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Idaho Court Records & Case Lookup
The Idaho State Judiciary handles nearly 300,000 cases annually, including over 60,000 criminal cases, 80,000 civil cases (which includes family and probate cases), and over 150,000 other infractions.
As a general rule, court records in Idaho are public information and are accessible to interested members of the public. However, it is noteworthy that there may be restricted access to certain information, documents, or records. This includes records restricted by state laws or court orders, such as sealed, expunged, and juvenile records.
The Idaho State Judiciary maintains a one-stop online portal, known as the iCourt portal, through which members of the public can access general information on a case handled by any of the state's courts. Interested persons can visit the iCourt portal to view a case's information or visit the clerk's office of the court that handled the case.
State of Idaho Court System
The Idaho court system comprises the appellate and trial courts. The Supreme Court is the state's apex court, handling most appeal cases from the state's trial courts, the Public Utilities Commission, and the Industrial Commission.
The Court of Appeals is the state's second appellate court. It primarily assists the Supreme Court and only has jurisdiction over cases assigned to it by the Supreme Court. While an aggrieved party may further appeal the Court of Appeals' decision to the Supreme Court, the Supreme Court is not mandated to hear such appeals.
In cases where the Supreme Court refuses to review a Court of Appeals' decision, the decision becomes final.
Most cases in Idaho commence at the trial court stage before getting to the appeals stage. An appeal occurs when one of the parties in the trial case is unsatisfied with the trial court's decision or believes the case was improperly handled.
Idaho Trial Courts
Trial courts in Idaho State are courts of original jurisdiction. This means that these courts handle a case at first instance, commencing from case filings, through trial, and finally until the court delivers judgment.
The Idaho trial courts primarily comprise the District Courts and the Magistrate Courts.
District Courts in Idaho
The District Courts have jurisdiction over civil and criminal cases, especially civil cases with a value exceeding $10,000 and serious criminal cases such as felonies. The court's jurisdiction includes hearing post-conviction relief actions, and it shares jurisdiction with the Magistrate Courts over domestic relation cases, such as divorces and child custody matters.
In addition, District Courts may exercise appellate jurisdiction over the Magistrate Court and review Magistrate Court decisions.
Magistrate Courts in Idaho
The Magistrate Courts are courts of limited jurisdiction. These courts may handle civil cases involving $10,000 or less and less serious criminal cases such as misdemeanors. The Magistrate Court also has jurisdiction to handle habeas corpus proceedings, domestic relations cases, probates, and juvenile cases.
The court may hold preliminary felony hearings, and Magistrate Court judges have jurisdiction to preside over small claims proceedings. Small claims proceedings are for civil disputes valued at $4,000 or less.
What are the Specialty Courts in Idaho?
Idaho Specialty Courts, also known as "Treatment Courts", are courts with special jurisdiction over specific persons, especially people with substance abuse or mental health problems.
Specialty Courts do not operate like trial courts. Typically, they offer participants treatment and counseling programs aimed at rehabilitating them and helping them avoid run-ins with law enforcement, relapses, or criminal behaviors.
Participants who fail to comply with treatment requirements may be liable to sanctions, including community service or, sometimes, jail time.
There are over 60 Treatment Courts in 38 counties in Idaho, including:
- Felony Drug Courts;
- Juvenile Mental Health Courts;
- Juvenile Drug Courts;
- Mental Health Courts;
- Misdemeanor Drug / DUI Courts;
- Veteran Treatment Court;
- Domestic Violence Drug Court.
Idaho State Court Records vs. Federal Court Records
When handling a case, a court typically keeps a record of documents, information, and materials submitted or generated to enable parties to have a fair trial and the court to decide the case efficiently. The records of each case handled by a court constitute the court's records.
Case records from state courts make up Idaho State court records. These records typically include civil (including domestic relations and probate cases) and criminal case records. Court records from the United States District Court and other federal courts in Idaho are federal court records. These records include bankruptcy case records, records of cases involving the interpretation of federal law, and cases involving the United States as a party.
Most Idaho State court records are accessible on the iCloud portal or at the relevant court clerk's office. Likewise, federal court records are generally accessible through the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) database.
What Are Public and Non-Public Court Records in Idaho?
Court records in Idaho are considered public information. Therefore, members of the public may freely access these records upon request. However, state laws and the judiciary, by way of a court order, may prohibit public access to certain court records on the basis of public safety, privacy concerns, or the protection of sensitive information:
| Public Court Records | Non-Public Court Records/Redacted Information |
|---|---|
| Criminal case files | Pre-trial risk assessments and pre-sentence investigation reports, Unreturned search or arrest warrants, Records of proceedings and the identity of jurors of grand juries. |
| Civil case records | Trade secrets, and documents filed or lodged with the court in camera. |
| Family law case records | Juvenile court records, Protection order petitions and related records, Adoption records and records of proceedings to terminate a parent/child relationship, and Records in cases involving child custody, child support, and paternity (with certain exceptions). |
| Probate records | Wills |
| Traffic case records | Driver's license information |
How To Seal or Expunge Idaho Court Records
Idaho State laws make provisions for shielding a record from public disclosure and expungement of records. Unlike "Expungement", which involves deleting or destroying an expunged record, "shielding from public disclosure" appears to have the same effect as "sealing", as shielded records are only restricted from public access and not destroyed.
