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Idaho County
Washington County, Idaho
Weiser - the National Oldtime Fiddlers' Contest Capital of the World - from the National Oldtime Fiddlers' Contest (the annual June competition in Weiser - held every year since 1953 - is the most prestigious oldtime fiddling competition in the United States, drawing competitors from across the country and internationally to compete in traditional American fiddle music that preserves Appalachian, Celtic, and Western styles in a competition that is the Super Bowl of traditional fiddling) and Weiser's Snake River valley fruit and vegetable production.
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Office: Washington County Sheriff’s Office – 262 E. Court Street, Weiser, ID 83672 | Sheriff Thomas. 34 deputies serve the Weiser, Midvale, and Cambridge areas, including patrol of 52 miles of waterways. Hours: Mon-Fri 8 AM onward. Provides civil paper service, courtroom security, driver’s licenses, and concealed weapons permits.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-95 serves Weiser, the county seat and largest city (home to over half the county’s population), at the confluence of the Weiser and Snake Rivers.
Notes: Washington County was established February 20, 1879, separated from Boise County, named for President George Washington. Weiser is itself named for Peter Weiser, a member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition’s Corps of Discovery; alternate local lore credits trapper-turned-miner Jacob Weiser, who struck it rich in Idaho’s Florence Basin gold rush in 1861. Early settlement in the area began with William Logan and his wife Nancy in 1863, who built a roadhouse anticipating the opening of a nearby ferry crossing on the Snake River.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Washington County Courthouse – 256 East Court Street, Weiser, ID (built 1939, Moderne/Art Deco, architects Tourtellotte & Hummel, builder J.F. Ulmer with Works Progress Administration support; National Register of Historic Places since 1987).
Notes: Weiser is genuinely famous as the home of the National Oldtime Fiddlers’ Contest and Festival, a prestigious annual event drawing musicians and enthusiasts nationwide. The contest was founded by Blaine Stubblefield, a folk-song archivist and writer who also originated regular passenger boat tours through Hells Canyon on the Snake River; Stubblefield is buried in Weiser. Weiser’s historic downtown includes several buildings on the National Register of Historic Places, including the Galloway House, Pythian Castle, and the Union Pacific Train Depot.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Washington County Veterans Services – confirm current contact via co.washington.id.us.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Weiser Public Library (Weiser) – confirm current address/phone via the county library system.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Historic downtown Weiser (Galloway House, Pythian Castle, Union Pacific Depot – all National Register of Historic Places), the annual National Oldtime Fiddlers’ Contest and Festival, and the Weiser-Snake River confluence are the county’s premier heritage and cultural attractions.
Notes: The genuine, nationally prestigious Oldtime Fiddlers’ Contest is among the most distinctive local cultural facts covered anywhere in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Washington County Assessor’s Office – confirm current contact via co.washington.id.us.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Confirm current dedicated shelter contact via co.washington.id.us; Washington County Sheriff’s Office for animal control arrangements.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Washington County Solid Waste / Planning & Zoning – confirm current contact via co.washington.id.us.
NOTES: Washington County is the forty-fourth and FINAL county completed in Idaho’s Round 3 v2 redo, under the A+ sourced standard established for this project – this file completes all 44 Idaho counties. The genuine, nationally prestigious National Oldtime Fiddlers’ Contest hosted in Weiser is among the most distinctive local cultural 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 Washington County
Washington County is the Fiddling Capital of the World – the National Oldtime Fiddlers’ Contest in Weiser has been America’s most prestigious traditional fiddle competition since 1953, preserving Appalachian, Celtic, and Western fiddle traditions in a June festival that is the Super Bowl of traditional American string music.
Weiser (the county seat, population ~5,200) celebrates its fiddling heritage each June while serving the Snake River valley’s agricultural communities on the Oregon border.
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Washington County Assessor at 256 E. Court Street, Suite 4, Weiser, ID 83672, phone 208-414-2090. ID homeowner’s exemption up to $125,000.
Courts & Legal
Washington County District Court at 256 E. Court Street, Weiser, ID 83672, phone 208-414-2091, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK / ADMINISTRATOR
256 E. Court St., Weiser, ID 83672
(208) 414-2091
CLERK OF COURT (Records, Marriage Licenses)
256 E. Court St., Weiser, ID 83672
(208) 414-2091
ELECTIONS / CLERK
256 E. Court St., Weiser, ID 83672
(208) 414-2091
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Washington County Magistrate Court (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Washington 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
Washington County Magistrate Court 256 East Court Street, P.O. Box 670, Weiser, ID 83672 (208) 414-2092; Magistrate: (208) 414-2232
Washington County is one of Idaho’s original counties, in western Idaho along the Snake River, near the Oregon 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 Washington 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 Washington 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
222 E. Court St., Weiser, ID 83672
(208) 414-2121
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS / CLERK
256 E. Court St., Weiser, ID 83672
(208) 414-2091
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Idaho Dept of Health & Welfare — Southwest
(208) 334-5500
Idaho Medicaid
(800) 926-2588
Weiser Memorial Hospital
weisermemorialhospital.org
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Southwest District Health (serving Washington County) – confirm current contact via phd3.idaho.gov.
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Weiser
Population: 10,000
Area: 1,465 sq mi
Established: 1879
Tier: 3
Public Records
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