# Idaho Idaho’s Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Council certifies county detention officers, state correction officers, probation and parole officers, and juvenile staff under the same law that covers police. No state agency sets or inspects county jail standards. Since 2023 the State has restored in-service hours for detention officers, narrowed the mandatory felony bar for applicants, broadened the felony of sexual contact with a prisoner, created a drone no-fly zone over state prisons, raised what it pays counties to hold state prisoners, and, by temporary rule in October 2026, required in-service hours for misdemeanor probation officers. Idaho acts usually take effect July 1; entries are dated by effective date. Source: https://uscli.org/corrections-tracker/idaho ## At a glance - **Certifying body:** Idaho Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Council, administered within the Idaho State Police. It certifies county detention officers, state correction officers, adult felony probation and parole officers, misdemeanor probation officers, and juvenile staff. By rule, no person may act as a county detention officer, correction officer, or adult probation and parole officer without POST certification; correction officers and adult probation and parole officers employed before July 1, 2005 are exempt but may certify voluntarily ([Idaho Code 19-5102, 19-5109](https://legislature.idaho.gov/statutesrules/idstat/Title19/T19CH51/SECT19-5109/); IDAPA 11.11.01.051). The Council and its discipline process are covered on the [Idaho Officer Ledger page](https://uscli.org/officer-certification-tracker/idaho). - **Statute:** Idaho Code title 19, chapter 51 (Peace Officer Standards and Training). Section 19-5109(6) requires POST to set basic training and certification standards for county detention officers that can be completed within one year of employment; 19-5109(8) lets POST set standards for state correction officers and adult probation and parole officers on the recommendation of the correction standards and training council; 19-5109(9) covers misdemeanor probation officers. Department of Correction: title 20, chapter 2. County jails: title 20, chapter 6. Rules: [IDAPA 11.11.01](https://adminrules.idaho.gov/rules/current/11/111101.pdf). - **Minimum standards:** By rule, the minimum age is 18 for correction officers and adult detention officers and 21 for felony probation and parole officers, misdemeanor probation officers, and (since October 7, 2026) juvenile justice officers. Applicants must also meet citizenship, education, and past-conduct rules (IDAPA 11.11.01.052 to 055). POST “shall reject” an applicant convicted of a felony listed in Idaho Code 18-310(2) or an out-of-state equivalent. It “may reject” one convicted of a misdemeanor, or of a felony that was set aside, expunged, pardoned, reduced, dismissed under 19-2604, or subject to a withheld judgment (19-5109(10)). The statute is silent on other felonies. POST rule 055.01.a still bars any applicant convicted of a felony at 18 or older. The applicant must finish the academy, at least 40 hours of field training, and six consecutive months of probation with the hiring agency within 12 months of starting employment (057.08.a). - **Basic training:** POST runs basic academies on its Meridian campus for patrol, detention, corrections, misdemeanor and felony probation, and juvenile disciplines ([POST Academy](https://post.idaho.gov/academy/)). POST’s 2026 detention academy totals 234 hours ([Detention Academy hours, effective January 1, 2026](https://post.idaho.gov/academy-hours-detention-2026/)). No published hour total for the corrections or felony probation and parole academy was found. - **In-service training:** A county detention officer must complete at least 40 hours of continuing training every two calendar years to keep certification (IDAPA 11.11.01.131.02, effective April 6, 2023). Misdemeanor probation officers need 40 hours every two calendar years under 131.04, a temporary rule effective October 7, 2026 (Docket 11-1101-2603) that lapses unless the 2027 Legislature approves it. The rule sets no in-service hours for state correction officers or adult felony probation and parole officers. For felony supervising officers, Idaho Code 20-219(6) requires the Board of Correction to give initial and ongoing training in evidence-based supervision, completed within two years of hire. - **Decertification:** The same POST process applies to every discipline. By statute POST “shall decertify” an officer convicted of a felony, and may decertify for a misdemeanor, falsification, or a code of ethics violation (19-5109(4)). Agencies must report disciplinary resignations and terminations within 15 days (19-5109(5)). A decertified person is ineligible for any POST