Idaho Gun Law
The laws governing the legal use, storage and carrying of firearms are constantly changing. Below are the applicable laws in the State of Idaho as of January 11, 2013. The below information is designed to be a guide and not the final word. If you have specific questions, please refer to the legislature.idaho.gov Another great resource is the Idahoopencarry.org
Concealed Carry Issuance
18-3302. ISSUANCE OF LICENSES TO CARRY CONCEALED WEAPONS. (1) The sheriff of a county, on behalf of the state of Idaho, shall, within ninety (90) days after the filing of an application by any person who is not disqualified from possessing or receiving a firearm under state or federal law, issue a license to the person to carry a weapon concealed on his person within this state. For licenses issued before July 1, 2006, a license shall be valid for four (4) years from the date of issue. For licenses issued on or after July 1, 2006, a license shall be valid for five (5) years from the date of issue. The citizen's constitutional right to bear arms shall not be denied to him, unless one (1) of the following applies. He:
(a) Is ineligible to own, possess or receive a firearm under the provisions of state or federal law;
(b) Is formally charged with a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one (1) year;
(c) Has been adjudicated guilty in any court of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one (1) year;
(d) Is a fugitive from justice;
(e) Is an unlawful user of, or addicted to, marijuana or any depressant, stimulant or narcotic drug, or any other controlled substance as defined in 21 U.S.C. 802;
(f) Is currently suffering or has been adjudicated as follows, based on substantial evidence:
(i) Lacking mental capacity as defined in section 18-210, Idaho Code;
(ii) Mentally ill as defined in section 66-317, Idaho Code;
(iii) Gravely disabled as defined in section 66-317, Idaho Code; or
(iv) An incapacitated person as defined in section 15-5-101(a), Idaho Code.
(g) Is or has been discharged from the armed forces under dishonorable conditions;
(h) Is or has been adjudicated guilty of or received a withheld judgment or suspended sentence for one (1) or more crimes of violence constituting a misdemeanor, unless three (3) years have elapsed since disposition or pardon has occurred prior to the date on which the application is submitted;
(i) Has had entry of a withheld judgment for a criminal offense which would disqualify him from obtaining a concealed weapon license;
(j) Is an alien illegally in the United States;
(k) Is a person who having been a citizen of the United States, has renounced his or her citizenship;
(l) Is under twenty-one (21) years of age;
(m) Is free on bond or personal recognizance pending trial, appeal or sentencing for a crime which would disqualify him from obtaining a concealed weapon license; or
(n) Is subject to a protection order issued under chapter 63, title 39, Idaho Code, that restrains the person from harassing, stalking or threatening an intimate partner of the person or child of the intimate partner or person, or engaging in other conduct that would place an intimate partner in reasonable fear of bodily injury to the partner or child.
The license application shall be in a form to be prescribed by the director of the Idaho state police, and shall ask the name, address, description and signature of the licensee, date of birth, place of birth, social security number, military status, citizenship and the driver's license number or state identification card number of the licensee if used for identification in applying for the license. The application shall indicate that provision of the social security number is optional. The license application shall contain a warning substantially as follows:
CAUTION: Federal law and state law on the possession of weapons and firearms differ. If you are prohibited by federal law from possessing a weapon or a firearm, you may be prosecuted in federal court. A state permit is not a defense to a federal prosecution.
The sheriff shall require any person who is applying for original issuance of a license to submit his fingerprints in addition to the other information required in this subsection. Within five (5) days after the filing of an application, the sheriff shall forward the application and fingerprints to the Idaho state police for a records check of state and national files. The Idaho state police shall conduct a national fingerprint-based records check and return the results to the sheriff within seventy-five (75) days. The sheriff shall not issue a license before receiving the results of the records check and must deny a license if the applicant is disqualified under any of the criteria listed in paragraphs (a) through (n) of this subsection.
The license will be in a form substantially similar to that of the Idaho driver's license. It will bear the signature, name, address, date of birth, picture of the licensee, expiration date and the driver's license number or state identification card number of the licensee if used for identification in applying for the license. Upon issuing a license under the provisions of this section, the sheriff will notify the Idaho state police on a form or in a manner prescribed by the state police. Information relating to an applicant or licensee received or maintained pursuant to this section by the sheriff or Idaho state police is confidential and exempt from disclosure under section 9-338, Idaho Code.
