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Office: Lewis County Sheriff’s Office – 510 Oak Street, Room 5, Nezperce, ID 83543 | (208) 937-2447 | Fax (208) 937-9235; Sheriff Brian Brokop. Serves the communities of Nezperce, Kamiah, Craigmont, Winchester, and Reubens.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911. ⚠️ Naming trap: Lewis County’s seat is the town of “Nezperce” – not to be confused with the separate, larger Nez Perce County (seat Lewiston) directly to the west; always confirm which entity a search result refers to.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: SR-62/64 serve Nezperce, the county seat, on the Camas Prairie; Kamiah is the county’s largest city.
Notes: Lewis County was established March 3, 1911, partitioned from Nez Perce County, named for explorer Meriwether Lewis. Lewis County is genuinely Idaho’s fourth-least populous county (3,533 residents as of 2020). Most of the county lies within the Nez Perce Indian Reservation, though Native Americans make up less than 6% of the county’s population today. The town of Nezperce itself takes its name from a corrupted French phrase, “nez percé” (“pierced nose”), referring to the Nez Perce tribe.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Lewis County Courthouse – Nezperce, ID.
Notes: Lewis County is a small, rural farming community at the heart of north central Idaho’s Camas Prairie region, with historic buildings such as the State Bank of Kamiah reflecting its agricultural heritage.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Lewis County Veterans Services – confirm current contact via lewiscountyid.us.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Nezperce Public Library (Nezperce) – confirm current address/phone via the county library system.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The Camas Prairie farmland, the Nez Perce Indian Reservation heritage sites, and the historic State Bank of Kamiah are the county’s premier heritage attractions.
Notes: The genuine naming similarity between Lewis County’s seat (Nezperce) and neighboring Nez Perce County is worth flagging clearly for residents and visitors alike, given how easily the two are confused.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Lewis County Assessor’s Office – confirm current contact via lewiscountyid.us.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Confirm current dedicated shelter contact via lewiscountyid.us; Lewis County Sheriff’s Office for animal control arrangements.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Lewis County Solid Waste / Planning & Zoning – confirm current contact via lewiscountyid.us.
NOTES: Lewis County is the thirty-first county completed in Idaho’s Round 3 v2 redo, under the A+ sourced standard established for this project. ⚠️ The naming similarity between Lewis County’s seat (Nezperce) and the separate Nez Perce County is flagged clearly, as it is a genuine and easy source of confusion. 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 Lewis County County
Lewis County is north-central Idaho’s Camas Prairie and Nez Perce homeland county – the prairie whose blue camas flowers fed Nez Perce communities for millennia and the dryland wheat and lentil agriculture that followed the homestead era define a rolling prairie community where Nezperce serves the county’s farming families.
Nezperce (the county seat, population ~500) is Lewis County’s governmental hub on ID-62, a north-central Idaho prairie community whose Nez Perce heritage, Camas Prairie setting, and wheat and lentil farming economy anchor its identity.
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Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Lewis County Assessor at 510 Oak Street, Nezperce, ID 83543, phone 208-937-2341. ID assessed at market value.
Courts & Legal
Lewis County District Court at 510 Oak Street, Nezperce, ID 83543, phone 208-937-2771, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK / ADMINISTRATOR
510 Oak St., Nezperce, ID 83543
(208) 937-2661
CLERK OF COURT (Records, Marriage Licenses)
510 Oak St., Nezperce, ID 83543
(208) 937-2661
ELECTIONS / CLERK
510 Oak St., Nezperce, ID 83543
(208) 937-2661
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Lewis County Magistrate Court (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Lewis 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
Lewis County Magistrate Court 510 Oak Street, P.O. Box 39, Nezperce, ID 83543
Magistrate Judge: Hon. Stephen L. Calhoun. Lewis County is one of Idaho’s smaller counties by population, in north-central Idaho.
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 Lewis 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 Lewis 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
510 Oak St., Nezperce, ID 83543
(208) 937-9200
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS / CLERK
510 Oak St., Nezperce, ID 83543
(208) 937-2661
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Idaho Dept of Health & Welfare — North Central
(208) 799-4400
Idaho Medicaid
(800) 926-2588
St. Mary's Hospital (Lewiston — adjacent Nez Perce County)
smh-cvh.org
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Public Health – Idaho North Central District (serving Lewis County) – confirm current contact via nicetho.idaho.gov / phd2.idaho.gov.
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Nezperce
Population: 3,800
Area: 479 sq mi (Idaho's smallest county by area)
Established: 1911
Public Records
TruthFinder
Search public records for Lewis County County residents.
