Idaho Code §§ 6-301 to 6-324 § 6-310A

LIMITED ALTERNATIVE REMEDY TO REMOVE UNAUTHORIZED PERSONS FROM RESIDENTIAL REAL PROPERTY.

In Force
Verified 10/22/2026 · Next check 10/23/2026
IdahoEviction & Just Cause

Operative Text

Idaho Code §§ 6-301 to 6-324 § 6-310A
(1) The legislature finds that the right to exclude others from entering, and the right to direct others to immediately vacate, residential real property are the most important real property rights. The legislature further finds that existing remedies regarding unauthorized persons who unlawfully remain on residential real property fail to adequately protect the rights of the property owner and fail to adequately discourage theft and vandalism. The intent of this section is to quickly restore possession of residential real property to the lawful owner of the property when the property is being unlawfully occupied and to thereby preserve property rights while limiting the opportunity for criminal activity.
(2) A property owner or the owner’s authorized agent may request from the sheriff of the county in which the property is located the immediate removal of a person or persons unlawfully occupying a residential dwelling pursuant to this section if all of the following conditions are met:
(a) The requesting person is the property owner or authorized agent of the property owner;
(b) The real property that is being occupied includes a residential dwelling;
(c) An unauthorized person or persons have unlawfully entered and remain or continue to reside on the property owner’s property;
(d) The real property was not open to members of the public at the time the unauthorized person or persons entered;
(e) The property owner has directed the unauthorized person to leave the property;
(f) The unauthorized person or persons are not current or former tenants pursuant to a written or oral rental agreement authorized by the property owner;
(g) The unauthorized person or persons are not immediate family members of the property owner; and
(h) There is no pending litigation related to the real property between the property owner and any known unauthorized person.
(3) To request the immediate removal of an unlawful occupant of a residential dwelling, the property owner or the owner’s authorized agent must submit a complaint by presenting a completed and verified "Complaint to Remove Persons Unlawfully Occupying Residential Real Property" to the sheriff of the county in which the real property is located. The submitted complaint must be in substantially the following form:
COMPLAINT TO REMOVE PERSONS UNLAWFULLY OCCUPYING RESIDENTIAL REAL PROPERTY
I, the owner or authorized agent of the owner of the real property located at……, declare under the penalty of perjury that (initial each box):
1….. I am the owner of the real property or the authorized agent of the owner of the real property.
2….. I purchased the property on…..
3….. The real property is a residential dwelling.
4….. An unauthorized person or persons have unlawfully entered and are remaining or residing unlawfully on the real property.
5….. The real property was not open to members of the public at the time the unauthorized person or persons entered.
6….. I have directed the unauthorized person or persons to leave the real property, but they have not done so.
7….. The person or persons are not current or former tenants pursuant to any valid lease authorized by the property owner, and any lease that may be produced by an occupant is fraudulent.
8….. The unauthorized person or persons sought to be removed are not owners or co-owners of the property and have not been listed on the title to the property unless the person or persons have engaged in title fraud.
9….. The unauthorized person or persons are not immediate family members of the property owner.
10….. There is no litigation related to the real property pending between the property owner and any person sought to be removed.
11….. I understand that a person or persons removed from the property pursuant to this procedure may bring a cause of action against me for any false statements made in this complaint, or for wrongfully using this procedure, and that as a result of such action I may be held liable for actual damages, penalties, costs, and reasonable attorney’s fees.
12….. I am requesting the sheriff to immediately remove the unauthorized person or persons from the residential property.
13….. A copy of my valid government-issued identification is attached, or I am an agent of the property owner, and documents evidencing my authority to act on the property owner’s behalf are attached.
I HAVE READ EVERY STATEMENT MADE IN THIS PETITION AND EACH STATEMENT IS TRUE AND CORRECT. I UNDERSTAND THAT THE STATEMENTS MADE IN THIS PETITION ARE BEING MADE UNDER PENALTY OF PERJURY.
…(Signature of Property Owner or Agent of Owner)…
(4) Upon receipt of the complaint, the sheriff shall verify that the person submitting the complaint is the record owner of the real property or the authorized agent of the owner and appears otherwise entitled to relief pursuant to the provisions of this section. If verified, the sheriff shall, without delay, serve a notice to immediately vacate on all the unlawful occupants and shall put the owner in possession of the real property. Service may be accomplished by hand delivery of the notice to an occupant or by posting the notice on the front door or entrance of the dwelling. The sheriff shall also attempt to verify the identities of all persons occupying the dwelling and note the identities on the return of service. If appropriate, the sheriff may arrest any person found in the dwelling for trespass, outstanding warrants, or any other legal cause.
(5) The sheriff is entitled to the same fee for service of the notice to immediately vacate as if the sheriff were serving a writ of restitution. After the sheriff serves the notice to immediately vacate, the property owner or authorized agent may request that the sheriff stand by to keep the peace while the property owner or agent of the owner changes the locks and removes the personal property of the unlawful occupants from the premises to or near the property line. When such a request is made, the sheriff may charge a reasonable hourly rate, and the person requesting the sheriff to stand by and keep the peace is responsible for paying the reasonable hourly rate set by the sheriff. The sheriff is not liable to the unlawful occupant or any other party for loss, destruction, or damage of property. The property owner or the owner’s authorized agent is not liable to an unlawful occupant or any other party for the loss, destruction, or damage to the personal property unless the removal was wrongful.
(6) A person may bring a civil cause of action for wrongful removal under this section. A person harmed by a wrongful removal under this section may be restored to possession of the real property and may recover actual costs and damages incurred, statutory damages equal to triple the fair market rent of the dwelling, court costs, and reasonable attorney’s fees. The court shall advance the cause on the calendar.
(7) The provisions of this section shall not limit the rights of a property owner or limit the authority of a law enforcement officer to arrest an unlawful occupant for trespassing, vandalism, theft, or other crimes.
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

