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Idaho public records: who holds what

In Idaho, deeds are recorded by the County Recorder; birth and death certificates come from the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics; and requests for other government records fall under the Idaho Public Records Act. Below: who holds every other record, what copies cost and the official link for each office.

Last checked against official sources on .

On this page
  1. Who holds what in Idaho
  2. Public records law in Idaho
  3. Property and tax records in Idaho
  4. Probate records and wills in Idaho
  5. How Idaho organizes its records
  6. Other records: background checks, voters, businesses, maps
  7. Counties in Idaho
  8. Warnings from official sources
  9. Official copies vs look-alike sites
  10. Official directories
  11. Sources

Who holds what in Idaho

The office that keeps each record, and the fee the law or the office sets for a copy. Open a record type for the full rules, ordering steps and older records.

RecordWho holds itCopy fee
DeedsCounty recorder of the county where the land lies. In Idaho the elected Clerk of the District Court is ex officio county recorder (also auditor and clerk of the board of commissioners).1$1.00 per page for copies of any record or paper (statutory); electronic copies on a recurring basis 5¢ per page/image.2
Property recordsCounty assessor values property; county treasurer (ex officio tax collector) bills and collects. The State Tax Commission oversees counties but has no information on specific properties.3—
Court recordsUnified statewide court system (Idaho Judicial Branch): district courts with a magistrate division in each county; the elected county clerk serves as clerk of the district court and is custodian of trial-court case files.4Copies of court records $1.00 per page; comparing/conforming a prepared copy 50¢ per page; certification $1.00 per certificate and seal (Idaho Code 31-3201). Filing a new civil case: $221.00 total in district court, $166.00 total for cases in the magistrate division (Idaho courts' Appendix A filing fee schedule, effective July 12, 2024); these totals include the statutory base fee of $175 / $120 (31-3201A) plus statutory fund surcharges.5
Marriage recordsLicense issued and the certificate recorded by the county recorder (county clerk's office); state copies from DHW Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics (from May 1947).6$16 per certified copy from DHW Vital Records (VitalChek adds $10.50 fee). County copies: the recorder that issued the license (Canyon County: by mail or in person, with proof of interest; Canyon handout: certified copies $1.00 per page + $1.00 for certification).7
Divorce recordsDivorce decree: the court (district court clerk) in the county where the divorce was granted. Divorce certificate (abstract, not the decree): DHW Vital Records, from May 1947.8$1.00 per page; certification $1.00 (Idaho Code 31-3201).5
Birth certificatesIdaho Department of Health and Welfare, Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics (Boise); births from July 1911.9$16 per certified copy. VitalChek online adds a $10.50 non-refundable fee; rush $10 per event; UPS shipping $21. Processing 3-5 weeks standard, 2-3 weeks rush.10
Death certificatesDHW Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics; deaths from July 1911. Idaho State Archives holds Idaho death certificates 1911-1937 for research.11$16 per certified copy (VitalChek adds $10.50).12

Public records law in Idaho

Idaho Public Records Act (Idaho Code §§ 74-101 through 74-127 (Title 74, Chapter 1)) Read the law13

This law covers records that agencies hold, such as a county office's correspondence or a property file. Recorded deeds, vital records and court files usually have their own rules, set out in each record section.

Who can ask
Every person. The request must clearly indicate it is a public records request; an agency may require it in writing, and a request must give the requester's name, mailing address, email address, telephone number and a written declaration under oath of whether the requester is an Idaho resident (resident = domiciled in Idaho at least 30 days, excluding full-time students who are residents of another state).13
Response time
Idaho residents: grant or deny within 3 working days; if more time is needed, written notice and records within 10 working days. Non-residents: grant or deny within 21 days, extendable to 35 days. No response in time = deemed denied.14
Copy fees
Residents: no charge for the first 2 hours of labor or the first 100 pages of paper copies; beyond that, actual labor and copying costs (labor at the pay rate of the lowest-paid qualified employee). Agencies may set separate (higher) copy fee schedules for non-residents. Fees set by other statutes (e.g., recorder and court clerk fees) apply instead.13
If a request is refused
Sole remedy: petition the district court of the county where the records are located within 180 calendar days of the denial notice; hearing within 28 days. (No administrative appeal to the AG.)15
What is exempt
Most exemptions are in Idaho Code §§ 74-104 through 74-111, plus law-enforcement records under § 74-124 and confidentiality provisions in other statutes; 74-104 exempts records made confidential by federal/state law and court records sealed under Idaho Supreme Court rules. Court records are governed separately by Idaho Court Administrative Rule 32.16
Official guide
Idaho Public Records Law Manual, Office of the Attorney General, July 2026 edition (PDF).17

How to write a public records request

Property and tax records in Idaho

Who sets values
County assessor values property; county treasurer (ex officio tax collector) bills and collects. The State Tax Commission oversees counties but has no information on specific properties.3
Appealing a value
Appeal assessments first to the County Board of Equalization by the 4th Monday of June (Idaho Code 63-501A); BOE decisions may be appealed to the Idaho Board of Tax Appeals or district court within 30 days (63-511). No fee to appeal to the BTA.18

How this works in other states: property and tax records by state.