certification for 10 years. POST runs a public [Employee Decertification Search](https://apps.isp.idaho.gov/AgencyPortal/employeeDecertificationSearch.action). Rule grounds and procedure are on the [Officer Ledger page](https://uscli.org/officer-certification-tracker/idaho). - **Jail standards:** No state agency sets or inspects county jail standards by statute. The county commissioners must inspect the county jail and, “once every three (3) months,” inquire into its security and the treatment and condition of prisoners (Idaho Code 20-622). POST certifies detention staff but does not license facilities. Any voluntary sheriffs’ association standards were not checked against a primary source. - **Probation and parole officers:** Adult felony probation and parole officers work for the Idaho Department of Correction and must be POST-certified, with a minimum age of 21 (IDAPA 11.11.01.051.01, 054.01). The Board of Correction must train all supervising officers within two years of hire in assessment, case planning, risk reduction, communication, behavioral health, and core correctional practices, and targets average caseloads of no more than 50 for high- and moderate-risk offenders ([Idaho Code 20-219(4), (6)](https://legislature.idaho.gov/statutesrules/idstat/Title20/T20CH2/SECT20-219/)). County misdemeanor probation officers are POST-certified under 19-5109(9). - **Restrictive housing:** No statute limiting solitary confinement or restrictive housing was found in Idaho Code title 20, chapters 2 and 6, based on the section titles. No 2023 to 2026 bill on the topic was found in the Legislature’s subject index. - **Corrections use of force:** No corrections-specific statute on use of force or on restraint of pregnant prisoners was found in title 20, chapters 2 and 6, based on the section titles. Related: Idaho Code 18-6110 makes sexual contact between corrections staff and a prisoner a felony punishable by up to life, with a broader definition since July 1, 2026 (entry below). ## Changes, 2023 to 2026 - Oct 7, 2026 — **Temporary rule: in-service hours for misdemeanor probation officers; juvenile disciplines merged** — IDAPA 11.11.01, Docket 11-1101-2603 (temporary and proposed rule) · Published October 7, 2026 (Vol. 26-10); temporary rule effective October 7, 2026; lapses unless approved in the 2027 session — New rule 131.04 requires a misdemeanor probation officer to complete at least 40 hours of continued training related to misdemeanor probation every two calendar years to keep certification. Under new 131.05, POST-certified instructors who teach POST firearms, arrest techniques, or emergency vehicle courses meet the retention requirement for those topics. The rule merges juvenile detention and juvenile corrections into a single “juvenile justice officer” discipline, for staff in juvenile detention centers and Department of Juvenile Corrections facilities, with a minimum age of 21, so staff moving between the two settings no longer attend a second academy. It also lowers the college-credit requirement for higher-level detention officer certificates. POST cited Idaho Code 67-5226(2)(c), which allows a temporary rule that reduces a regulatory burden. — **For corrections staff:** Misdemeanor probation officers now need 40 training hours every two calendar years; juvenile detention and juvenile corrections staff are certified in one discipline. — [Idaho Administrative Bulletin, Vol. 26-10](https://adminrules.idaho.gov/bulletin/2026/10.pdf)[IDAPA 11.11.01 (current)](https://adminrules.idaho.gov/rules/current/11/111101.pdf) - Jul 1, 2026 — **Broader definition of sexual contact with a prisoner** — H 696 (2026), Session Law ch. 176, amending Idaho Code 18-6110(3) · Approved March 26, 2026; effective July 1, 2026 — It is a felony, punishable by up to life, for a Department of Correction or juvenile corrections employee, or an officer, employee, or agent of a state, local, or private correctional facility, to have sexual contact with a prisoner. Supervising officers are covered for parolees and probationers. The act adds to the definition “contact between the mouth and any body part, or any willful physical contact, over or under the clothing,” when done with intent to arouse or gratify sexual desire. The previous definition listed only intercourse and specific genital, anal, and oral contacts. — **For corrections staff:** Any sexually motivated touching of a prisoner, probationer, or parolee, even over clothing, is a felony. — [H 696](https://legislature.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/sessioninfo/2026/legislation/H0696.pdf)[Statement of purpose](https://legislature.