Ada County Crime Numbers
The most recent crime data for Ada County are for 2017. In that year, the county recorded a total of 23,039 crimes. This represents a modest 1.4% increase over the 2016 total and a 17.9% rise compared to the 2013 total. Law enforcement crime clearance rate for 2017 was 42.95%. There was also a total of 13,793 arrests in the same period. Out of these, juveniles accounted for 2,405 arrests while adults made up the rest 11,388 arrests.
Incidences of violent crimes reported in Ada County in 2017 include 4 murders, 155 rapes, 811 aggravated assaults, and 93 robberies. There were also 1,177 burglaries, 6,577 larcenies, 495 motor vehicle thefts, and 57 arsons. The five-year crime trend for the county indicates that murder rate remained the same between 2013 and 2017 while rape rate rose by 9.2%. Robbery (50%), aggravated assault (19.3%), larceny (19.5%), and motor vehicle theft (80%) rates also went up. However, Ada County recorded fewer burglaries (10.1%) and arsons (29.6%) in this period.
Ada County Criminal Records
The Idaho State Police provides criminal history checks for all counties in the state. It offers both name-based and fingerprint-based background checks. To order a name-based check, complete the Name Based Criminal Background Check Form as well as the attached Payment Authorization Form if paying with a credit/debit card. Send the completed form along with payment to:
Idaho State Police
Bureau of Criminal Identification
700 S. Stratford Drive Suite 120
Meridian, ID 83642
The fee for each name-based criminal record check is $20. Besides credit/debit cards, check and money order are also acceptable forms of payment. Note that paying with credit/debit card attracts an additional $1 processing fee as well as 3% of the total amount of the transaction.
For a more complete report, opt for a fingerprint-based background check. This option also costs $20. However, you need to submit a completed Fingerprint Criminal Background Check Form as well as a complete set of inked and rolled fingerprints on a fingerprint card. Send these to the address of the Bureau of Criminal Identification above. Check, credit/debit card, and money order are accepted for payment.
The Ada County Sheriff's Office provides local arrest records on request. This service only provides an individual's record of being booked in the Ada County Jail. Other records offered by the Sheriff's Office include police reports, dispatch recordings, and motor vehicle accident reports. Use the Sheriff's Online Public Request Form to ask for these criminal justice records.
The Idaho State Police maintains a statewide database of registered sex offenders. Members of the public can search this database on the organization's website. Use the County Search feature to find registered sex and violent offenders living in Ada County. The Sheriff's Office also provides a handy resource for residents to find identifying information about registered sex offenders living in the county. Visit the Ada County Sheriff's Office Offender Watch page to search for these individuals by name, zip code, and street address.
The only correctional facility in the county is the Ada County Jail located at 7210 Barrister Drive, Boise. Its contact phone number is (208) 577-3000. The Sheriff's Office runs the county jail and provides a regularly updated Inmate Roster on its website. Use the search function to conduct an Ada County Inmate Search locate individuals incarcerated in this facility.
To fund the account of an inmate in Ada County Jail, come to the kiosk in the Sheriff's Office. Cash, debit cards, and VISA credit cards are accepted at this location. You can also deposit funds online through the jail's Telmate webpage.
Ada County Court Records
Ada County has one District Court, one Juvenile Court, and one Magistrate Court. Below are the addresses and locations of these courts:
Ada County District Court
Ada County Courthouse
200 West Front Street
Boise, ID 83702
Phone: (208) 287-6900
Fax: (208) 287-6919
Ada County Juvenile Court
6300 Denton Street
Boise, ID 83704
Phone: (208) 577-4800
Ada County Magistrate Court
Ada County Courthouse
200 West Front Street
Boise, ID 83702
Phone: (208) 287-6900
The District Court is the highest trial court in the county while the Magistrate Court has limited jurisdiction and hears preliminary felony hearings, infractions, misdemeanors, probates, divorces, guardianships, and civil cases involving amounts that do not exceed $10,000.
You can search for the hearings and records of the District Court online on the Clerk of Court's section of the county website. The Magistrate Court has its own clerk and there are separate offices that handle Probate, Juvenile, and Traffic cases. Call the District, Juvenile, and Magistrate Courts' phone numbers to enquire about obtaining the Ada County Court Records generated during their judicial proceedings.
The Recorder's Office maintains all property records in Ada County. It is located on the first floor of the Ada County Courthouse and its phone number is (208) 287-6840. The office is available from Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
Vital Records
Divorce records are available from the Ada County Clerk's Office. Use the Clerk's Public Records Request webform to request for copies of your divorce decree. The Clerk charges $1 per page for these records as well as an additional $1 per seal for certification.
The Ada County Clerk's Office also maintains marriage records for the county and can provide copies upon request. Use the Online Marriage Application to request for certified copies of your marriage license. Each certified copy costs $2.
The Idaho Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics provides copies of birth and death certificates as well as divorce and marriage certificates. Available records include birth and death records from July 1911 to the present and marriage and divorce records from May 1947 to the present. To obtain these vital records, complete a Vital Records Certificate Request Form (also available in Spanish) and send it, along with a photocopy of your ID and a check or money order for certificate fee to:
Idaho Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics
P.O. Box 83720
Boise, ID 83720-0036
Each certified copy of these vital records costs $16. A photocopy of a vital record costs $21. It takes 2 - 3 weeks to process applications after receiving them. There is an additional $10 fee for expedited processing that takes a few working days. Make your check or money order payable to Idaho Vital Records.
How to Lookup Ada County Property Records
Ada County Property Records are the responsibility of the County Recorder’s Office. Interested and eligible members of the public can obtain these records pursuant to the provisions of the Idaho Public Records Law by making in-person requests, using the Recorder’s online search tool and sending a request via mail or e-mail.
In person and mail requests can be addressed to:
Ada County Recorder’s Office
200 West Front Street
Room 1207
Boise, ID 83702
For online searches, use the Ada County Clerk of District Court Web Search Page. On this tool, users have the option to search by name, document number and recording date. However, this online option restricts the information provided to ownership details and related (but basic) information. In person requests are better suited for more extensive searches.
Email requests may also be made to recorders@adacounty.id.gov , however, the requester will be required to provide information to facilitate the search including the owner’s name, property address and document number.
