Idaho Free Public Records Directory

The state of Idaho, located in the northwest quadrant of the United States, is famous for its potato production. In fact, it is the leading producer of potatoes in the country, providing nearly a third of all the potatoes grown in the US. ^[1] With that claim to fame, why is Idaho referred to as the “Gem State?” Because over 72 precious and semi-precious gemstones are mined there. It is one of only two locations in the world where star garnets are found (the other being India). This rare garnet has been designated the state’s official gemstone.

But there is more to Idaho than what can be grown or extracted from its terrain! It is a state of rugged beauty, with mountain ranges, deep valleys, lakes and rivers amassing 83,797 square miles. Bordered by British Columbia to the north, Montana and Wyoming to the east, Nevada and Utah to the south, and Oregon and Washington to the west, Idaho is one of the Rocky Mountain states known for its pristine, unspoiled environment. With 3.2 acres of backcountry, the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness Area is the largest federally-protected wilderness area in the lower 48 states. At 7,900 feet deep, Hell’s Canyon in western Idaho is the deepest gorge in the country; the Grand Canyon in Arizona is only 6,000 feet deep.

Idaho is also blessed with abundant waterways. 3,100 miles of river run through the state, more miles than any other state in the country. Shoshone Falls, referred to as the “Niagara Falls of the West”, is actually 45 feet higher than Niagara Falls, at 212 feet high! ^[2] The natural resources of the state support its primary industries of agriculture, forestry, mining, and tourism. The Idaho tourism industry generates 3.4 billion into the state economy. ^[3]

In 1805, the Lewis and Clark expedition (also known as the Corps of Discovery expedition for the military unit led by Lewis and Clark) arrived in Idaho as they made their way westward. They established a winter campground in northern Idaho; there they met Sacagawea, a Shoshone woman who would later become their interpreter and guide for the remainder of the epic journey. She is honored for her invaluable role in the expedition’s success and was born in what is now Salmon, Idaho. ^[2]

Abbreviation	ID
Capital	Boise
Population	1,716,943 (2017 est.)
Area size	83,797 sq. mi
Demonym	Idahoan
Primary languages spoken	English, Official Language
Governor	C.L. “Butch” Otter
Lieutenant Governor	Brad Little
U.S. Senators	Mike Crapo, Jim Risch
U.S. House Delegation	2 Republicans
Time Zone	Pacific: UTC -8/-7 (ID Panhandle-northern & central region) Mountain: UTC -7/-6 (remainder of ID)

*The map and data in the table are from Wikipedia.

Browse by Public Record Category

There are two types of public records; 1) personal public records that document major life milestones such as birth certificates, death certificates, divorce records, and marriage records, etc.; and 2) government records that are made public such as property tax records, recorded land records, voter records, crime data, jail inmate records, and court records. ^[3] The Freedom of Information Act is a national law that releases government agency public records and makes it possible to view most public records. Since there are a multitude of records available, it can be difficult to know how or where to access them. When you are ready to start your search, you’ll find our Public Records Directory website easy to use since all the records can be searched by federal, state, county, city, town or type of record. The links provided will connect you to the best website for the record search, provide details about the record, or provide contact information for those records without search capabilities. ^[4]

In 1990, the Idaho Legislature codified the state’s commitment to open government by enacting the Idaho Public Records Law. The law allows Idaho citizens to monitor the activity of state and local government by providing access to government records. The state Legislature revised the Public Records Law in 2015 to establish one place for Idahoans to find all laws relating to government transparency. ^[5]