# Idaho

Idaho’s Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Council certifies and decertifies officers, must decertify an officer convicted of a felony, and makes the names of decertified officers public by rule. Since 2023 the State has limited the mandatory felony bar for applicants to felonies listed in Idaho Code 18-310(2), corrected the marijuana disqualifier, restored in-service hours for county detention officers, and, by a temporary rule in October 2026, required in-service hours for misdemeanor probation officers. POST’s rule still makes any felony conviction at 18 or older disqualifying, which bars applicants the 2025 statute leaves to the council’s discretion.

Source: https://uscli.org/officer-certification-tracker/idaho

## At a glance

- **Certifying body:** Idaho Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Council, administered within the Idaho State Police. It certifies and decertifies peace officers and detention, correction, juvenile, misdemeanor probation, and emergency communications officers ([Idaho Code 19-5102, 19-5109](https://legislature.idaho.gov/statutesrules/idstat/Title19/T19CH51/SECT19-5109/); IDAPA 11.11.01).
- **Statute:** Idaho Code Title 19, Chapter 51 ([19-5101 to 19-5119](https://legislature.idaho.gov/statutesrules/idstat/Title19/T19CH51/)), Peace Officer Standards and Training Council. Rules: [IDAPA 11.11.01](https://adminrules.idaho.gov/rules/current/11/111101.pdf).
- **Minimum standards:** By rule, an applicant needs U.S. citizenship; age 21 for patrol and most juvenile and probation disciplines (18 for corrections, adult detention, and dispatch); a high school diploma or equivalent; a valid driver’s license for most disciplines; a physical readiness assessment, plus a psychiatric or psychological evaluation where mental suitability is in question; and an agency background investigation covering FBI fingerprints, the last three employers, and an interview. An applicant is ineligible for any felony conviction at 18 or older; for DUI, domestic-violence, deceit, or drug convictions within set periods; for marijuana use within one year; or after decertification or denial elsewhere ([IDAPA 11.11.01.052 to 057](https://adminrules.idaho.gov/rules/current/11/111101.pdf)). By statute the council “shall reject” an applicant convicted of a felony enumerated in Idaho Code 18-310(2), or an out-of-state equivalent. It “may reject” for a misdemeanor, or for a felony that was set aside, expunged, pardoned, reduced, dismissed under 19-2604, or subject to a withheld judgment. The statute does not expressly address other felony convictions (19-5109(10)). Officers must be certified within one year of employment.
- **Decertification:** By statute, the council “shall decertify” an officer convicted of a felony or of an offense that would be a felony in Idaho, and “may decertify” for any misdemeanor, falsifying information to obtain certification, or violating the code of ethics (19-5109(4)). By rule, mandatory grounds also include a domestic-violence misdemeanor, drug violations while employed, and willfully falsifying or omitting material information to obtain certification (IDAPA 11.11.01.110.01). The rule makes falsification mandatory where the statute makes it discretionary. Discretionary grounds by rule include criminal conduct whether charged or not, dishonesty, sexual misconduct on duty, and harassment. Agencies must report disciplinary resignations and terminations within 15 days (19-5109(5)). Decertification bars recertification for 10 years, and voluntary relinquishment has the same effect.
- **Public decertification list:** Yes, by rule: “The names, agency and violation(s) of those persons whose certifications have been revoked are publicly available” (IDAPA 11.11.01.112.07). POST runs a public [Employee Decertification Search](https://apps.isp.idaho.gov/AgencyPortal/employeeDecertificationSearch.action).
- **National Decertification Index:** None found. Neither Idaho Code 19-51 nor the current IDAPA 11.11.01 names the Index. POST’s July 2026 negotiated-rulemaking notice for Docket 11-1101-2601 listed a rule-055 change on applicants denied in another state “(including NDI)”, but the proposed text published October 7, 2026 does not include it ([Idaho Administrative Bulletin, Vol. 26-10](https://adminrules.idaho.gov/bulletin/2026/10.pdf)).
- **Continuing training:** By rule, peace officers must complete 40 hours every two calendar years to keep certification. At least 24 of those hours must be in firearms (8 hours plus annual qualification), arrest techniques and defensive tactics (8), emergency vehicle operation (4), and legal updates (4). County detention and emergency communications officers need 40 hours every two years. A temporary rule effective October 7, 2026 adds 40 hours every two years for misdemeanor probation officers. Missing the hours suspends certification from January 1 ([IDAPA 11.11.01.131, 132.04](https://adminrules.idaho.gov/rules/current/11/111101.pdf)).