Idaho Code Title 6, Ch. 3, § 6-310A establishes an alternative, expedited process that allows residential property owners to request sheriff-assisted removal of unauthorized occupants—people who are not tenants, former tenants, or immediate family members—without going through a standard eviction court proceeding. The property owner or their agent must submit a sworn complaint form to the county sheriff, who then verifies the claim and, if satisfied, serves a notice to vacate and restores possession to the owner. Persons wrongfully removed under this process retain the right to sue for actual damages, triple the fair market rent of the dwelling, court costs, and attorney's fees.

Written by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6 · Reviewed on October 22, 2026

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Under § 6-310A, a compliant property owner who believes their residential property is being unlawfully occupied by a non-tenant, non-family squatter generally submits the statutory sworn complaint form to the county sheriff, ensuring every condition listed in subsection (2) is met before doing so—including confirming there is no pending litigation involving the occupant. Because the complaint is made under penalty of perjury, operators typically take care to verify that no rental agreement (written or oral) exists and that the occupant is not a former tenant before initiating this process. Property owners should be aware that a wrongful use of this procedure can expose them to liability for actual damages, triple fair market rent, costs, and attorney's fees under subsection (6).

General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.

For Tenants

Section § 6-310A explicitly excludes current and former tenants under any written or oral rental agreement from the expedited removal process, meaning that if an occupant has or had a landlord-authorized tenancy, this procedure generally cannot lawfully be used against them. A person who believes they have been wrongfully removed under this section has a statutory right to file a civil action to be restored to possession and to recover actual damages, triple the fair market rent, court costs, and reasonable attorney's fees, with the court required to advance the case on its calendar. Occupants facing removal under § 6-310A may wish to contact a tenant-rights organization or legal aid office to understand whether the conditions of the statute were properly met before the sheriff acted.

General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.

Generated October 22, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.

Effective Timeline

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References Out

No outbound references recorded yet for this provision.

References In

Rules and statutes that cite this regulation

Idaho Code § 6-302
Idaho Code § 6-303
Idaho Code § 6-302
Idaho Code § 6-303
Idaho Code § 6-303
Idaho Code § 6-302
Idaho Code § 6-303
Idaho Code § 6-316
Idaho Code § 6-303
Idaho Code § 6-316
Idaho Code § 6-310
Idaho Code § 6-311C
Idaho Code § 6-320
Idaho Code § 6-310
Idaho Code § 6-320
Idaho Code § 6-303

Related Rules

§ 151.20
TEMPORARY EVICTION CONTROLS AND RENT REDUCTIONS FOR MOBILE HOMES DAMAGED IN THE JANUARY, 1994 EARTHQUAKE
§ 1
Definitions
§ 2
Eviction of tenants prohibited; exceptions

Source Information

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