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Idaho Statutes
Idaho Statutes are updated to the website July 1 following the legislative session.
TRANSPARENT AND ETHICAL GOVERNMENT
CHAPTER 1
PUBLIC RECORDS ACT
74-101. Definitions. As used in this chapter:
(1) "Applicant" means any person formally seeking a paid or volunteer position with a public agency. Applicant does not include any person seeking appointment to a position normally filled by election.
(2) "Copy" means transcribing by handwriting, photocopying, duplicating machine or reproducing by any other means as long as the public record is not altered or damaged.
(3) "Custodian" means the person or persons having personal custody and control of the public records in question.
(4) "Independent public body corporate and politic" means the Idaho housing and finance association as created in chapter 62, title 67, Idaho Code.
(5) "Inspect" means the right to listen, view and make notes of public records as long as the public record is not altered or damaged.
(6) "Investigatory record" means information with respect to an identifiable person, group of persons or entities compiled by a public agency pursuant to its statutory authority in the course of investigating a specific act, omission, failure to act, or other conduct over which the public agency has regulatory authority or law enforcement authority.
(7) "Law enforcement agency" means any state or local agency given law enforcement powers or that has authority to investigate, enforce, prosecute or punish violations of state or federal criminal statutes, ordinances or regulations.
(8) "Local agency" means a county, city, school district, municipal corporation, independent public body corporate and politic, district, public health district, political subdivision, or any agency thereof, or any committee of a local agency, or any combination thereof.
(9) "Person" means any natural person, corporation, partnership, firm, association, joint venture, state or local agency or any other recognized legal entity.
(10) "Prisoner" means a person who has been convicted of a crime and is either incarcerated or on parole for that crime or who is being held in custody for trial or sentencing.
(11) "Public agency" means any state or local agency as defined in this section.
(12) "Public official" means any state, county, local district, independent public body corporate and politic or governmental official or employee, whether elected, appointed or hired.
(13) "Public record" includes, but is not limited to, any writing containing information relating to the conduct or administration of the public’s business prepared, owned, used or retained by any state agency, independent public body corporate and politic or local agency regardless of physical form or characteristics. Provided, however, that personal notes created by a public official solely for his own use shall not be a public record as long as such personal notes are not shared with any other person or entity.
(14) "Requester" means the person requesting examination and/or copying of public records pursuant to section 74-102, Idaho Code.
(15) "State agency" means every state officer, department, division, bureau, commission and board or any committee of a state agency, including those in the legislative or judicial branch, except the state militia and the Idaho state historical society library and archives.
(16)(a) "Unwarranted invasion of personal privacy" means:
(i) Disclosure of information used to identify, locate, or harass a juvenile, a victim of an alleged crime of mass violence or domestic violence, or a victim of physical or sexual abuse; or
(ii) Disclosure where release of information is likely to violate legitimate and substantial privacy interests of the person identified when such interests are weighed against general public information.
(b) Release of the name, age, sex, and hometown of any deceased person after notification of next-of-kin shall not constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy and shall be disclosed unless otherwise exempt under this chapter.
(17) "Writing" includes, but is not limited to, handwriting, typewriting, printing, photostating, photographing and every means of recording, including letters, words, pictures, sounds, or symbols, or combination thereof, and all papers, maps, magnetic or paper tapes, photographic films and prints, magnetic or punched cards, discs, drums or other documents.
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