## 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 — The temporary rule merges juvenile detention and juvenile corrections into one “juvenile justice officer” discipline, with a minimum age of 21. It requires misdemeanor probation officers to complete 40 hours of continued training every two calendar years. Instructors of POST firearms, arrest and control, and emergency vehicle operation courses get credit toward those required retention topics, and the college-credit requirement for higher detention certification is reduced. An earlier temporary rule, Docket 11-1101-2602 (effective July 1, 2026), was rescinded and its proposed rulemaking vacated by a notice dated August 28, 2026. — **For officers:** If you are a misdemeanor probation officer, you now need 40 training hours every two calendar years. The temporary rule lapses unless the 2027 Legislature approves it. — [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 — **Idaho Association of Counties member added to the POST Council** — H 492 (2026), Session Law ch. 157, amending Idaho Code 19-5102 · Signed March 26, 2026; effective July 1, 2026 — The act adds a member from the Idaho Association of Counties to the POST Council and makes technical corrections. Certification standards are unchanged. — **For officers:** Council membership changed; the standards you must meet did not. — [H 492](https://legislature.idaho.gov/sessioninfo/2026/legislation/H0492/)[Idaho Code 19-5102](https://legislature.idaho.gov/statutesrules/idstat/Title19/T19CH51/SECT19-5102/)
- 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) · Signed March 26, 2025; effective July 1, 2025 (sec. 2, emergency clause) — Before the act, the council had to reject an applicant convicted of any felony punishable by imprisonment. Now the council “shall reject” only for a felony enumerated in Idaho Code 18-310(2), or a substantially equivalent out-of-state offense. The act also says the council “may reject” an applicant whose felony was set aside, expunged, pardoned, reduced to a misdemeanor, dismissed under 19-2604, or subject to a withheld judgment. The statute does not expressly address other felony convictions. Rejection for a misdemeanor stays discretionary, and mandatory decertification of a serving officer convicted of any felony (19-5109(4)) is unchanged. — POST’s rule has not been changed to match. IDAPA 11.11.01.055.01.a (stamped March 31, 2022) makes any felony conviction at 18 or older disqualifying, and the rule’s definition of “conviction” includes convictions set aside, dismissed, reduced, or expunged for lenity or rehabilitation. The rule therefore bars applicants the statute leaves to the council’s discretion. The statute’s own definition of “convicted” (19-5109(11)) also covers set-aside pleas, so how the “shall reject” and “may reject” sentences apply to an enumerated felony later set aside is unclear. Proposed Docket 11-1101-2601 does not amend rule 055. — **For officers:** A felony outside the 18-310(2) list no longer requires rejection by statute, but POST’s rule still makes any adult felony conviction disqualifying. — [S 1139](https://legislature.idaho.gov/sessioninfo/2025/legislation/S1139/)[Enrolled S 1139](https://legislature.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/sessioninfo/2025/legislation/S1139.pdf)[Idaho Code 19-5109](https://legislature.idaho.gov/statutesrules/idstat/Title19/T19CH51/SECT19-5109/)
- Jun 7, 2024 — **Marijuana disqualifier corrected to cover any use, purchase, or possession within one year** — IDAPA 11.11.01.055.03, Docket 11-1101-2401 (temporary rule, then pending rule) · Temporary rule effective June 7, 2024; final rule effective July 1, 2025 — The rule adds two commas so it reads “used, illegally purchased, or illegally possessed marijuana … within one year.” The council’s stated intent is to disqualify any marijuana use within one year of application; the rule separately bars use while employed in law enforcement or public safety. Without the commas, the text could be read to bar only use of marijuana that was illegally purchased or possessed. The purchase and possession language was added in the 2021 rule change; according to the docket, the bar on marijuana use within one year had been in the rule for many years. — **For officers:** Any marijuana use within one year before you apply makes you ineligible. — [Idaho Administrative Bulletin, Vol. 24-7](https://adminrules.idaho.gov/bulletin/2024/07.pdf)[Vol. 25-7](https://adminrules.idaho.gov/bulletin/2025/07.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); final and effective April 6, 2023 — New subsection 131.02 requires county detention officers to complete 40 hours of continuing training every two calendar years to keep certification. According to the docket, this requirement had been “inadvertently deleted” when mandatory patrol topics were added. Rule 072 now requires misdemeanor probation experience, not any law enforcement experience, for intermediate and advanced misdemeanor probation certificates. — **For officers:** County detention officers need 40 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)[Vol. 23-6](https://adminrules.idaho.gov/bulletin/2023/06.pdf)

## Not yet in force and pending

- **Docket 11-1101-2601 (proposed rule):** a zero-based review of IDAPA 11.11.01 that trims or clarifies rules. It removes Marine Deputy certification (rule 082 reserved), edits the background-investigation, part-time, and instructor rules, and adds inmates, probationers, and parolees to the discretionary decertification ground for inappropriate relationships (110.02.h). Several topics in the July 2026 negotiated-rulemaking notice are not in the proposed text: U.S. nationals, applicants denied in another state “(including NDI)”, due process for applicants denied certification, and final orders by the administrator. Hearing October 13, 2026; comments due October 28, 2026. [Vol. 26-10](https://adminrules.idaho.gov/bulletin/2026/10.pdf)
- **Docket 11-1101-2603 (temporary rule):** in effect since October 7, 2026; lapses unless approved in the 2027 session.

These bills were not enacted: S 1246 (2026), which would have barred officers from wearing facial coverings that conceal identity on duty (referred to Senate State Affairs, no further action), and H 88 (2023), on retention of municipal and law enforcement media recordings (referred to House Local Government, no further action).

The February 2026 Idaho Administrative Bulletin (Vol. 26-2) contains no POST rulemaking. POST rulemaking was checked through the July to October 2026 bulletins and the omnibus rule notices.

## Checked and unchanged

- Idaho Code 19-5109(4) (mandatory decertification for felonies; discretionary for misdemeanors, falsification, and ethics) and 19-5109(5) (15-day report of disciplinary resignation or termination): unchanged. S 1139 changed only subsection (10).
- IDAPA 11.11.01.110 to 112 (decertification grounds and procedure) and 112.07 (public availability of revocations): stamped March 31, 2022, with no 2023–2026 amendment.
- Use of force and duty to intervene: no Idaho statute or POST rule found.
- Not counted: Idaho Code 74-106 (public records exemptions, including personnel records) was amended from 2023 to 2026 by unrelated acts; none changes officer personnel or misconduct records. HCR 12 (2023) concerned the sex offender registry rule, not POST, and was not adopted by the Senate.