This page is general health information, not medical advice. It cannot tell you whether you have an infection. A clinician can, and the testing options on this site are a good place to start.

Finding free STD testing in Salt Lake City takes a little sorting out. Some options are free for certain people. Others charge on a sliding scale, which means the price depends on your income. A few charge set fees.

This guide walks you through the process in order. You will see what you need, how to choose a place, how to prepare, and what to expect. Each clinic is described only with what its own published page or the CDC directory says. Where a price or hour is not published, the guide says so and tells you who to call.

Testing is a normal part of health care. Many people never have symptoms, so a test is often the only way to learn your status. A clinician or a test can tell you far more than guessing can.

The short version

The Salt Lake County Health Department clinic offers rapid HIV testing free to high-risk individuals while grant funds last. Its other tests have published fees.
The University of Utah's Campus Wellness mobile clinics offer free HIV, gonorrhea and chlamydia testing for people without symptoms. Check the Student Health Center page for current dates.
Planned Parenthood Association of Utah and two Community Health Centers clinics use sliding scales, according to the CDC GetTested directory.
The University of Utah Health Redwood Health Center accepts insurance and lists PrEP assistance for people without insurance.
Anyone 14 or older can consent to STI testing in Utah without a parent, according to the Utah Department of Health and Human Services.

For a quick list of local places, see the local testing list. The rest of this guide explains how to use it.

What you need before you start

You do not need much. Gather these items before you call or visit.

A phone. Several clinics require appointments, and others prefer them.
Photo ID, if you have one. Ask the clinic whether it is required. Policies differ, and the listings used for this guide do not state them.
Insurance card, if you have one. Some clinics accept insurance and some cannot bill it at all. Ask which applies.
Proof of income, if you are asking for a sliding-scale rate. The CDC directory says to contact each Community Health Centers clinic about eligibility. Ask what documents they want.
A short list of notes. Include when you last had sex, any symptoms, any medicines you take, and when you were last tested. This helps the clinician choose the right tests.
Payment for fees you cannot avoid. Some visits have a flat fee. Ask the amount when you call.

Step 1: Understand what "free" and "sliding scale" mean here

These words are used loosely, so it helps to define them.

Free means you pay nothing for the test. In Salt Lake City, free testing is tied to specific programs. It may depend on grant funding, on your risk level, or on whether you have symptoms.

Sliding scale means the clinic sets your fee based on income and household size. The fee can be low, but it is not always zero. The CDC GetTested directory lists three Salt Lake City sites as sliding scale. Ask what your fee would be before you book.

Fee-based means a posted price. The county clinic and the University of Utah Student Health Center fall here. Their prices are modest, and the county posts them openly, but they are not free.

Knowing the difference saves you from a surprise bill. It also helps you pick the right door the first time.

Step 2: Compare every free and sliding-scale option

Here is each option, with what the published sources say. Details can change, so confirm with the clinic before you go.

Salt Lake County Health Department STD Clinic (Salt Lake Public Health Center)

The county's clinic is at 610 South 200 East in Salt Lake City. Enter from 200 East. The call line is 385-468-4242. The STD Prevention Program number is 385-468-4185.

Per the county's published hours, the clinic is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. On the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month it is closed until 1:00 PM.

According to the clinic's testing page, these are the published fees:

Office visit: $60 for Salt Lake County residents, $80 for people outside the county.
No office visit fee if you are tested only for HIV.
HIV blood test: $50.
Syphilis test: $40.
Chlamydia and gonorrhea: $40 per site tested.
Rapid HIV testing: free to high-risk individuals while grant funds last.

The county says the clinic cannot bill health insurance. Testing is available to anyone 14 or older. Walk-ins are accepted when possible, and appointments shorten the wait.

The county's page does not define "high-risk" for the free rapid HIV test. Ask staff how they apply it. The Utah 211 directory also lists the Salt Lake City Public Health Center at 385-468-4225 and says walk-ins are permitted, but calling ahead is preferred.

The clinic lists doxy-PEP and PrEP among its services. Both are decisions to make with a clinician, who decides whether a prescription fits you.

University of Utah Campus Wellness mobile clinics

The University of Utah Student Health Center says its Campus Wellness mobile clinics offer free HIV, gonorrhea and chlamydia testing for people without symptoms. The page does not list dates or locations in the material used for this guide. Check the Student Health Center site at studenthealth.utah.edu or call 801-581-6431 to learn when the next one is scheduled.

