The average cost of an eviction in Idaho for all filing, court, and service fees is $306. However, the cost varies heavily on service fees. Eviction lawsuits must be filed in District Court.[ttip number=’1′ icon=’popover-balance’]
| Fee | District |
| Initial Court Filing | $166 |
| Summons Service | ~$40+ |
| Writ of Restitution Service & Execution | ~$100+ |
These filing, court, and service fees do not include outside costs such as legal fees or post-eviction fees (i.e., locksmith fees, storage costs for a tenant’s abandoned property, cleaning service fees, repair costs, or advertising costs for a vacant dwelling unit).
1. Initial Court Filing Fee
In Idaho, if the eviction notice expires and the tenant remains on the property without correcting the issue, the landlord may file an eviction lawsuit (“Forcible Entry and Unlawful Detainer”) with the court the following business day.
The filing fee for an initial Forcible Entry and Detainer is $166. Note, the initial court fee is applicable to all counties in Idaho.
2. Summons Service Fee
Once a Complaint is filed in Idaho the court will issue a Summons. The Summons is the tenant’s official notice of an eviction lawsuit and contains important information (i.e., when/where to appear in court). The landlord must arrange for a process server to deliver the Summons to the tenant.
The Summons service fee varies by process server and by county. For example, a sheriff in Payette County charges $40, a sheriff in Canyon County charges $50, and a sheriff in Ada County can charge $55, plus an additional $40 for each additional service address per service packet.
3. Writ of Restitution Service & Execution Fee
Unlike most states, a landlord or landlord’s agent[ttip number=’2′ icon=’popover-balance’] can deliver the writ to the tenant at no cost to the landlord; however, the landlord also has the option to provide a copy to the sheriff to deliver the writ to the tenant.
The sheriff fee’s fee varies by county and includes the service fee and execution fee for enforcing a writ. For example, in Canyon County a sheriff may charge $100, in Kootenai County, a sheriff may charge a service fee of $200, and a sheriff in Ada County may charge $315; however, if a tenant vacates on their own, $200 will be returned to the landlord.
Sources
- 1 ID Code § 6-305 (2021)
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The district court of the county in which the property, or some part of it, is situated, has jurisdiction of proceedings under this chapter.
- 2 ID Code § 6-316 (2021)
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The landlord or his agents may deliver a writ of restitution or provide the sheriff with a copy of the writ of restitution and request that the sheriff deliver the writ. If requested by the landlord or his agents, the sheriff shall deliver a writ of restitution in a form as provided in section 6-311C.
