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 are required to take certain steps, such as notifying parents and providing opportunities for the student to improve attendance. If these measures fail, the school may refer the case to the juvenile court system. The courts may then intervene to address the truancy, focusing on the best interest of the child, which can include imposing educational interventions, community service, counseling, or other remedies aimed at correcting the truant behavior. The process is civil rather than criminal, and the goal is to provide support and resources to encourage regular school attendance rather than to punish the student.