The Idaho concealed weapons license, standard and enhanced

Idaho has had permitless concealed carry since 2016, and the law was widened in 2019 and again in 2020. Under Idaho Code 18-3302(4)(f), anyone over 18 who is a United States citizen or a current member of the armed forces of the United States, and who is not disqualified under the statute, may carry a concealed firearm anywhere in Idaho without a license. Outside city limits, Idaho Code 18-3302(3)(d) has long allowed the same thing for anyone 18 or older who could qualify for a license.

So why do so many Idahoans still carry a license? Three reasons: reciprocity when you drive out of state, the federal Gun-Free School Zones Act exception that a state license provides, and the alternative to a NICS check that some dealers accept. This guide covers both Idaho licenses as of September 2026. Note that a revised version of Idaho Code 18-3302 takes effect on January 1, 2027, so check the statute for changes before you apply.

Who issues the license

Your county sheriff, on behalf of the state. That is the Ada County Sheriff in Boise and Meridian, the Canyon County Sheriff in Nampa and Caldwell, the Kootenai County Sheriff in Coeur d'Alene, and so on for all 44 counties. There is no statewide central office, and the Idaho State Police only handles the records check and the reciprocity list.

The standard license

Idaho Code 18-3302(7) requires the sheriff to issue within 90 days of your application if you are not disqualified. A standard license is valid for five years from the date of issue. You apply in person, submit fingerprints with the original application, and the sheriff forwards the packet to the Idaho State Police within five days for a national fingerprint-based records check, a NICS inquiry and a check of state mental health records.

The statutory fee is $20 for an original license and $15 for a renewal, under subsections (15) and (16). On top of that the sheriff may collect the actual cost of the fingerprint check and the license card. Those pass-through costs are the reason the posted price is higher than the statute: Ada County lists $61 for a new application and $38 for a renewal as of January 7, 2026, and quotes a processing time of up to 90 days. Other counties post their own numbers, so check your sheriff's page before you write the check.

Training for the standard license

Subsection (9) lets the sheriff ask you to demonstrate familiarity with a firearm, and requires the sheriff to accept any one of a long list of proofs, including:

A hunter education or hunter safety course approved by Idaho Fish and Game or a similar agency in another state
A National Rifle Association firearms safety, training or hunter education course, or an equivalent
A firearms safety course offered by a law enforcement agency, community college, college, university or a firearms training school using certified instructors
Evidence of equivalent experience through organized shooting competition or military service
A current Idaho concealed weapons license that has not been revoked

A hunter education card from a youth course counts, which is why many Idaho applicants never take a separate class.

The enhanced license

Idaho Code 18-3302K creates the enhanced concealed weapons license. It is also issued by the county sheriff, is also valid for five years, and is marked as an enhanced license on its face so it is clearly distinguishable from the standard card. The statutory original fee is the same $20 plus actual costs, and Ada County charges the same $61 for a new enhanced application.

The difference is training. An enhanced license requires a qualifying handgun course that:

Is taught by an instructor certified by the National Rifle Association, another nationally recognized certifying body, or the Idaho Peace Officer Standards and Training Council
Runs at least eight hours
Is taught face to face, not online or by any other electronic means
Covers Idaho law on firearms and the use of deadly force, taught by a named qualified person whose credential appears on the certificate
Covers safe handling and self-defense principles
Includes live fire of at least 98 rounds by the student

Enhanced licenses are for applicants 21 and older. Applicants between 18 and 21 get the license created by Idaho Code 18-3302(20): it is issued by the sheriff, is distinguishable from the regular card, and expires on the holder's twenty-first birthday, after which it renews as an enhanced license. Ada County notes that an under-21 applicant must have been an Idaho resident for at least six consecutive months and must complete the enhanced class.

Reciprocity

The Idaho State Police Bureau of Criminal Identification keeps the reciprocity list, and the Idaho enhanced license is honored in more states than the standard one. Reciprocity changes without much notice and each state applies its own rules to a visiting licensee, so check the Bureau's page before every trip rather than relying on a map you saw last year. A person carrying under another state's valid license is recognized in Idaho under Idaho Code 18-3302(5)(g), but must have the physical license on them.

Where a license does not help

No Idaho license opens a courthouse, a jail, a secure airport area or a federal building. School property is governed by Idaho Code 18-3302D, and Idaho Code 18-3309 gives the enhanced license particular weight on public college and university campuses. Private property owners may still ask you not to carry, and businesses can post their premises. Idaho Code 18-3302J keeps cities and counties from adding their own carry rules on top of the state's, so the answer is the same in Boise as it is in Salmon.

Picking a carry gun

Most Idahoans carry a compact or micro-compact 9mm with a red dot, a striker-fired pistol from one of the familiar makers, or a small revolver in a pocket holster for winter. Buy the holster and the belt at the same time as the gun, then put the 98 rounds through it whether or not you are taking the enhanced class. Start with the catalog, read the Idaho gun laws guide for the buying side, and see the Boise buying guide if you are in the Treasure Valley.

General information, not legal advice. Current as of September 2026. Laws change; check the official source before you act.