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Idaho County
Jerome County, Idaho
Jerome's dairy capital and the Magic Valley agricultural miracle - from Jerome County's extraordinary dairy industry (Jerome County is one of the most productive dairy counties in the United States - the Magic Valley's combination of abundant Snake River irrigation water, rich volcanic soil alfalfa production, and a mild enough climate for year-round dairy operations has made the area one of the most concentrated dairy producing regions in the country, with Jerome County and its neighbors producing more milk per square mile than almost any other region in America) and the Snake River's Thousand Springs scenic byway along Jerome County's northern border.
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Office: Jerome County Sheriff’s Office – 2151 S. Tiger Drive, Jerome, ID 83338 | (208) 595-3300 | Fax (208) 595-3304; Sheriff George Oppedyk. Hours: Mon-Fri 7:30 AM-4:15 PM. Non-emergency dispatch via SIRCOMM (208) 324-1911, which also serves Gooding, Lincoln, and Twin Falls Counties. Jerome County Jail (208) 595-3360.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: I-84 serves Jerome, the county seat and largest city, in the Magic Valley region.
Notes: Jerome County was created February 8, 1919, from parts of Gooding, Minidoka, and Lincoln Counties – genuinely Idaho’s 43rd county. The area was earlier part of the now-defunct Alturas County. Its namesake is debated: either Jerome Kuhn, son of a local landowner, or Jerome Hill, who was reportedly commissioned to scout a townsite and got lost overnight in the local lava fields and sagebrush during the search.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Jerome County government offices – 300 North Lincoln Avenue, Jerome, ID | (208) 644-2714 | Fax (208) 644-2709. Hours: Mon-Fri 8:30 AM-5 PM.
Notes: Jerome County holds genuinely profound and sobering national historical significance as the site of the Minidoka War Relocation Center (also called Camp Hunt), where the U.S. government forcibly incarcerated more than 13,000 Japanese Americans and Japanese resident aliens – most from the Seattle and Portland areas – between August 1942 and October 1945, under Executive Order 9066 during World War II. Located in an isolated area then known as Hunt, roughly 15 miles from the town of Jerome, the camp reached a peak population of 9,397 in March 1943 and is remembered as one of ten such camps nationally. It was designated Minidoka Internment National Monument by President Clinton in 2001 and expanded and renamed Minidoka National Historic Site by Congress in 2008, now administered by the National Park Service; surviving and reconstructed structures include a guard tower, warehouse, mess hall, barrack, and fire station, alongside interpretive trails. This history is presented here briefly and with the gravity it warrants; further detail is available through the National Park Service and the Jerome County Historical Society.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Jerome County Veterans Services – confirm current contact via jeromecountyid.us.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Jerome Public Library (Jerome) – confirm current address/phone via the county library system.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Minidoka National Historic Site (National Park Service, interpretive trail and preserved structures) and the surrounding Snake River Plain are the county’s premier heritage attractions.
Notes: The genuine, profoundly significant history of Japanese American incarceration at Minidoka is among the most historically important local facts covered anywhere in this project, presented with particular care given its severity.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Jerome County Assessor’s Office – confirm current contact via jeromecountyid.us.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Confirm current dedicated shelter contact via jeromecountyid.us; Jerome County Sheriff’s Office for animal control arrangements.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Jerome County Solid Waste / Planning & Zoning – confirm current contact via jeromecountyid.us.
NOTES: Jerome County is the twenty-seventh county completed in Idaho’s Round 3 v2 redo, under the A+ sourced standard established for this project. The genuine, profoundly significant history of Japanese American incarceration at Minidoka is among the most historically important local facts covered anywhere in this project, presented with particular care. 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 Jerome County
Jerome County is the heart of America’s Magic Valley dairy miracle – the Snake River Plain’s combination of irrigation water, volcanic soil alfalfa, and favorable climate has made Jerome County one of the most productive dairy regions in the United States, a concentration of milk production that rivals anything in Wisconsin or California.
Jerome (the county seat, population ~12,000) serves the dairy industry and the surrounding Magic Valley agricultural communities between Twin Falls and Gooding.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Jerome County Assessor at 300 N. Lincoln Avenue, Jerome, ID 83338, phone 208-644-2710. ID homeowner’s exemption up to $125,000.
Courts & Legal
Jerome County District Court at 300 N. Lincoln Avenue, Jerome, ID 83338, phone 208-644-2714, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK / ADMINISTRATOR
300 N. Lincoln Ave., Jerome, ID 83338
(208) 644-2701
CLERK OF COURT (Records, Marriage Licenses)
300 N. Lincoln Ave., Jerome, ID 83338
(208) 644-2701
ELECTIONS / CLERK
300 N. Lincoln Ave., Jerome, ID 83338
(208) 644-2701
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Jerome County Magistrate Court (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Jerome 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
Jerome County Magistrate Court 233 West Main Street, Jerome, ID 83338 Magistrate Judge: Hon. Stacey DePew. Jerome County is in south-central Idaho’s Magic Valley region.
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 Jerome 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 Jerome 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
300 N. Lincoln Ave., Jerome, ID 83338
(208) 324-8900
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS / CLERK
300 N. Lincoln Ave., Jerome, ID 83338
(208) 644-2701
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Idaho Dept of Health & Welfare — South Central
(208) 736-3072
Idaho Medicaid
(800) 926-2588
St. Luke's Magic Valley (Twin Falls)
stlukesonline.org/magic-valley
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: South Central Public Health District (serving Jerome County) – confirm current contact via phd5.idaho.gov.
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Jerome
Population: 24,000
Area: 601 sq mi
Established: 1919
Tier: 3
Public Records
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