Idaho Court Records
How Idaho's courts are organized, where their records are kept and how to search them.
Idaho has a unified court system, with all 44 counties on the same statewide case management system. The public can search those cases for free through the iCourt Portal, and many documents filed electronically are available to view.
Each county still has its own clerk of the district court, who keeps the official files and handles requests for copies.
How Idaho's courts are organized
Idaho's courts have two appellate levels and a single trial court with two divisions.
Idaho Supreme Court
Five justices hear all appeals from the district courts and assign some of them to the Court of Appeals.
Idaho Court of Appeals
Hears the cases assigned to it by the Supreme Court, mostly criminal and post-conviction appeals.
District courts
The general jurisdiction trial courts, organized into seven judicial districts. District judges hear felonies, larger civil cases and appeals from the magistrate division.
Magistrate division
Part of the district court in each county. Magistrates handle misdemeanors, traffic, small claims, probate, divorce and custody, juvenile cases and civil cases up to a set limit.
Searching Idaho court records online
Idaho's iCourt Portal is the place to start for any Idaho case.
- iCourt PortalFree statewide case search covering district and magistrate courts and the appellate courts. Many documents in public cases can be viewed online.
- Idaho Supreme Court opinionsPublished opinions of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals.
Getting records from the clerk's office
The clerk of the district court in each county keeps the files for both district and magistrate cases. In Idaho, the elected county clerk usually serves as clerk of the district court and also as the county recorder, so the same office often holds land records.
Clerks provide copies and certified copies for a fee set by court rule. Requests can usually be made in person, by mail or by email.
What is public, and what is not
Idaho Court Administrative Rule 32 governs public access to court records. Most records are open, but juvenile, adoption, child protection, mental health and many guardianship records are exempt, and personal identifiers must be redacted.
Idaho does not have broad expungement. Records can be sealed in limited situations under Rule 32, such as dismissed cases or acquittals, and some convictions can be set aside or reduced after probation. Under Idaho law, records of certain dismissed charges and acquittals must be shielded from the public portal.
- Idaho Court Assistance Office: Sealing recordsForms and guidance on record sealing, set-asides and other court matters.
Older and archived records
Older Idaho district court records are kept by the county clerk or, for historical files, by the Idaho State Archives, which holds territorial and early county court records.
- Idaho State ArchivesHistorical court and government records, part of the Idaho State Historical Society.
Criminal history and background records
A court file tells you what happened in one case in one court. A criminal history record (often called a rap sheet) pulls together arrests, charges and outcomes reported from across the state, so it is a different product kept by a different agency.
The Idaho State Police Bureau of Criminal Identification keeps the state's criminal history records. Idaho criminal history is public, so anyone can request a record on another person.
- ISP Bureau of Criminal IdentificationHow to request an Idaho criminal history record.
- Idaho sex offender registryPublic search of registered sex offenders.
- Idaho Department of Correction offender searchFind people in Idaho state custody or on supervision.
Federal court records in Idaho
Federal cases, including federal crimes, bankruptcies, and lawsuits over federal law or between citizens of different states, are not filed in Idaho's state courts. Idaho is a single federal judicial district, and each has its own clerk's office:
Federal case files are searched through PACER, the federal judiciary's records system. PACER charges a small fee per page, but you pay nothing if your charges stay under the quarterly fee-waiver threshold, court opinions are free, and every federal courthouse has public terminals you can use at no cost. Many PACER documents have also been copied into the free RECAP Archive on CourtListener. Appeals from Idaho's federal courts go to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Tips for a faster search
- Idaho case numbers start with a county code and the case type, such as CR (criminal) or CV (civil).
- If a case shows on the iCourt Portal without documents, ask the clerk for copies.
- Sealed and shielded cases will not appear online at all.
- Have the full names of the parties, the county and a rough date range ready. A case number is the fastest way in if you have one.
- Online indexes are not the official record. If a decision depends on it, get a copy (or a certified copy) from the clerk's office that holds the file.
Legal help and law libraries
Clerks and law librarians can explain how to find a record, but they cannot give legal advice. These organizations can point you in the right direction:
- Idaho State Law LibraryPublic law library in Boise with research help.
- Idaho Court Assistance OfficeFree forms and help for people without a lawyer.
- Idaho Legal Aid ServicesFree civil legal help for low-income residents.
This guide is general information about public records, not legal advice. Court websites, fees and rules change, so confirm details with the court before you rely on them. Civics-Online.org is not affiliated with any court or government agency.