Idaho Court Records

Are Idaho Court Records Public?

Court records in Idaho are considered public records and may be inspected and copied by the public. Idaho court records contain information about civil and criminal trials held in the local, county, and state courts. While most details in the state's court records are public, the agencies keeping them have the right to expunge or seal certain information if they are exempted from public disclosure. The Idaho Public Records Act stipulates that any individual can access public records without a statement of purpose unless categorized as exempt from public disclosure.

All Idaho public agencies and government branches, except the state militia, are subject to the Idaho Public Records Act. Public record custodians must grant records requests in not more than ten days after application if available and not exempt from disclosure. An individual whose public record request gets denied has 180 days to appeal the rejection and another 42 days if refused at the first appeal. Court records that may constitute an invasion of privacy, such as financial and medical records, are usually not available for public disclosure. Also, court records that would reveal information on law enforcement investigations, current and previous public employees, juvenile records, prisoner records, and trade secrets are typical exceptions to the law. Idaho joined the League of public record states in 1990 when the Idaho Public Records Act was established.

What Shows Up on an Idaho Court Records Search

Idaho court records provide information on court events, activities, and outcomes. Idaho court records are generated in the course of judicial proceedings in the state. These records are available to members of the public per Idaho Court Administrative Rule (ICAR) 32. A court records search refers to the process of seeking out this public court case information from the record custodian. It is worth noting that not all court records are publicly available. However, the Idaho Supreme Court may allow access to confidential court records for local, state, and federal agents in the process of discharging their official responsibility.

Court records are accessible through state-operated databases and county courthouses. Individuals interested may use the remote access options available or query the custodial office in person or via mail to access the record of interest. To obtain a case file, the requesting party will be required to provide details relating to the case information in order to facilitate the search for records. In most cases, the requestor will also need to cover the cost of research and duplication of the record.

How Do I Find Court Records in Idaho?

The first step to take when trying to obtain court records in Idaho is to fetch the needed information to facilitate the search. Members of the public can find their court records of interest by checking the Idaho iCourt Portal, an online records site for Idaho courts. The Portal provides public access to court records for all 44 counties from 1995 to date. Some information for older cases may also be obtainable on the site. The Portal is updated at least hourly to register changes made to court records during the working day.

Court records are available based on the Idaho Court Administrative Rule (ICAR) 32. Information such as addresses, telephone numbers, social security numbers, and identification numbers are not public on the iCourt Portal. The Idaho Supreme Court may, however, allow access to confidential court records for local, state, and federal agents in the course of their official duties. Such access is called extended access.

Interested persons can search and filter the iCourt Portal for court records in Idaho on the Smart Search tab. To find a court record using the smart search, a requestor should enter the record number or name in the search field and hit the submit button. The name arrangement should be in Last, First Middle Suffix format. The advanced filtering options on the site helps to narrow a record search. The various search options include:

General Options

This tab provides filtering by location (counties) and search type. Select the drop-down menu buttons for appropriate filtering options.

Party Search Criteria

Here, requestors can search by party name, nickname, business name, and parameters that sound like the record they want. They may filter by FBI number, SO number, and booking number.

Case Search Criteria

The case search criteria allow record filtering by case type, case status, file date start, file date end, and judicial officer. They are all drop-down menus with various options.

Protection Order Filters

The filter options (all drop-down menus) in protection order include order type, order status, order issued from (date), and order issued to (date).

Members of the general public or media do not need to register on the Portal to find court records. Registration is mandated only for persons who request extended access. The iCourt Portal provides public access to the following if they exist in electronic form:

• The chronological case summary of events
• Listing of new filings
• Court proceedings calendars or dockets, including case numbers, locations of hearings, and the date and time of hearings.
• Litigant/Party indexes to cases filed with courts.

How to Request Idaho Court Records in Person

Court records in Idaho are also available at the county courthouses. Interested persons may obtain them in person or contact the clerks of the courthouses for inquiries on other retrieval options.