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/sessioninfo/2026/legislation/H0696SOP.pdf) - Jul 1, 2026 — **Drone no-fly zone over state prisons; staff may disrupt drones** — H 522 as amended in the Senate (2026), Session Law ch. 233, adding Idaho Code 20-251 · Approved March 31, 2026; effective July 1, 2026 — Flying an unmanned aircraft system within 400 feet above ground level inside the perimeter of a Department of Correction facility is a misdemeanor, punishable by up to $1,000, up to 6 months in jail, or both, with possible forfeiture of the drone; lack of knowledge is no defense. On reasonable suspicion that a drone is being used in a “nefarious manner,” such as spying or smuggling contraband, the Department or a law enforcement officer may take mitigation measures such as jamming, if this does not conflict with federal law, and is not liable for damage to the drone. The Department must post “Drone No Fly Zone” notices on nearby roads. The Senate amendment lowered the penalty from the introduced bill’s $2,000 to $5,000 fine or up to one year in jail, and made forfeiture of the drone discretionary rather than mandatory. — **For corrections staff:** Prison staff may disrupt a drone suspected of carrying contraband, without liability for damage to it, if federal law permits the method used. — [H 522, engrossed](https://legislature.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/sessioninfo/2026/legislation/H0522E1.pdf)[2026 legislation index](https://legislature.idaho.gov/sessioninfo/2026/legislation/) - Jul 1, 2026 — **State pays counties at least $80 a day for state prisoners held in county jails** — H 556 (2026), Session Law ch. 119, amending Idaho Code 20-237A · Approved March 24, 2026; effective July 1, 2026 — “The state board of correction shall pay counties housing state-sentenced prisoners a minimum rate of eighty dollars ($80.00) per day per inmate.” The sponsor’s statement says the prior rate was $55 for the first seven days and $75 after that. A 2025 bill on the same subject, H 261, was held in committee. — **For corrections staff:** Jails holding state-sentenced prisoners receive a higher state rate; jail operating rules are unchanged. — [H 556 statement of purpose](https://legislature.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/sessioninfo/2026/legislation/H0556SOP.pdf)[Idaho Code 20-237A](https://legislature.idaho.gov/statutesrules/idstat/Title20/T20CH2/SECT20-237A/) - Jul 1, 2026 — **County juvenile justice or misdemeanor probation administrators get a POST Council seat** — H 492 (2026), Session Law ch. 157, amending Idaho Code 19-5102 · Approved March 26, 2026; effective July 1, 2026 — The act adds a Council member: “A representative from the Idaho association of counties juvenile justice administrators or the Idaho association of counties adult misdemeanor probation administrators association.” The Department of Correction director or a designee already sits on the Council. Certification standards are unchanged. — **For corrections staff:** County probation and juvenile justice now have a voice on the Council that sets certification rules for their staff. — [H 492](https://legislature.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/sessioninfo/2026/legislation/H0492.pdf)[Statement of purpose](https://legislature.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/sessioninfo/2026/legislation/H0492SOP.pdf) - Jul 1, 2025 — **Mandatory rejection of applicants limited to felonies listed in Idaho Code 18-310(2)** — S 1139 (2025), Session Law ch. 182, amending Idaho Code 19-5109(10) · Approved March 26, 2025; effective July 1, 2025 — Before the act, POST had to reject any applicant convicted of a felony punishable by prison. S 1139 narrows mandatory rejection to felonies listed in 18-310(2) or substantially equivalent out-of-state offenses. The existing discretionary clause for felonies that were set aside, expunged, pardoned, reduced, dismissed under 19-2604, or subject to a withheld judgment is unchanged. The statute says nothing about other felonies; the statement of purpose says the intent is case-by-case review. The section covers detention, correction, and probation and parole applicants as well as patrol. POST rule 055.01.a still makes any adult felony conviction disqualifying unless it is amended. Mandatory decertification of a serving officer convicted of a felony (19-5109(4)) is unchanged. — **For corrections staff:** A felony outside the 18-310(2) list no longer requires rejection by statute, but POST’s rule still bars applicants with any adult felony conviction. — [S 1139](https://legislature.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/sessioninfo/2025/legislation/S1139.pdf)[Statement of purpose](https://legislature.