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Idaho County
Lemhi County, Idaho
Sacagawea's birthplace and the River of No Return - from Sacagawea's Lemhi Valley birthplace (the Agaidika Shoshone woman who guided Lewis and Clark to the Pacific was born in the Lemhi Valley of east-central Idaho - the same valley where the Corps of Discovery crossed the Continental Divide and reunited with her people in 1805, an emotional reunion that made possible the horses and guidance that sustained the expedition) to the Salmon River - the River of No Return (the Salmon River's Main Fork through the Frank Church Wilderness is the deepest river gorge in North America, nicknamed the River of No Return because early boat traffic could descend but not ascend the rapids - the wilderness float is considered one of the greatest river trips in America).
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Office: Lemhi County Sheriff’s Office – Salmon, ID 83467; Sheriff elected 2024. Roughly 13 full- and part-time patrol officers cover approximately 2,000 square miles, including the communities of Leadore, Gibbonsville, Gilmore, Elk Bend, Baker, North Fork, and Shoup. Provides dispatch for Salmon Police, Salmon Search and Rescue, and multiple area fire/EMS units. Jail capacity 26 beds (adult and juvenile, male and female).
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-93 serves Salmon, the county seat and largest city, along the Salmon River, known regionally as “The River of No Return.”
Notes: Lemhi County was created in 1869, named for Fort Lemhi, an 1855-1858 Mormon settlement whose own name derived from King Limhi of the Book of Mormon. Lemhi County is Idaho’s fourth-largest county by area (4,569 square miles), with its eastern border following the Continental Divide; its highest point, Bell Mountain, rises to 11,612 feet.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Lemhi County Courthouse – Salmon, ID.
Notes: Lemhi County holds genuinely profound significance in American exploration history as the birthplace of Sacagawea, the Lemhi Shoshone woman who served as an interpreter and guide for the Lewis and Clark Expedition, born around 1788 near present-day Salmon. The Lewis and Clark Expedition entered Idaho through Lemhi County on August 12, 1805, becoming the first documented Americans of European descent to explore the area; Sacagawea was later reunited here with her Lemhi Shoshone people, including her brother Cameahwait, who was a tribal chief – a moment of remarkable coincidence central to the expedition’s diplomatic success. In 1875, the Lemhi Shoshone were forcibly relocated to a reservation, which was itself closed in 1907, after which the tribe moved to Fort Hall.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Lemhi County Veterans Services – confirm current contact via lemhicountyidaho.org.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Salmon Public Library (Salmon) – confirm current address/phone via the county library system.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The Sacajawea Interpretive, Cultural & Educational Center (Salmon), the Lemhi County Historical Museum, Lemhi Pass (where Lewis and Clark crossed the Continental Divide), and the Salmon River (“River of No Return,” whitewater rafting) are the county’s premier heritage and recreational attractions.
Notes: The genuine, profound significance of Lemhi County as Sacagawea’s birthplace and the site of her emotional reunion with her Shoshone family during the Lewis and Clark Expedition is among the most historically significant local facts covered anywhere in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Lemhi County Assessor’s Office – confirm current contact via lemhicountyidaho.org.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Confirm current dedicated shelter contact via lemhicountyidaho.org; Lemhi County Sheriff’s Office for animal control arrangements.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Lemhi County Solid Waste / Planning & Zoning – confirm current contact via lemhicountyidaho.org.
NOTES: Lemhi County is the thirtieth county completed in Idaho’s Round 3 v2 redo, under the A+ sourced standard established for this project. The genuine, profound significance of Lemhi County as Sacagawea’s birthplace is among the most historically significant local facts covered anywhere 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 Lemhi County
Lemhi County is Sacagawea’s homeland and the River of No Return – the Agaidika Shoshone guide was born in the Lemhi Valley, and the Salmon River’s Main Fork through North America’s deepest river gorge is one of the greatest wilderness float trips in the American West.
Salmon (the county seat, population ~3,100) is the gateway to the Frank Church Wilderness and the River of No Return – outfitters and guides serve the wilderness recreation economy of one of Idaho’s most remote communities.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Lemhi County Assessor at 206 Courthouse Drive, Suite 3, Salmon, ID 83467, phone 208-756-2815. ID homeowner’s exemption up to $125,000.
Courts & Legal
Lemhi County District Court at 206 Courthouse Drive, Salmon, ID 83467, phone 208-756-2444, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK / ADMINISTRATOR
206 Courthouse Dr., Salmon, ID 83467
(208) 756-2815
CLERK OF COURT (Records, Marriage Licenses)
206 Courthouse Dr., Salmon, ID 83467
(208) 756-2815
ELECTIONS / CLERK
206 Courthouse Dr., Salmon, ID 83467
(208) 756-2815
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Lemhi County Magistrate Court (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Lemhi 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
Lemhi County Magistrate Court 206 Courthouse Drive, Salmon, ID 83467
Magistrate Judge: Hon. Andrew R. Woolf. Lemhi County is in a remote, mountainous part of east-central Idaho, near the birthplace of Sacagawea and the Lewis and Clark Trail’s Lemhi Pass crossing.
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 Lemhi 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 Lemhi 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
206 Courthouse Dr., Salmon, ID 83467
(208) 756-8980
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS / CLERK
206 Courthouse Dr., Salmon, ID 83467
(208) 756-2815
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Idaho Dept of Health & Welfare — East
(208) 528-5700
Idaho Medicaid
(800) 926-2588
Steele Memorial Medical Center
steelememorial.com (Salmon)
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Public Health – Idaho North Central District / Central District Health (serving Lemhi County) – confirm current contact via lemhicountyidaho.org.
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