Planned Parenthood Association of Utah, Salt Lake Health Center

The center is at 654 S 900 E, Salt Lake City, UT 84102. The phone is (801) 322-5571.

The CDC GetTested directory lists it as sliding scale, with appointments required. It says insurance and Medicaid are accepted. Listed tests include rapid and blood-draw HIV, hepatitis B and C, herpes, chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis. It also lists PrEP navigation, and PrEP for people without insurance.

The directory does not show hours and says they may change. Call to confirm.

Community Health Centers Inc., Oquirrh View Community Health Center

This site is at 4745 S 3200 W, Salt Lake City, UT 84129. The phone is (801) 964-6214.

The CDC GetTested listing says appointments are required. It says the clinic accepts insurance, Medicaid and Medicare, and uses a sliding scale. It says to contact the organization about eligibility. Listed tests are HIV by blood draw, herpes, chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis.

Community Health Centers Inc., Ellis R. Shipp Clinic

This clinic is at 4535 S 5600 W, Salt Lake City, UT 84120. The phone is (801) 676-4405.

The CDC GetTested listing says it accepts insurance, Medicaid and Medicare and uses a sliding scale. It lists HIV by blood draw, herpes, chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis testing. The listing does not say whether walk-ins are accepted, so call first.

University of Utah Health, Redwood Health Center (HIV PrEP Program)

The address is 1525 W 2100 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84119. The phone is (801) 213-9900.

The CDC GetTested listing shows tests for HIV by blood draw, chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis. It also lists PrEP navigation and drug purchasing assistance through ADAP. It says insurance is accepted and PrEP is available for people without insurance. Hours are not listed there, so call to confirm.

Utah Naloxone (Andy's Wellness Center)

This nonprofit harm reduction program is at 525 East 100 South, Suite 4400, Salt Lake City, UT 84102. The phone is (385) 495-9050.

A NASEN directory listing says it offers HIV testing, hepatitis C testing, and STI testing and treatment, along with naloxone and syringe services. The listed hours are Monday, Thursday and Friday from 10:30 AM to 4:30 PM, and it is closed the other days. That listing does not state the cost or whether walk-ins are accepted. Call to ask before you go.

University of Utah Student Health Center, HIV and STI testing

The center is at 555 Foothill Dr, Level 1, Salt Lake City, UT 84112. The phone is 801-581-6431.

Its page says testing is by appointment, with or without symptoms. A visit fee and lab charges apply. The page does not say whether people who are not students can use the center, so ask when you call.

Step 3: Match yourself to an option

A few questions can narrow the choices.

Do you mainly want an HIV test? The county clinic charges no office visit fee for HIV-only testing. Rapid HIV testing there is free for high-risk individuals while grant funds last. Planned Parenthood and the U of U Health Redwood Health Center also list HIV testing.
Do you have insurance? The county clinic cannot bill it. Planned Parenthood, both Community Health Centers clinics and Redwood accept it, per the CDC directory. If you have coverage, your plan may cover testing at one of those sites. Ask the clinic what you would owe.
Do you have no insurance and a low income? The three sliding-scale sites are the natural starting point. Ask for the sliding-scale application.
Are you a University of Utah student or connected to campus? Watch for a Campus Wellness mobile clinic. It is free if you have no symptoms.
Do you have symptoms? Say so when you book. The mobile clinics are for people without symptoms, so a clinic visit is the better route. A clinician can decide which tests make sense.
Are you 14 to 17? Utah DHHS says people 14 and older can consent to STI services without a parent. Ask the clinic about its own process.

Step 4: Check current hours before you go

Hours and funding change, and several listings here do not publish hours. A quick check prevents a wasted trip.

Call the number listed above for the clinic you chose.
Ask whether they are seeing STD testing patients that day and whether you need an appointment.
Ask what the visit and each test would cost for you, and what the sliding-scale rate depends on.
Ask what to bring.
If you want free testing close to home, ask whether any outreach or mobile testing is planned. Dates and locations were not published in the sources used here, so only the clinic or the health department can confirm them.

You can also use the CDC's GetTested directory at gettested.cdc.gov. Enter your ZIP code and it lists nearby testing sites. The directory notes that hours may change and tells you to check each organization's website.