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/sessioninfo/2025/legislation/S1139SOP.pdf)[IDAPA 11.11.01](https://adminrules.idaho.gov/rules/current/11/111101.pdf) - Jul 1, 2025 — **Written search waivers for felony probationers and parolees, with a bar on harassment searches** — H 187 (2025), Session Law ch. 140, adding Idaho Code 19-2601B and amending 20-1007 · Approved March 21, 2025; effective July 1, 2025 — Felony probationers, and anyone released to parole, must be told that they waive Fourth Amendment and Idaho Constitution art. I, sec. 17 rights and consent to warrantless search of their person, home, vehicle, property, and cellular or electronic devices, at any time and with or without cause, by a probation and parole officer, a county probation officer, or any peace officer. The person must accept these terms in writing or cannot be released on probation or parole. The act also provides that these officers “shall not conduct searches or seizures for the sole purpose of harassment.” — **For corrections staff:** Probation and parole officers can rely on a written statutory search waiver that covers phones, but a search made only to harass is barred. — [H 187](https://legislature.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/sessioninfo/2025/legislation/H0187.pdf)[2025 legislation index](https://legislature.idaho.gov/sessioninfo/2025/legislation/) - Jun 7, 2024 — **Marijuana disqualifier corrected to cover any use, purchase, or possession** — IDAPA 11.11.01.055.03, Docket 11-1101-2401 (temporary rule, then final rule) · Temporary rule effective June 7, 2024; final rule effective July 1, 2025 — Two commas were added, so the past-conduct rule disqualifies an applicant who “used, illegally purchased, or illegally possessed” marijuana within the disqualifying period. POST said the old wording could be read to bar only use of marijuana that was illegally purchased or possessed. The rule applies to every POST discipline, including detention, correction, and probation and parole officers. — **For corrections staff:** Any marijuana use within one year before applying makes a detention, correction, or probation applicant ineligible. — [Idaho Administrative Bulletin, Vol. 24-7](https://adminrules.idaho.gov/bulletin/2024/07.pdf)[IDAPA 11.11.01](https://adminrules.idaho.gov/rules/current/11/111101.pdf) - Apr 6, 2023 — **In-service hours for county detention officers restored** — IDAPA 11.11.01, Docket 11-1101-2201 (pending rule approved by the 2023 Legislature) · Pending rule published January 4, 2023 (Vol. 23-1); effective April 6, 2023 — Rule 131.02 again requires a county detention officer to complete at least 40 hours of continuing training every two calendar years to keep certification. POST said the requirement “was inadvertently deleted” when mandatory patrol topics were added. The same docket limits qualifying experience for intermediate and advanced misdemeanor probation certificates to misdemeanor probation experience. — **For corrections staff:** County detention officers need 40 POST-credited training hours every two calendar years. — [Proposed rule, Vol. 22-10](https://adminrules.idaho.gov/bulletin/2022/10.pdf)[Pending rule, Vol. 23-1](https://adminrules.idaho.gov/bulletin/2023/01.pdf) ## Enacted, not yet in force, pending, and bills that did not pass - **Docket 11-1101-2603 (proposed regular rule):** the temporary rule has been in force since October 7, 2026; the matching proposed rule is open for comment until October 28, 2026. The temporary rule expires at the end of the 2027 session unless the Legislature approves it by concurrent resolution; how the regular rule would take effect depends on the 2027 legislative review. [Vol. 26-10](https://adminrules.idaho.gov/bulletin/2026/10.pdf) - **Docket 11-1101-2601 (proposed rule):** a zero-based review of IDAPA 11.11.01 that removes the marine deputy provisions, renumbers the definitions, edits the definition of agency, and clarifies other rules. The Officer Ledger page reports that it would add inmates, probationers, and parolees to the discretionary decertification ground for inappropriate relationships (110.02.h). Hearing October 13, 2026; comments due October 28, 2026. Not final. [Vol. 26-10](https://adminrules.idaho.gov/bulletin/2026/10.pdf) These bills were not enacted: H 261 (2025, county jail per diem; held in House Judiciary; the increase passed in 2026 as H 556) and H 499 (2026, drones over correctional facilities; held in House Judiciary; superseded by H 522). ## Checked and unchanged - Idaho Code 19-5109(4) (mandatory felony decertification) and 19-5109(5) (15-day report): unchanged; S 1139 changed only subsection (10). - IDAPA 11.11.01.055.01.a (any felony at 18 or older disqualifying): stamped March 31, 2022; not amended by S 1139 or by Dockets 2601 and 2603. - Not verified: whether the Idaho Sheriffs’ Association publishes voluntary jail standards. The Department of Correction’s training page could not be found, so the length of its new-hire schedule is not given.