Small Claims Court in Boise, Idaho — Filing at the Ada County Magistrate

Filing in Ada County (Boise and Meridian)

Ada County handles the highest volume of small claims filings in Idaho. The magistrate court serves both Boise and Meridian residents, and the courthouse is at 200 W. Front Street in downtown Boise.

Key details for Ada County filers:

• Business entities must e-file. If your plaintiff is a corporation, LLC, or partnership, it must file electronically under Idaho Supreme Court Rule 4 of the Idaho Rules for Electronic Filing and Service. Guide & File may be used for Court Assistance Office forms when available; other documents must be filed through File & Serve. Individual plaintiffs can still file on paper at the clerk's window.
• Filing fee: $69 (same statewide)
• Service through the clerk: $10.10 for certified mail through Oct. 22, 2026; $11.35 starting Oct. 23. Optional restricted delivery is $12.75 through Oct. 22 and $14.65 starting Oct. 23.
• Ada County also requires Form CAO SC 5-1A (Affidavit of Competence and Non-Military Service) — this is an Ada County-specific requirement that not all counties enforce

Meridian residents file at the same Ada County courthouse. There's no separate Meridian magistrate; it's all under the Fourth Judicial District.

Bonneville County (Idaho Falls)

Idaho Falls is the county seat of Bonneville County, in the Seventh Judicial District. Small claims filings go through the Bonneville County Magistrate Court.

Bonneville County accepts paper filings at the clerk's office and electronic filings through iCourt. The same $69 fee and service rules apply. Sheriff service through the Bonneville County Sheriff typically runs $30–$40.

Because Idaho Falls sits near the Yellowstone corridor, venue disputes sometimes arise when a contractor or service provider works in Bonneville County but lives in adjacent Fremont or Jefferson County. Remember: you file where the defendant lives or where the dispute arose.

Twin Falls County

The Twin Falls County Magistrate Court handles small claims for the Fifth Judicial District. For claims against a defendant in Twin Falls, Jerome, or the surrounding Magic Valley area, this is your filing location.

Rural counties in this district — like Gooding, Lincoln, and Camas — have limited clerk hours. If you're filing in one of those smaller counties, call the clerk's office first to confirm when they accept filings and whether they process same-day.

Kootenai County (Coeur d'Alene)

Coeur d'Alene filings go through the Kootenai County Magistrate Court in the First Judicial District. Kootenai handles the largest docket in northern Idaho.

The Kootenai County Sheriff's Office publishes specific instructions for civil process service, including the required Letter of Instruction form. If you're using sheriff service rather than certified mail, request their intake form before dropping off your documents.

Which County Is the Right One?

Idaho Code § 1-2301 sets the venue rules. You file in the county where:

• The defendant currently resides, or
• The cause of action arose (where the contract was performed, where the property is located, where the damage happened)

If you file in the wrong county, the defendant can move to transfer the case or have it dismissed. Don't assume your home county is the right one — it's the defendant's location or the dispute's location that matters.

Every County, Same Core Process

Regardless of whether you're filing in Ada County's busy urban docket or a rural county with part-time clerk hours, the underlying process is identical: file the claim (CAO SC 1-2) and summons (CAO SC 1-1), serve the defendant through one of three authorized methods, wait for the 21-day response window, and attend the hearing.

Our Idaho Small Claims Filing Guide covers the county-by-county filing nuances alongside the full statewide procedure — forms, deadlines, evidence preparation, and hearing strategy.

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