How to Conduct an Idaho Court Record Search by Name

Court record searches by name in Idaho are available online through the iCourt portal. Individuals can perform a quick search by entering a record number or the last, first, and middle name of the person of interest to get information

How to Get Free Idaho Court Records Online

The Idaho Courts has a public record repository on its iCourt portal, where interested persons can find records. Search is absolutely free. Requesters must choose the county where the case was tried and select Records Search from the Service drop-down menu. Access to e-filing services, online payment methods, and county contact information is available from this website.

Considered open to citizens of the United States, court records are available through both traditional, government sources, and through third-party websites and organizations. In many cases, third-party websites make the search easier as they are not limited geographically or by technological limitations. They are considered a good place to start when looking for a specific record or multiple records. In order to gain access to these records, interested parties must typically provide:

• The name of the person listed in the record. Juveniles are typically exempt from this search method.
• The last known or assumed location of the person listed in the record. This includes cities, counties, and states.

While third-party sites offer such services, they are not government sponsored entities, and record availability may vary on these sites when compared to government sources.

Types of Courts in Idaho

The Idaho court system can be classified into five levels:

• Small claims courts: presides over cases concerning up to $4,000. Attorneys are not allowed in this court.
• Magistrate courts: Presides over civil actions up to $10,000 and hears cases pertaining to traffic infractions, wills and estates, child protection, and arrest warrants.
• District courts: Hears cases pertaining to felonies, property disputes, contracts, and personal injury cases. Also, appeals from the magistrate and small claims courts are tried here.
• Court of Appeals: appeals from the various district courts are tried here.
• Supreme Court: Presides over claims against the state authority, and appeals from district courts and administrative agencies are tried here.

Case information from these courts usually includes:

• Case number
• Court
• The judge or judicial officer
• Filing date
• Case type (civil, criminal, etc.)
• Case status
• Party names
• Attorney names
• Charges
• Dispositions or judgments

What Shows Up on Idaho Judgment Records?

Idaho judgment records are court documents detailing the outcome of the case decided by a court of competent jurisdiction. These records are available to interested members of the public per the Idaho Public Records Act and the Idaho Court Administrative Rule. Persons who obtain Idaho judgment records can expect to see the litigants' names, case information, as well as the judgment issued in the case of interest.

An individual who wishes to obtain a copy of judgment records in Idaho must have case-identifying information and the means to pay the associated costs, albeit nominal. The search for Idaho judgment records begins at the clerk's office in the court, where the case was finalized.

Generally, this court is located in the county where the defendant lives or where the incident happened. Next, the requester may visit the clerk during business hours and submit a request at the administrative desk. The court staff will require the case number, litigants' names, and the year of judgment to search and retrieve the case record. Most courts charge processing fees, which cover the labor cost of searching and copying the case documents. Cash, money order, certified checks, and credit cards are acceptable payment options. Another way to get Idaho judgment records is to use the iCourt portal.

Are Idaho Bankruptcy Records Public?

Idaho Bankruptcy records are compiled, maintained and handled by the federal courts. Bankruptcy allows debtors who are unable to repay their creditors to start over financially. In the state of Idaho, debtors file petitions under the Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy procedures. Chapter 7 liquidates your assets to pay creditors, but Chapter 13 allows debtors to put up a repayment plan while keeping their assets.

Idaho bankruptcy records are maintained and disseminated by the state'sstate's record custodians, along with related documents and recordings like Idaho liens, judgments, writs, and contracts. Interested persons may view or copy these records by querying the repository in the jurisdiction where the case was originally filed.

How to Find Bankruptcy Records in Idaho

Per Idaho Statutes Title 74, the public have the right to access and obtain records generated in the state. If the judge observes that records contain sensitive or destructive information, the record may be sealed from public access. The Bankruptcy Court in Idaho maintains records of every bankruptcy case in the state. Persons interested can visit the Court'sCourt's page on Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) to obtain case information online.

