A truant is a student who stays away from school without permission or an explanation. Truancy laws are designed to encourage school attendance by creating simple court procedures through which children are held accountable for excessive school absences. The courts focus on the best interest of the child when addressing the truant conduct of a child.

Truant conduct is usually prosecuted or addressed as a civil (noncriminal) matter, and the definition and procedures for dealing with truancy are usually located in a state's statutes—often in the family code or education code.

In Utah, truancy laws are primarily governed by the state's Compulsory Education Law, which requires children between the ages of six and 18 to attend school. Parents are responsible for ensuring their child's attendance, and failure to do so can lead to legal consequences. When a student is truant, schools typically follow a series of interventions, including notices to parents, meetings, and involvement of school counselors. If these measures fail, the school may refer the case to the juvenile court system. The courts aim to address truancy in a manner that serves the best interest of the child, which may include educational evaluations, counseling, or community service. The process is civil rather than criminal, but repeated truancy can lead to more serious consequences, such as fines or educational neglect charges against the parents. Utah's truancy laws are outlined in the Utah Code, particularly in the sections related to education and family.