Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
Idaho County
Bear Lake County, Idaho
Bear Lake - the Caribbean of the Rockies - and Butch Cassidy's Montpelier bank robbery - from Bear Lake (the 109-square-mile glacial lake straddling the Idaho-Utah border whose brilliant turquoise color - produced by calcium carbonate suspended in the water - has earned it the nickname the Caribbean of the Rockies - the lake's extraordinary blue-green hue and the surrounding mountains make it one of the most photographed lakes in the Rocky Mountain West) to Montpelier's Butch Cassidy connection (Butch Cassidy and the Wild Bunch robbed the Montpelier bank in August 1896 - one of the gang's most brazen daylight robberies - and the Oregon Trail Bear Lake National Heritage Area commemorates the hundreds of thousands of emigrants who passed through the valley).
Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
What do you need to do?
Tell us your goal and we'll guide you step-by-step to the right office, forms, and official resources.
Office: Bear Lake County Sheriff’s Office – 30 N. Main Street, P.O. Box 190, Paris, ID 83261 | (208) 945-2121 | Fax (208) 945-2740; Sheriff elected 2016. Also handles dispatch, driver’s license, and civil process services. Hours: Mon-Fri 8:30 AM-5 PM.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-89 serves Paris, the county seat, along Bear Lake near the Idaho-Utah border.
Notes: Bear Lake – known as the “Caribbean of the Rockies” for its striking turquoise waters, colored by suspended limestone deposits – straddles the Idaho-Utah border. Mormon settlers established Paris in 1863 after negotiating with the Shoshone tribe for land in the valley; President Grant later established a 100-square-mile reservation for the Shoshone, Bannock, and Sheepeater tribes in the area in 1875.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Bear Lake County Courthouse – 7 East Center Street, Paris, ID | (208) 945-2155.
Notes: The historic Bear Lake County Courthouse (built 1884-85, Italian Renaissance Revival, designed by architect Truman O. Angell, one of Idaho’s oldest county courthouses; National Register of Historic Places since 1977) was replaced by a new courthouse in summer 2020; despite preservation efforts by state and local historical societies, the county commission spent over $200,000 to have the historic building demolished in February 2021 – a genuine and notable local preservation loss. Bear Lake County is also home to a widely known regional legend, the “Bear Lake Monster” – a serpentine lake creature first publicized in an 1868 Deseret News article by Mormon settler Joseph C. Rich (or, in an alternate telling, by fellow settler Charles C. Rich), later admitted by some accounts to have been embellished as a tourism-boosting tale, though the legend persists today with an annual Bear Lake Monster Winterfest.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Bear Lake County Veterans Services – confirm current contact via bearlakecounty.info.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Paris Public Library (Paris) – confirm current address/phone via the county library system.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Bear Lake State Park, North Beach’s historic hot springs site, and the restored Bank of Montpelier (Butch Cassidy Museum) are the county’s premier heritage and recreational attractions.
Notes: A genuinely notable local history connection: in summer 1896, outlaw Butch Cassidy and two accomplices robbed the Bank of Montpelier – the first bank the gang robbed together and the first bank robbery in southeastern Idaho; the restored building is the only bank Cassidy robbed that still stands today, now housing a museum. The lighthearted “Bear Lake Monster” legend and the vivid turquoise “Caribbean of the Rockies” waters are also among the county’s most distinctive local facts.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Bear Lake County Assessor’s Office – confirm current contact via bearlakecounty.info.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Confirm current dedicated shelter contact via bearlakecounty.info; Bear Lake County Sheriff’s Office for animal control arrangements.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Bear Lake County Landfill / Planning & Zoning – confirm current contact via bearlakecounty.info.
NOTES: Bear Lake County is the fourth county completed in Idaho’s Round 3 v2 redo, under the A+ sourced standard established for this project. The genuine local history of the Butch Cassidy bank robbery and the beloved “Bear Lake Monster” legend are among the standout local facts covered in this project. All contact information above was sourced via web search as of early August 2026 and should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit, deadline-sensitive filing, or emergency-adjacent decision.
About Bear Lake County
Bear Lake County is the Caribbean of the Rockies – Bear Lake’s brilliant turquoise color and Montpelier’s Butch Cassidy bank robbery heritage define a southeast Idaho corner community of extraordinary natural beauty and Wild West history on the Utah border.
