agriculture, with fines up to $10,000 plus jail time [context: Arizona reference]. Permits require proof of necessity like hazard removal, emphasizing cacti as cultural icons.​
Utah Private Property Rules
Utah lacks statewide felony bans on backyard cacti removal for private owners; laws target public lands managed by Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR), BLM, or USFS, requiring wood product or ornamental permits for species like junipers or conifers. Native plant protections under Utah Code § 78B-8-401 focus on transportation of illegally harvested forest products or vegetation from public lands, not personal yards. Homeowners can remove landscape plants freely unless locally restricted.​
Exceptions and Local Considerations
Endangered cacti like Winkler or San Rafael species under federal protection demand USFWS permits anywhere, but common yard varieties do not. Check municipal codes (e.g., water-wise landscaping mandates) or HOAs for fence/nuisance rules; public land harvesting limits ornamentals to six per DWR permit annually. Disputes arise from neighbor complaints or noxious weed misclassification, resolved via local enforcement.
SOURCES
[1](https://wildlife.utah.gov/r657-28.html)
[2](https://www.facebook.com/groups/chutla5/posts/10156798442273067/)
[3](https://extension.usu.edu/yardandgarden/research/collecting-plants-on-public-lands-for-utah-landscaping)
[4](https://extension.usu.edu/cwel/research/collecting-plants-on-public-lands-for-utah-landscaping)
[5](https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title78B/Chapter8/C78B-8-P6_1800010118000101.pdf)