Alternatively, they can visit the Clerk'sClerk's Office in person at:

Boise:

U.S. District and Bankruptcy Courthouse
550 W. Fort St.
Ste. 400
Boise, ID 83724

Coeur d'Alened'Alene:

U.S. District and Bankruptcy Courthouse
6450 North Mineral Dr.
Coeur d’Alene, ID 83815

Pocatello:

U.S. District and Bankruptcy Courthouse
801 E. Sherman St.
Room 119
Pocatello, ID 83201

Closed bankruptcy cases in Idaho can be obtained by contacting the National Archives via e-mail, post, or phone and providing the name of the court, case number, names of parties, and the time when the case was filed. Searching is free, but copying might cost a fee.

Can You Look Up Court Cases in Idaho?

Yes, anyone can look up court cases in Idaho. Most court cases are public records, and as such, interested persons can engage the clerk of the courthouses in which the court cases of interest were filed. However, to facilitate a proper look up at the courthouses, certain information such as party names, case numbers, and case types about such suits is required. The information on court cases may differ, but in the State of Idaho, most case files will have the following information:

• Court orders
• Dockets
• Details of proceedings
• Evidence and witness testimony/documents
• Public personal and criminal details

The members of the general public may also look up court cases in Idaho online. The Idaho Judiciary Branch developed the iCourt Portal for ease of public access to Idaho court records and ongoing proceedings as entered by the clerks of courts. Interested persons should provide a case number or name in the smart search field of the Portal, filter by the criteria that may limit search results, and then execute the search. The search result will display public details about the case of interest.

Looking Up Idaho Court Case Records: Exemptions

The Idaho'sIdaho's public records law assists individuals in obtaining copies of public documents from specific record custodians. Per the Idaho Public Record Act, Code § 74-102, interested persons or entities can inspect Idaho public records at any custodian agency. Under the public records law, court files in judicial proceedings are exempt from public access. Furthermore, the law exempts memoranda and notes used in making decisions in judicial proceedings, juvenile cases records usually remain inaccessible until the offender becomes an adult. This is done to protect the person who committed the crime as they were legally a child during their trial period. Other common cases are sexual assault, or company secrets contained in court records, divorce records, child custody records, civil harassment records, and criminal records. The exemption does not stop disclosing necessary information for a background check on an individual. However, the state may heavily restrict access to the information to protect the sensitive data according to the Idaho Statutes 74-104.

How to Find a Court Docket in Idaho

An Idaho court docket is an orderly listing of filings and proceedings that occurred in court cases in Idaho, from the initial complaints to the final judge's verdict. Items filed with the court are recorded and numbered on a docket sheet. It is maintained by the clerk of court offices. They are used to record case proceedings to enable easy access by record seekers. Generally, dockets assist in finding brief entries of court proceedings filed with a court. With a court docket, case party can know the status and hearing dates of their case, members of the public can inspect or obtain copies of court records, an attorney can track their cases to know court dates, judges can view the list of cases scheduled for hearings and an employer can run quick background checks on intending employees.

Civil vs Small Claims Courts in Idaho: Understanding the Differenc

The Idaho District Court hears civil actions with a disputed amount above $10,000, while its Magistrate Division hears small claims cases. In Idaho small claims cases, plaintiffs cannot seek more than $5,000. Idaho Small Claims Courts exist as an inexpensive way to recover one's money or asset in another person's possession. The processes are informal, and attorneys are not allowed in small claims proceedings. Small claims cases are not as intimidating as those decided by a jury. Most of the suits are decided by judges. Any individual or business in Idaho may file a small claims suit even if the claim is slightly higher than $5,000. They may limit it to take advantage of the streamlined procedure of the Small Claims Court.

In Idaho, the filing fee for a small claims case seeking up to $1,500 is $30. A plaintiff will pay $50 to file a claim for a suit asking for over $1,500 and up to $5000. The State of Idaho Judicial Branch provides the Idaho Rules on Small Claims Actions (IRSCA) and small claims guides and forms. Entities and persons who can file small claims cases in Idaho include:

• Business partners
• Prisoners
• Bill collection agencies
• Government agencies
• Married couples in Coeur D Alene Court
• Parties in a motor vehicle accident
• Minors
• Businesses and corporations