Ada County Court Records
Ada County court records refer to all records and information created during court proceedings. They encompass many documents related to probate, family, criminal, civil, and other cases. These records help ensure transparency in the legal system while providing official documentation of legal decisions made during proceedings.
The Idaho Court Administrative Rule 32 specifies that court records include any document filed, lodged, or docketed by a court clerk concerning a judicial proceeding. Court records may exist as a physical record or an electronic record. They may also include a register of actions, court decrees, court minutes, official documents of court proceedings, court orders, and any Ada County Public Record maintained in an electronic case management system created by the court clerk.
Per state laws, the custodianship and oversight of court records fall under the clerk of the respective courts. Access to most of these records is preserved under the Idaho Public Records Act. Idaho statutes allow members of the public to obtain copies of most records, except where exempted by law. For instance, court records containing pre-trial risk assessment, unreturned search warrants, or unreturned arrest warrants are exempted from disclosure.
Are Court Records Public in Ada County?
Yes. As provided by Idaho Statutes, court records are open to the public in Ada County. Per the Idaho Public Records Act, members of the public have the right to inspect or obtain copies of records maintained or held by government custodians. However, access to some court records may be restricted by law. For instance, Idaho statutes prevent the release of court records that may contain draft legislation, confidential information, or specific details associated with a juvenile act. Sealed or expunged court records are also inaccessible. In addition, record custodians may prevent access to records with information that may affect ongoing legal investigations or court proceedings. Other documents that may be protected include:
- Addresses
- Telephone numbers
- Personal identification numbers and financial account numbers
- Social security numbers
What Do Ada County Court Records Contain?
Ada County court records contain various information, such as attorney records and case files. Case files provide details associated with each case, such as testimonies, publications, and submitted evidence. Other information that may be contained in court records include:
- Court dockets: a summary of legal proceedings with a court of law
- Court filings and court briefs
- Court minutes: recording of actions taken during legal sessions
- Details of arrest warrant
- Details of complaint or summons
- Uniform arrest report
- Memorandum of decision
- Submitted pleadings and motions
- Transcripts
- Court orders
- Court index/case information
- Court judgments and court orders
Where to Conduct an Ada County Case Lookup
Residents of Ada County can obtain records of Ada County cases by contacting the county court where the case was filed and tried. Requests can be made by physically submitting a request form at the court clerk's office or looking up cases using the Idaho iCourt portal. Depending on the type of record, requesters may need to make a payment to obtain copies.
How to Conduct an Ada County Case Records Search
To conduct an Ada County case record search, record seekers must provide as much information as possible to assist with the search. This includes case details such as:
- Names of the parties in the case
- The filing date
- Case ID
- Name of attorney
Local residents can look up cases in person by visiting the local county district court or magistrate where the case was filed.
Ada County District Court
Ada County Courthouse
200 West Front Street, Boise, ID 83702
Phone: (208) 287-6900
Fax: (208) 287-6919
Ada County Magistrate Court
Ada County Courthouse
200 West Front Street, Boise, ID 83702
Phone: (208) 287-6900
Fax: (208) 287-6919
Applicants can request records from the Ada County Clerk's Office by submitting a request form that includes the requestor's full name, email address, and the type of record sought (criminal, civil, family law, probate, juvenile, or traffic). Requesters have the option of either viewing the files in person or obtaining copies. However, to get copies, applicants must also pay a fee per Idaho statutes (§31-3201). Requests for records may take several business days to process, depending on the type of record and the amount of information provided.
In addition to local searches, requestors may obtain electronic court records using the iCourt platform, which offers access to electronic records from 1995. Users can limit searches to Ada County or conduct broader searches across the state. Some of the information that may be accessed via the electronic platform includes:
- Docket of court proceedings (including captions, date of hearings, and case number)
- Chronological case summary of events
- Names of parties in court filings
Ada County Civil Court Case Records
Civil court case records consist of files and documents generated during civil court proceedings in Ada County. Most of these records fall under the umbrella of public records and can, therefore, be accessed by almost anyone. To assist with remote record retrieval, the Idaho iCourt platform provides online access to civil court case records. However, most of the records date back to 1995. For civil records created before this date, requesters may need to contact the clerk at the courthouse where the case was filed.
Ada County Criminal Court Case Records
Members of the public can obtain Ada County criminal court case records using the Idaho iCourt portal. It maintains records of cases filed across district and magistrate courts. Users can initiate a search by entering a known name (first, middle, and last) or a known record number. Searches can also be refined to filter results by search type. Available options include the following:
- Case number
- Citation number
- Party name
- Attorney name
- Attorney bar number
- Business name
- Name of Judicial officer
- Protection order number
- Case cross-reference number
Searches using the party criteria provide added refinement options. Users can filter results with a known booking number, SO number, or FBI number. Inquiries can also be made with a party name, business name, or an available nickname. Requesters who search for criminal court case records can filter results with the case status, cast type, or filing date range.
How to Get Court Records Online for Free
Residents can look up court records online using the iCourt portal the courts provides. Access to the iCourt portal is free for general searches and does not require any prior registration. However, to filter the search results, inquirers must have specific information, such as the case ID or the names of the parties involved. Users can also search for court hearings using the freely available online Ada County court calendar. Searches can be filtered to reveal criminal case hearings, civil hearings, or both combined.
In addition to official sources, record seekers may get court records online for free using third-party record platforms that offer this option. These non-governmental platforms provide access to data compiled from multiple jurisdictions, including Ada County. Some platforms allow free unlimited searches, while others only permit a fixed number of searches for free.
Courts in Ada County
Ada County's court system consists of three main courts: a main district court and two magistrate divisions. Residents in Ada County can obtain court records in person by contacting the clerks at the following respective 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 Magistrate 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
Fax: (208) 577-4809
