Utah will do away with mandatory membership rules for private clubs July 1, but some bars will keep the restrictions.

The reasons range from safety and exclusivity to loss of a revenue source and doubts about the new policy's rules.

Hailed as the largest overhaul of Utah liquor law in decades, a bill due to be signed into law by the governor Monday does away with Utah's one-of-a-kind private club law. Instead, those appearing to be under age 35 will have their driver licenses scanned to verify their ages. The information will be stored on site for seven days.

It is no surprise that some places like Salt Lake City's venerable Alta Club are staying private. "We're more of a country club than a bar," says General Manager Richard Swapp.

But several other establishments that cater to the larger public are leaning toward sticking with membership requirements.

And private club patron Tim Norris is fine with that.

While it's good that clubs will no longer be required to demand membership, said the 24-year-old, while standing at the bar of The Trapp, west of Salt Lake City's Gateway district, "I think it's better to still have it."

Trapp owner Joe Redburn polled his customers and bartenders, and it was a near-unanimous decision that they wanted a private club.

Catering to a gay clientele, Redburn says, he wants to protect the atmosphere at The Trapp.

"It's kind of a family bar -- everybody knows everything, everybody knows your name," he says.

There's comfort in knowing people won't come who discriminate against you, agrees Norris. Plus, "the whole card-swiping thing I really disagree with ... it's not right or fair." It's a privacy matter, he says.

There's a revenue source in memberships, says 3 Alarm Saloon owner Jack Carlton, whereas buying an ID scanner could be an expense of $800 to $1,000 for his Midvale bar.

Plus, there's the control of knowing his customers, most of whom are regulars, and being able to reject those people he doesn't want in.

As a private club, "I don't need a reason to tell you to get out," says Carlton, who adds that other bar owners from the southern end of Salt Lake Valley are considering staying private.

Crowd control is something owner Mark Phipps wants to keep at Duffy's Tavern in Salt Lake City, because Palmer Court, an apartment complex for the homeless, is nearby. He has nothing against his neighbors, Phipps says, but he wants to ensure he is "not contributing to the situation and making it worse."

And his bartenders prefer being able to turn someone away without the need to explain their reason.

"Rather than not being a member, I have to go into the fact of, 'Well, you look a little drunk ...,'" Phipps said. "And you can't reason with someone who's drunk."

He admits, though, that most of his clientele is elated that memberships will no longer be a statewide requirement. Duffy's' situation will just have to be explained, and Phipps expects his customers will understand.

With more than three decades of frequenting Duffy's, 63-year-old Al Padilla jokes his car automatically drives him there.

"We'll always come," the Cottonwood Heights resident says. "It is home."

Some bar owners say they've got neighborhood establishments with regulars. They don't get the kind of out-of-towner traffic that clubs in downtown Salt Lake City or in Park City get, so they expect the new laws won't increase their business.

Still, Utah Hospitality Association spokeswoman Lisa Marcy says most clubs "can't wait for July 1st."

Her group sent out a survey to some of the bars and restaurants that would be affected by the new rules, and from the approximately 100 that replied, only a handful wanted the option of remaining private clubs.

"I think sometimes the really small ones, when there's change, want to wait and see how it works," Marcy says. "See how much the scanners are going to cost. See what repercussions there are."

And she says several bar owners are a bit worried there might be a greater push in law enforcement or liability for bars, since critics said the new liquor laws could increase underage drinking and drunk driving.

Phipps, the owner of Duffy's, worries about the new regulations, and the age requirement for scanning licenses. He can picture cops hassling his bartenders over whether someone looks 35 or not.

"I can't imagine the state will pull the pin and say, 'OK, you're clean and clear' ... it's still very grey with regards to what they're going to do."

mariav@sltrib.com