Probate records and wills in Idaho

Which court
Probate of wills and administration of estates is handled in the magistrate division of the district court of the county (by assignment); files kept by the county clerk of the district court.19
Will registry
Secretary of State Will Registry (since 2000) records only the existence and location of a will, not the will itself; searchable only by an "interested person" after death via the Request Will Information Form.20
Restrictions
Guardianship and conservatorship filings are exempt from public disclosure (ICAR 32(g)(19)).21
Fees
$166.00 total to open a probate case: a petition for formal probate and an application for informal probate are both Magistrate Division category A filings.22

How this works in other states: probate records and wills by state.

How Idaho organizes its records

  • County Clerk is ex officio Recorder, Auditor and Clerk of the District Court: one elected office records deeds, issues marriage licenses, runs elections and keeps trial-court files1
  • Public Records Act treats residents and non-residents differently (2025 amendment): residents 3/10 working days and free first 2 hours/100 pages; non-residents 21/35 days and may be charged separate fees14
  • Court records follow Idaho Court Administrative Rule 32, not the Public Records Act; statewide case search moved to courts.idaho.gov on Oct. 28, 2026 (old iCourt Portal retired by end of 2026)23
  • Secretary of State Will Registry records will locations (not contents); search limited to interested persons20
  • County medical liens (form N1) are filed centrally with the Secretary of State, not just locally24
  • State vital records office has no public counter: online (VitalChek) or mail only25

Other records: background checks, voters, businesses, maps

Criminal history checks

State repository
Idaho State Police, Bureau of Criminal Identification (BCI) — central repository (fingerprint-supported Idaho arrests only).26
Who may order
Any person or entity by written application naming the subject and date of birth; arrests over 12 months old without disposition are released only to criminal-justice agencies, the subject, or with the subject's signed release.27
Fee
Name-based check $20.00; fingerprint-based (notarized on request) $25.00; card payments add $1.00 + 2.5%. ISP HQ fingerprinting $10 first card, $5 each additional.28

Sex offender registry

Summary
Idaho State Police Central Sex Offender Registry: apps.isp.idaho.gov/sor_id (search by name, city, county, ZIP or map; 'Subscribe' address-tracking option). Public data limited by statute to name/aliases, date of birth, residence, school and temporary-lodging addresses, physical description, offenses and current photograph (Idaho Code 18-8323(2)).29

Inmate and jail lookups

State prisons
Idaho Department of Correction. On Nov. 4, 2026 the IDOC website showed a maintenance notice: the resident/client search was unavailable; contact the local district office (8-5) or use VINELink for custody status.30
County jails
Contact the county sheriff's office. The Idaho State Police 'Idaho LE Agencies' page lists and links all 44 county sheriff's offices (Ada through Washington). No official statewide jail roster was found.31

Voter records

Public or restricted
Public: any person may buy a copy of the statewide voter registration list from the Secretary of State at reproduction cost; it may not be used for commercial advertising or solicitation.32
Who keeps them
County clerks conduct elections and registration in each of the 44 counties; the Secretary of State maintains the statewide system.33

Business names (DBA)

Who keeps them
Assumed business names (DBAs) are filed statewide with the Idaho Secretary of State (SOSBiz), not with counties; ABNs no longer expire.34
Fee
Certificate of Assumed Business Name $25 base filing fee ($45 total on paper with $20 manual processing fee); amendment $10 base ($30 paper); cancellation online free.35

Liens and UCC filings

Who holds it
Secretary of State UCC Division for most financing statements, federal tax (IRS) liens, state liens, agricultural/seed liens and county medical liens; county recorder for fixture filings, timber and as-extracted collateral (real-estate records). Mechanics liens are recorded with the county.36
Search fee
Online search at sosbiz.idaho.gov: $3 per non-certified search; UCC-11 information request $10 ($16 combined) electronic; UCC-1 filing $3 electronic.24

GIS and parcel maps

State GIS portal
Idaho Geospatial Office (ITS) Open Data Hub gis-idaho.hub.arcgis.com for authoritative state-agency GIS data; INSIDE Idaho (University of Idaho) is the state geospatial clearinghouse.37

Historical and genealogy records

Archives
Idaho State Archives (Idaho State Historical Society), 2205 Old Penitentiary Rd, Boise: county-level records (land and property, citizenship, court, vital, tax) from 1863, Idaho death certificates 1911-1937, newspapers, federal census schedules; also provides records services for state, county and city governments, including the majority of county courts.38
Fee
Research requests: 30 minutes free per request, then up to 2 hours at $25 per half hour.39
Public vital records
Births become public after 100 years and deaths, marriages and divorces after 50 years (Idaho Code 39-270(e)).40

Counties in Idaho

5 counties with a full guide

Each guide lists the office for every record type, the official online searches, copy fees, phones and hours.

