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Idaho County
Boundary County, Idaho
Bonners Ferry's Kootenai Tribe and the Kootenai River valley - from the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho (the Kootenai people - whose ancestral territory spans Idaho, Montana, and British Columbia - made international headlines in 1974 when the tiny tribe of 67 members declared war on the United States government to draw attention to their lack of a federal land base, ultimately receiving 12.5 acres - the only tribe in modern times to have declared war on the US) to the Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge (the internationally significant wetland complex on the Kootenai River floodplain that provides critical nesting, migration, and wintering habitat for waterfowl in the Pacific Flyway).
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Office: Boundary County Sheriff’s Office – 6438 Kootenai Street, P.O. Box 127, Bonners Ferry, ID 83805 | (208) 267-3151; Sheriff elected 2016.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-95 serves Bonners Ferry, the county seat and largest city, nestled between the Selkirk and Cabinet Mountains on the Kootenai River, dubbed “Idaho’s Northern International Gateway.”
Notes: Boundary County was created by the Idaho Legislature January 23, 1915, separated from Bonner County, named for its position bordering Canada. It is genuinely the only county in the United States bounded by two states (Washington and Montana) and a foreign country (Canada). Boundary County is also Idaho’s northernmost county.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Boundary County Courthouse – Kootenai Street, Bonners Ferry, ID (built 1941, Art Deco, architect Fletcher Martin, a Works Progress Administration project costing $100,000; National Register of Historic Places since 1987). It replaced the county’s first courthouse, a former hotel and school building purchased by the county in 1916.
Notes: Bonners Ferry traces to a ferry established in 1864 by merchant Edwin Bonner across the Kootenai River, after he purchased crossing rights from Chief Abraham of the Kootenai tribe, to serve prospectors heading to a gold rush in British Columbia’s East Kootenays. The ferry was leased and later owned by Richard Fry starting in 1875. The present city of Bonners Ferry was incorporated in 1899, much of it originally built on stilts to withstand seasonal Kootenai River flooding. In April 2024, the Bonners Ferry city council unanimously voted to continue flying the Canadian flag at its visitor center despite state restrictions on foreign flags at government properties, a symbolic gesture honoring the region’s historic and economic ties to nearby British Columbia.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Boundary County Veterans Services – confirm current contact via boundarycountyid.org.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Boundary County District Library (Bonners Ferry) – confirm current address/phone via the county library system.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge, the Selkirk and Cabinet Mountain ranges, and the historic Boundary County Courthouse (National Register of Historic Places) are the county’s premier heritage and recreational attractions. Bonners Ferry has been recognized by Idaho’s governor as the “Most Friendly Town in Idaho.”
Notes: The genuine, unique geographic distinction of Boundary County as the only U.S. county bordered by two states and a foreign country is among the standout local facts covered in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Boundary County Assessor’s Office – confirm current contact via boundarycountyid.org.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Confirm current dedicated shelter contact via boundarycountyid.org; Boundary County Sheriff’s Office for animal control arrangements.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Boundary County Solid Waste / Planning & Zoning – confirm current contact via boundarycountyid.org.
NOTES: Boundary County is the eleventh county completed in Idaho’s Round 3 v2 redo, under the A+ sourced standard established for this project. The genuine, unique geographic distinction of Boundary County as the only U.S. county bordered by two states and a foreign country is 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 Boundary County
Boundary County is the Kootenai Tribe’s homeland – the 1974 Kootenai declaration of war on the United States to draw attention to their landless status was one of the most creative acts of Indigenous advocacy in modern American history, resulting in the tribe receiving a federal land base.
Bonners Ferry (the county seat, population ~2,600) serves the county’s timber, agricultural, and increasingly residential communities in the Kootenai River valley at the Canadian border.
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Boundary County Assessor at 6452 Kootenai Street, Suite 17, Bonners Ferry, ID 83805, phone 208-267-2301. ID homeowner’s exemption up to $125,000.
Courts & Legal
Boundary County District Court at 6452 Kootenai Street, Bonners Ferry, ID 83805, phone 208-267-5504, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK / ADMINISTRATOR
6452 Kootenai St., Bonners Ferry, ID 83805
(208) 267-2242
CLERK OF COURT (Records, Marriage Licenses)
6452 Kootenai St., Bonners Ferry, ID 83805
(208) 267-5504
ELECTIONS / CLERK
6452 Kootenai St., Bonners Ferry, ID 83805
(208) 267-2242
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Boundary County Magistrate Court (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Boundary 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
Boundary County Magistrate Court 6452 Kootenai Street, P.O. Box 419, Bonners Ferry, ID 83805 (208) 267-5504
Boundary County is Idaho’s northernmost county, created in 1915, and the only Idaho county with an international border (Canada). The 1941 Boundary County Courthouse (Art Deco, National Register of Historic Places) was built by the WPA.
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 Boundary 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 Boundary 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
6566 Main St., Bonners Ferry, ID 83805
(208) 267-3151
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS / CLERK
6452 Kootenai St., Bonners Ferry, ID 83805
(208) 267-2242
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Idaho Dept of Health & Welfare — Panhandle
(208) 769-1421
Idaho Medicaid
(800) 926-2588
Boundary Community Hospital
boundarycommunityhospital.org
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Panhandle Health District (serving Boundary County) – confirm current contact via panhandlehealthdistrict.org.
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Bonners Ferry
Population: 12,500
Area: 1,278 sq mi
Established: 1915
Tier: 3
Public Records
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