Fee:
(2) The fee for original issuance of a license shall be twenty dollars ($20.00) paid to the sheriff for the purpose of enforcing the provisions of this chapter. The sheriff may collect any additional fees necessary to cover the cost of processing fingerprints lawfully required by any state or federal agency or department, and the cost of materials for the license lawfully required by any state agency or department, which costs shall be paid to the state.
(3) The fee for renewal of the license shall be fifteen dollars ($15.00). The sheriff may collect any additional fees necessary to cover the processing costs lawfully required by any state or federal agency or department, and the cost of materials for the license lawfully required by any state agency or department, which costs shall be paid to the state. If a licensee applying for renewal has not previously been required to submit fingerprints, the sheriff shall require the licensee to do so and may collect any additional fees necessary to cover the cost of processing fingerprints lawfully required by any state or federal agency or department.
(4) Every license that is not, as provided by law, suspended, revoked or disqualified in this state shall be renewable at any time during the ninety (90) day period before its expiration or within ninety (90) days after the expiration date. Renewal notices shall be mailed out ninety (90) days prior to the expiration date of the license. The sheriff shall require the licensee applying for renewal to complete an application. The sheriff shall submit the application to the Idaho state police for a records check of state and national databases. The Idaho state police shall conduct the records check and return the results to the sheriff within thirty (30) days. The sheriff shall not issue a renewal before receiving the results of the records check and must deny a license if the applicant is disqualified under any of the criteria listed in subsection (1), paragraphs (a) through (n) of this section. A renewal license shall be valid for a period of five (5) years. A license so renewed shall take effect on the expiration date of the prior license. A licensee renewing ninety-one (91) days or more after the expiration date of the license shall pay a late renewal penalty of ten dollars ($10.00) in addition to the renewal fee, except that any licensee serving on active duty in the armed forces of the United States during the renewal period shall not be required to pay a late renewal penalty upon renewing ninety-one (91) days or more after the expiration date of the license. The fee shall be paid to the sheriff for the purpose of enforcing the provisions of this chapter.
(5) Notwithstanding the requirements of this section, the sheriff of the county of the applicant's residence may issue a temporary emergency license for good cause pending review under subsection (1) of this section.
(6) A city, county or other political subdivision of this state shall not modify the requirements of this section, nor may a political subdivision ask the applicant to voluntarily submit any information not required in this section. A civil action may be brought to enjoin a wrongful refusal to issue a license or a wrongful modification of the requirements of this section. The civil action may be brought in the county in which the application was made or in Ada county at the discretion of the petitioner. Any person who prevails against a public agency in any action in the courts for a violation of subsections (1) through (5) of this section, shall be awarded costs, including reasonable attorney's fees incurred in connection with the legal action.
(7) Except in the person's place of abode or fixed place of business, or on property in which the person has any ownership or leasehold interest, a person shall not carry a concealed weapon without a license to carry a concealed weapon. For the purposes of this section, a concealed weapon means any dirk, dirk knife, bowie knife, dagger, pistol, revolver or any other deadly or dangerous weapon. The provisions of this section shall not apply to any lawfully possessed shotgun or rifle.
(8) A county sheriff, deputy sheriff or county employee who issues a license to carry a concealed weapon under this section shall not incur any civil or criminal liability as the result of the performance of his duties under this section.
(9) While in any motor vehicle, inside the limits or confines of any city, a person shall not carry a concealed weapon on or about his person without a license to carry a concealed weapon. This shall not apply to any firearm located in plain view whether it is loaded or unloaded. A firearm may be concealed legally in a motor vehicle so long as the weapon is disassembled or unloaded.
(10) In implementing the provisions of this section on behalf of the state of Idaho, the sheriff shall make applications readily available at the office of the sheriff or at other public offices in his jurisdiction.
(11) The sheriff of a county may issue a license to carry a concealed weapon to those individuals between the ages of eighteen (18) and twenty-one (21) years who in the judgment of the sheriff warrant the issuance of the license to carry a concealed weapon. Such issuance shall be subject to limitations which the issuing authority deems appropriate. Licenses issued to individuals between the ages of eighteen (18) and twenty-one (21) years shall be easily distinguishable from regular licenses.