Paris (the county seat, population ~500) and Montpelier (population ~2,500) serve the county’s agricultural and lake tourism communities near the Utah border.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Bear Lake County Assessor at 7 E. Center Street, Paris, ID 83261, phone 208-945-2212. ID homeowner’s exemption up to $125,000.
Courts & Legal
Bear Lake County District Court at 7 E. Center Street, Paris, ID 83261, phone 208-945-2208, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK / ADMINISTRATOR
7 E. Center St., Paris, ID 83261
(208) 945-2212
CLERK OF COURT (Records, Marriage Licenses)
7 E. Center St., Paris, ID 83261
(208) 945-2212
ELECTIONS / CLERK
7 E. Center St., Paris, ID 83261
(208) 945-2212
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Bear Lake County Magistrate Court (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Bear Lake County was also included in the Mothers’ Pension Records index (1920s era) held by the Idaho State Historical Society.
Local societies
No dedicated Bear Lake County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Bear Lake County Magistrate Court 7 East Center Street, P.O. Box 190, Paris, ID 83261 (208) 945-2208
Magistrate Judge: Hon. Todd Garbett. Bear Lake County is in southeastern Idaho, named for the turquoise-colored Bear Lake straddling the Idaho-Utah border.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Idaho has adopted the Uniform Probate Code (Idaho Code Title 15). Idaho is also a community property state. Idaho recognizes four main paths:
Small Estate Affidavit – a non-court process for estates with a total value of $100,000 or less (excluding liens and encumbrances) and no real property. Available 30 days after death. No court filing required (Idaho Code § 15-3-1201).
Summary Administration – available when the value of all the decedent’s property is less than the homestead allowance, exempt property, and last-illness medical expenses combined, or when a surviving spouse is sole beneficiary (Idaho Code §§ 15-3-1203, 15-3-1205).
Informal Probate – the most common track for uncontested estates, handled through the court registrar.
Formal Probate – court-supervised proceedings required when disputes arise or the will is contested.
Step 2: filing
For informal probate with a will, file an Application for Informal Probate of Will and Appointment of Personal Representative with the Magistrate Division.
For formal probate, file a Petition for Probate of Will and Appointment of Personal Representative (or the equivalent for intestate estates).
Idaho does not have a statutory fee schedule for attorneys or personal representatives – fees must be reasonable given the services rendered and complexity.
If formal or informal probate is needed
Determine whether small estate affidavit, summary administration, or full probate applies.
File the appropriate application or petition with the Bear Lake County Magistrate Court.
Under informal proceedings, the registrar reviews the application without a hearing. Under formal proceedings, a judge holds a hearing.
The personal representative accepts the appointment and may need to post a bond.
Once appointed, the court issues Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration. Obtain several certified copies.
Publish notice to creditors as required.
Mail notice to all heirs, beneficiaries, and interested parties.
Marshal assets, obtain an EIN, open an estate account, pay valid debts and expenses, and prepare any required inventory.
Distribute remaining assets per the will or Idaho’s intestacy statutes, then close the estate.
What it costs
Idaho does not impose its own state estate or inheritance tax.
Idaho does not have a statutory fee schedule for attorneys or personal representatives.
Court filing fees and publication costs are separate – confirm current amounts with the Bear Lake County Magistrate Court.
Probate in Idaho typically takes 6-12 months for uncontested estates.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
7 E. Center St., Paris, ID 83261
(208) 945-2341
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS / CLERK
7 E. Center St., Paris, ID 83261
(208) 945-2212
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Idaho Dept of Health & Welfare — Southeast
(208) 236-6700
Idaho Medicaid
(800) 926-2588
Bear Lake Memorial Hospital
bearlakememorial.com (Montpelier)
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Southeastern Idaho Public Health (serving Bear Lake County) – confirm current contact via siphidaho.org.
Editorial independence: CountyOffices maintains strict editorial independence from our affiliate partners. Our content is researched from official government sources. Affiliate relationships do not influence our recommendations or the information we publish.
Editorial Trust
5 official sources cited
Reviewed by CountyOffices Editorial Team
Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Paris
Population: 6,100
Area: 971 sq mi
Established: 1875
Tier: 3
Public Records
TruthFinder
Search public records for Bear Lake County residents.