Although records relating to several offenses may be shielded from public disclosure or expunged, individuals convicted of an assaultive or violent misdemeanor are ineligible to have their records shielded from public disclosure. Assaultive or violent misdemeanor offenses include:
- Assault;
- Battery;
- Domestic battery;
- Stalking in the second degree;
- Violation of a protection order or no contact order;
- Telephone harassment;
- Vehicular manslaughter;
- Excessive driving under the influence;
- Domestic assault;
- Battery upon law enforcement;
- Injury to children;
- Sexual battery; and
- Indecent exposure.
How To Seal Court Records in Idaho
In Idaho, an individual may apply to have their criminal records shielded from public disclosure if arrested, prosecuted, or convicted of a misdemeanor that is not assaultive or violent or for felony possession of a controlled substance.
To be eligible to have their records shielded, the petitioner (the person seeking to shield their records from public disclosure) must wait for at least five years after completing their sentence.
Also, the petitioner must not have had any subsequent felony or misdemeanor convictions or pending cases against them, must not be on probation or parole for a subsequent conviction, and must not have any restraining orders against them in effect at the time of filing the petition to shield their records.
An application to shield records from public disclosure may be made by filing a Petition to Shield Records from Public Disclosure with the court that handled the criminal case.
How To Expunge Court Records in Idaho
Expungement of criminal records in Idaho i limited to specific offenses, with varying eligibility requirements. These offenses include:
- Sexual offenses;
- Offenses committed as a juvenile; and
- Offenses committed as a victim of human trafficking.
Sexual Offenses:
A person convicted of a sexual offense is eligible to request exemption from registering as a sex offender if 10 years have passed since their release from incarceration or since being placed on parole, supervised release, or probation, whichever is greater.
Note that a recidivist, an offender convicted of an aggravated offense, or an offender designated as a violent sexual predator is ineligible to make this application.
An application to be exempted from registering as a sexual offender is made by filing a petition with the court that convicted the person. If the person was convicted outside Idaho, the petition must be filed with the court with jurisdiction over their county of residence. The petition must comply with the requirements of §18-8310 of Idaho Statutes.
Offenses Committed as a Juvenile:
A person convicted of a felony offense as a juvenile may petition the court to expunge their records if three years have passed since the termination of the juvenile court's jurisdiction, or their release from the juvenile correctional center, or after reaching 18 years of age, whichever occurs last.
If the offense is a misdemeanor offense, the person may petition the court after one year has passed since the termination of the juvenile court's jurisdiction, or their release from the juvenile correctional center, or after reaching age 18 years, whichever occurs last. Certain offenses, such as aggravated battery, armed robbery, or arson cannot be expunged.
Offenses Committed as a Victim of Human Trafficking:
A person arrested, prosecuted, and/or convicted of an offense committed as a victim of human trafficking may petition the court to vacate such conviction and/or to expunge the criminal history records taken in connection with the arrest, prosecution, or conviction.
The petition must be filed within a reasonable time after the conviction with the court that handled the case. The law did not specify a timeframe. However, if the petition relates to an arrest that did not result in prosecution, it must be filed two years after the arrest. This petition must also comply with the requirements in §67-3014 of Idaho Statutes.
It is noteworthy that a person who raised the defense of coercion during their earlier trial and was convicted nonetheless is ineligible to make this application.
Expungement of Non-Conviction Records:
State laws also make provisions for the expungement of non-conviction records.A person is eligible to have their arrest record or criminal summons expunged if they were not charged by indictment or information within one year of the arrest or summons, or they were acquitted from all offenses arising from the arrest or summons, or the charges were dismissed.
An eligible person may apply to the Idaho State Police by submitting a completed Expungement Application.
How Do You Access Idaho Court Records?
The clerks of the various state courts are typically responsible for keeping court records. Interested persons can contact the relevant court clerk to inquire about accessing and obtaining a court's records. Alternatively, they may utilize any state-approved online platform to access these records remotely.
Online Access to Idaho Court Records
Court records of the various Idaho courts are accessible on the state's iCloud portal, a central online database and court records repository. Interested persons may search by county and case type. However, users may only access court records on this portal and cannot obtain copies of the records.
Requests for copies of court records are handled and processed by the relevant court clerk.
In-Person Access to Idaho Court Records
Members of the public may access and obtain court records at the relevant court clerk's office. Most courts require a written request and may request a statutory fee. To confirm the procedure for accessing court records in a particular court, it is best that you contact the court clerk ahead of your visit.
How To Request Judicial Administrative Records
Requests for judicial administrative records may be directed to the Idaho Court Communications Manager. The Court Communication Manager will either address this request or direct it to the responsible office
How To Access Older and Archived Court Records in Idaho
Court records on the state's iCloud portal only date as far back as 1995. Cases before 1995 are not available on the portal and may have been archived.
To access or request copies of older or archived court records in Idaho, you may need to contact or visit the office of the clerk of the court who handled the case. Note that courts may have varying requirements for obtaining older or archived records. Ideally, you should contact the court clerk to confirm if there are any such requirements and prepare appropriately. This will help to avoid possible delays and hasten the process.