(12) The requirement to secure a license to carry a concealed weapon under this section shall not apply to the following persons:
(a) Officials of a county, city, state of Idaho, the United States, peace officers, guards of any jail, court appointed attendants or any officer of any express company on duty;
(b) Employees of the adjutant general and military division of the state where military membership is a condition of employment when on duty;
(c) Criminal investigators of the attorney general's office, criminal investigators of a prosecuting attorney's office, prosecutors and their deputies;
(d) Any person outside the limits of or confines of any city while engaged in lawful hunting, fishing, trapping or other lawful outdoor activity;
(e) Any publicly elected Idaho official;
(f) Retired peace officers or detention deputies with at least ten (10) years of service with the state or a political subdivision as a peace officer or detention deputy and who have been certified by the peace officer standards and training council;
(g) Any person who has a valid permit from a state or local law enforcement agency or court authorizing him to carry a concealed weapon. A permit issued in another state will only be considered valid if the permit is in the licensee's physical possession.
Training Requirement:
(13) When issuing a license pursuant to this section, the sheriff may require the applicant to demonstrate familiarity with a firearm and shall accept any of the following, provided the applicant may select whichever of the following applies:
(a) Completion of any hunter education or hunter safety course approved by the department of fish and game or a similar agency of another state;
(b) Completion of any national rifle association firearms safety or training course or any national rifle association hunter education course;
(c) Completion of any firearms safety or training course or class available to the general public offered by a law enforcement agency, community college, college, university, or private or public institution or organization or firearms training school, utilizing instructors certified by the national rifle association or the Idaho state police;
(d) Completion of any law enforcement firearms safety or training course or class offered for security guards, investigators, special deputies, or any division or subdivision of a law enforcement agency or security enforcement agency;
(e) Presents evidence or equivalent experience with a firearm through participation in organized shooting competition or military service;
(f) Is licensed or has been licensed to carry a firearm in this state or a county or municipality, unless the license has been revoked for cause; or
(g) Completion of any firearms training or training or safety course or class conducted by a state certified or national rifle association certified firearms instructor.
(14) A person carrying a concealed weapon in violation of the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.
(15) The sheriff of the county where the license was issued or the sheriff of the county where the person resides shall have the power to revoke a license subsequent to a hearing in accordance with the provisions of chapter 52, title 67, Idaho Code, for any of the following reasons:
(a) Fraud or intentional misrepresentation in the obtaining of a license;
(b) Misuse of a license, including lending or giving a license to another person, duplicating a license or using a license with the intent to unlawfully cause harm to a person or property;
(c) The doing of an act or existence of a condition which would have been grounds for the denial of the license by the sheriff;
(d) The violation of any of the terms of this section; or
(e) The applicant is adjudicated guilty of or receives a withheld judgment for a crime which would have disqualified him from initially receiving a license.
(16) A person twenty-one (21) years of age or older issued a license to carry a concealed weapon is exempt from any requirement to undergo a records check at the time of purchase or transfer of a firearm from a federally licensed firearms dealer. However, a temporary emergency license issued under subsection (5) of this section shall not exempt the holder of the license from any records check requirement. Temporary emergency licenses shall be easily distinguishable from regular licenses.
(17) The attorney general is authorized to negotiate reciprocal agreements with other states related to the recognition of licenses to carry concealed weapons. The Idaho state police shall keep a copy and maintain a record of all such agreements, which shall be made available to the public.
(18) The provisions of this section are hereby declared to be severable and if any provision of this section or the application of such provision to any person or circumstance is declared invalid for any reason, such declaration shall not affect the validity of remaining portions of this section.
Non-Resident Permit:
The State of Idaho will extend the issuance of a concealed carry permit to a non-resident as long as the applicant qualifies under the same conditions as a Idaho resident.
Reciprocity and Recognitions:
1. Idaho has signed reciprocity agreements with Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Louisiana, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Texas and Wyoming.
2. Idaho recognizes valid concealed weapons permits from all states. Idaho does not require specific reciprocity agreements with the other states.
3. Some states, such as those listed above, do require reciprocity agreements. Those states have specifically negotiated reciprocity agreements with Idaho.
Idaho Resident Permit is honored in the states listed below:
Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Wisconsin, Wyoming
Idaho Non-Resident Permit is honored in the states listed below:
Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Wisconsin, Wyoming
Firearm Transportation:
While in any motor vehicle, inside the limits or confines of any city, a person shall not carry a concealed weapon on or about his person without a license to carry a concealed weapon. This shall not apply to any firearm located in plain view whether it is loaded or unloaded. A firearm may be concealed legally in a motor vehicle so long as the weapon is disassembled or unloaded.