All 44 counties

Names in bold open our guide. Names with an arrow go to the county's own website, where the US Census Bureau lists one and it opened when we checked.41

Warnings from official sources

  • Third-party vendors adding excessive fees for Idaho vital records (Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, Bureau of Vital Records)25

Official copies vs look-alike sites

A certified copy comes only from the office that holds the record; reports and "research copies" sold by commercial sites are not issued by any Idaho office. How to tell an official record source from a paid look-alike.

Official directories

Lists that name the office in every county.

Sources

Every fact above links to the official page it comes from; all 41 sources were checked on November 4, 2026. Fees and rules change, so check the office's own page before you pay or travel.

  1. Idaho Code § 31-2001 County officers enumeratedIdaho Legislature
  2. Idaho Code § 31-3205 Recorder's feesIdaho Legislature
  3. Contacting Property Tax (County Assessors and Treasurers)Idaho State Tax Commission
  4. Court Records & CamerasIdaho Supreme Court
  5. Idaho Code § 31-3201 Clerk of district court — FeesIdaho Legislature
  6. Idaho Code § 32-401 Marriage license — ContentsIdaho Legislature
  7. Processing Times and Fees (marriage/divorce variant)Idaho Department of Health and Welfare
  8. About Marriage and Divorce RecordsIdaho Department of Health and Welfare
  9. About Birth RecordsIdaho Department of Health and Welfare
  10. Processing Times and FeesIdaho Department of Health and Welfare
  11. About Death, Stillbirth, and Miscarriage RecordsIdaho Department of Health and Welfare
  12. Processing Times and Fees (death records variant)Idaho Department of Health and Welfare
  13. Idaho Code § 74-102 Public records — Right to examineIdaho Legislature
  14. Idaho Code § 74-103 Request and response to request for examination of public recordsIdaho Legislature
  15. Idaho Code § 74-115 Proceedings to enforce right to examine or to receive a copy of recordsIdaho Legislature
  16. Idaho Public Records Law Manual (Idaho Code §§ 74-101 through 74-127)Idaho Office of the Attorney General
  17. ManualsIdaho Office of the Attorney General
  18. Idaho Board of Tax Appeals homeIdaho Board of Tax Appeals
  19. Idaho Code § 1-2208 Assignment of cases to magistratesIdaho Legislature
  20. Will RegistryIdaho Secretary of State
  21. Idaho Court Administrative Rules (incl. Rule 32, Records of the Judicial Department)Idaho Supreme Court
  22. Appendix A, Filing Fee Schedule - District Court and Magistrate Division (Civil Filing Fees Schedule 2024)Idaho Supreme Court
  23. Idaho Courts Launch Updated Online Search Tool (news release)Idaho Supreme Court
  24. Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) InformationIdaho Secretary of State
  25. Ordering a Birth CertificateIdaho Department of Health and Welfare
  26. Criminal History (Bureau of Criminal Identification)Idaho State Police
  27. Idaho Code § 67-3008 Release of criminal history record informationIdaho Legislature
  28. Fingerprinting & Background ChecksIdaho State Police
  29. Idaho Sex Offender Registry (home/disclaimer)Idaho State Police
  30. Idaho Department of Correction public website noticeIdaho Department of Correction
  31. Idaho LE AgenciesIdaho State Police
  32. Idaho Code § 34-437A Statewide list of registered electorsIdaho Legislature
  33. Find Your County ClerkIdaho Secretary of State (VoteIdaho.gov)
  34. Business FAQIdaho Secretary of State
  35. Business Forms (paper forms and fees)Idaho Secretary of State
  36. Idaho Code § 28-9-501 Filing office (UCC)Idaho Legislature
  37. Idaho Geospatial Office homeIdaho Office of Information Technology Services, Idaho Geospatial Office
  38. Idaho State ArchivesIdaho State Historical Society
  39. Research RequestIdaho State Historical Society
  40. Idaho Code § 39-270 Disclosure of information (vital statistics)Idaho Legislature
  41. Government Units List 2026US Census Bureau