Step 5: Prepare for the visit

You do not need to do much. A few small things help the visit go smoothly.

Do not urinate for about an hour before the visit if you can, unless the clinic tells you otherwise. Some urine tests work better that way. Ask what your clinic prefers.
Bring your notes and your medicine list.
Wear clothes that are easy to adjust.
Plan for a wait if you are walking in. The county says appointments shorten the wait.
Think about which tests you want to ask about. The CDC STI Treatment Guidelines (2021) are the basis for what clinics offer, and a clinician can tailor testing to your situation.

Step 6: At the appointment

A staff member will ask about your health and your recent sexual activity. They ask so they can choose the right tests. You can answer in your own words, and you can say "I would rather not say" to any question.

Depending on what you and the clinician decide, testing may involve a urine sample, a swab, a blood draw or a fingerstick. Swabs can be taken from the genitals, throat or rectum, depending on the kind of sex you have. The county's fee for chlamydia and gonorrhea is per site, so tell them which sites are relevant to you.

Ask how and when you will get results, and what number to call if you do not hear back.

What to expect afterward

Results come back in different ways. Some HIV rapid tests may give a result during the visit. Other tests are sent to a lab, and the clinic will tell you how long that usually takes.

Here is what results can and cannot tell you.

A negative result may mean no infection was found at the time of the test. It may not rule out a recent exposure, because tests can miss infections that are very new.
The CDC says the window period depends on the type of HIV test. Its testing guidance lists roughly 10 to 33 days after exposure for a nucleic acid test, 18 to 45 days for an antigen/antibody lab test on a blood draw, 18 to 90 days for an antigen/antibody fingerstick test, and 23 to 90 days for antibody tests. Ask the clinician which test you are having and whether a repeat test makes sense.
A positive result means a clinician will talk with you about next steps. Many STIs have treatment. Chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis and trichomoniasis are curable with treatment from a clinician. HIV and herpes are not curable, but both are treatable and manageable. Treatment is always something a clinician prescribes.
Unclear results happen. Your clinic may suggest a repeat test.

Public health departments may follow up on some positive results to help people get care. Ask the clinic how that works.

Partners can be part of the plan. In Utah, expedited partner therapy covers chlamydia and gonorrhea, according to Utah DHHS. That lets a clinician provide treatment for a partner in some cases. Ask your clinician whether it applies.

Tips and common mistakes to avoid

Tips

Ask about cost first. Several clinics publish prices, and others do not. Asking up front is routine.
Ask about everything in one visit. The county's office visit fee covers a visit, and HIV-only testing has no visit fee. If you want other tests too, ask how the fees stack up.
Be specific about where you want to be tested. Throat, rectal and genital infections can be missed if only one site is tested.
Keep your results. Ask for a copy or a way to view them.
Consider regular testing. The CDC recommends regular screening for many groups, and USPSTF has recommendations for screening certain groups. Ask a clinician which ones fit you.
Use the county's data as context, not as a reason for worry. Utah IBIS-PH reported a 2022 chlamydia rate of 479.7 per 100,000 people in Salt Lake County, compared with 328.7 for Utah. Those numbers show that testing is common and routine here.

Common mistakes

Assuming a clinic accepts walk-ins. Planned Parenthood and Oquirrh View list appointments as required. Call first.
Assuming insurance works everywhere. The county clinic cannot bill it.
Assuming the free option is open to everyone. Free rapid HIV testing at the county clinic is for high-risk individuals while grant funds last. Mobile clinic testing is for people without symptoms.
Testing too soon after an exposure and stopping there. Ask about window periods and a follow-up test.
Skipping a visit because of cost worries. Ask about sliding-scale rates before you decide not to go.
Waiting for symptoms. Many STIs cause none.
Relying on an out-of-date listing. Hours and funding change. Confirm by phone.

If you are not sure where to start

Call the Salt Lake City Public Health Center at 385-468-4225, or the clinic line at 385-468-4242. Staff can explain which services fit your situation and what they cost. You can also use gettested.cdc.gov to look up other sites.

Free and low-cost testing is a routine service. Making the call is the hardest part, and most people find the visit quicker and easier than they expected.

Free STD Testing in Salt Lake City: Every Free and Sliding-Scale Option