Back to Idaho
Bonner County, ID Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Bonner County detail |
|---|---|
| Court | The magistrate division of the district court at the Bonner County Courthouse. Probate is assigned to the magistrate division and heard by a magistrate judge (Idaho Const. art. V, § 20; Idaho Code § 1-2201, § 1-2208). |
| Courthouse address | Bonner County Courthouse, 215 South 1st Avenue, Sandpoint, ID 83864. |
| Mailing address | 215 South 1st Avenue, Sandpoint, ID 83864. |
| Phone | (208) 265-1432, clerk of the district court, Bonner County. The Idaho court directory also lists (208) 265-1434 as an alternate number. |
| Fax | 888-960-4885, listed by Bonner County for the clerk of the district court's office. Do not assume probate papers may be filed by fax without asking the clerk. |
| Hours | 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, Pacific time. Call before traveling to confirm courthouse hours, filing cutoffs and holiday closures. |
| Filing fee | $166.00 to open a probate in the magistrate division, effective July 12, 2024, whether by petition for formal probate or application for informal probate. The amount includes the $120 magistrate-division filing fee, the $26 judges' retirement fund fee, a $10 Idaho Code fund fee and a $10 civil administrative surcharge (Idaho Code § 31-3201A, § 1-2003, § 73-213, § 31-3201). |
| Local forms | Bonner County's courts page and Bonner County's Court Assistance Office page do not list a county probate packet. Ask the Court Assistance Office at courtselfhelp.idaho.gov/Local/Bonner whether any Pb probate form is appropriate for your situation. |
| E-filing | Attorneys must file electronically. A self-represented personal representative may use iCourt File and Serve, but may instead file on paper with the clerk; a self-represented filer who chooses electronic filing must keep using it unless the court allows withdrawal (Idaho Rules for Electronic Filing and Service Rule 4). |
| Original will | If a case with an original will is e-filed, the original will must also be filed conventionally within seven business days (I.R.E.F.S. Rule 5(a)). |
| Case search | Idaho uses the iCourt Portal at mycourts.idaho.gov. Ask the clerk what is visible for a Bonner County estate; access to court records is governed by Idaho Court Administrative Rule 32. |
| Remote appearance | Idaho R. Civ. P. 7.2 lets the court hold certain hearings by telephone or video teleconference at the court's discretion. No Bonner County probate calendar or local remote rule was established for this page. |
| Website | Bonner County's courts page: https://www.bonnercountyid.gov/courts. Idaho's First Judicial District: https://isc.idaho.gov/district-1. |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file anything in Sandpoint, make a list of the decedent's assets, debts, beneficiary designations, co-owned property and known creditors. Idaho venue turns on the decedent's domicile at death, and the right Bonner County filing path depends on whether there is a will, whether an original will must be lodged, whether real property is involved and who is asking to act as personal representative (Idaho Code § 15-3-201).
Sunset's estate settlement process starts with asset discovery across more than 2,300 financial institutions, then helps organize the information into a probate packet or an attorney handoff. That prevents a Bonner County estate settlement from being opened before the family understands what actually needs court authority.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Idaho has no separate court for decedents' estates: probate is a case class assigned to the magistrate division of the district court, which sits in every one of Idaho's 44 counties, and a magistrate judge hears it (Idaho Const. art. V, § 20; Idaho Code § 1-2201, § 1-2208). The papers are filed with the clerk of the district court at the Bonner County Courthouse.
Bonner County is in Idaho's First Judicial District, which includes Benewah, Bonner, Boundary, Kootenai and Shoshone Counties. The district has eight district judges, and two resident district-judge chambers are established in Bonner County (Idaho Code § 1-802). The district organizes judges and local rules; it does not move a Bonner County estate filing to another county.
Venue for the first informal or formal testacy or appointment proceeding is the county where the decedent was domiciled at death. If the decedent was not domiciled in Idaho, venue may be in a county where the decedent had property (Idaho Code § 15-3-201). Bonner County communities include Sandpoint, Ponderay, Kootenai, Dover, Priest River and Oldtown.
The jurisdiction process
- Choose the filing path. Informal probate uses an application; formal probate uses a petition; a surviving spouse who is the sole beneficiary may need to ask about summary administration under Idaho Code § 15-3-1205, including the debt-liability rule in that section. If personal property can be collected without opening a case, the collection of personal property by affidavit is governed by Idaho Code § 15-3-1201.
- Prepare the Bonner County filing. Bonner County does not list a county probate packet on its courts page or Court Assistance Office page, and the Court Assistance Office at courtselfhelp.idaho.gov does not list a full probate packet. A personal representative or attorney drafts the application or petition under Idaho Code Title 15, chapter 3.
- File with the clerk of the district court at the Bonner County Courthouse, 215 South 1st Avenue, Sandpoint. Attorneys must use electronic filing under the Idaho Rules for Electronic Filing and Service. A self-represented personal representative may use iCourt File and Serve or file on paper with the clerk, but choosing electronic filing is a one-way election for the life of the case unless the court allows withdrawal (I.R.E.F.S. Rule 4).
- Pay the filing fee. The fee to open an informal or formal probate is $166.00, effective July 12, 2024, under the Idaho Supreme Court schedule and Idaho Code § 31-3201A, § 1-2003, § 73-213 and § 31-3201. If you cannot prepay fees, ask the clerk about the affidavit and court-finding process under Idaho Code § 31-3220.
- If there is a will, handle the original correctly. If the case is e-filed, the original will must also be filed conventionally within seven business days (I.R.E.F.S. Rule 5(a)).
- For informal probate, the registrar, meaning a magistrate judge or district judge and not the clerk, makes the statutory findings and may issue a written statement of informal probate after the required waiting period (Idaho Code § 15-1-307, § 15-3-302). For informal appointment, the registrar may appoint the personal representative after the waiting period in Idaho Code § 15-3-307.
- For formal probate, follow the court's notice and hearing process. Formal proceedings are conducted before a judge with notice to interested persons, and Idaho has an uncontested formal-probate route (Idaho Code § 15-1-201, § 15-3-401, § 15-3-405).
- Ask before planning on a remote hearing. Idaho R. Civ. P. 7.2 allows the court to hold certain hearings by telephone or video teleconference at the court's discretion. In a surviving-spouse summary administration, the statute also allows a proper motion to appear telephonically or affidavits in place of personal attendance (Idaho Code § 15-3-1205).
- After appointment, use the correct authority document. Idaho letters include letters testamentary when there is a will and letters of administration when there is no will (Idaho Code § 15-1-201, § 15-3-103).
- Administer and close the estate. Prepare the inventory within three months after appointment, send it to interested persons who request it, and remember that filing the inventory with the court is permissive under Idaho Code § 15-3-706. Idaho allows publication of notice to creditors to start the four-month claim period, with a 60-day mailed-notice rule for actual-notice creditors (Idaho Code § 15-3-801).
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Bonner County
Bonner County does not list a county probate packet on its courts page, and the Court Assistance Office page for Bonner County at courtselfhelp.idaho.gov/Local/Bonner does not list a county probate packet. The statewide Court Assistance Office site at courtselfhelp.idaho.gov should still be checked for any current Pb probate form that may apply, but a personal representative should not assume that Guide and File will prepare a Bonner County probate filing.
For an informal case, the filing document is an application; for a formal case, it is a petition. If an original will exists and the case is e-filed, I.R.E.F.S. Rule 5(a) requires the original will to be filed conventionally within seven business days.
Local nuance
Bonner County-specific considerations
| Local point | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Bonner County is on Pacific time | Most of Idaho is on Mountain time. If you are calling the Sandpoint courthouse from outside the area, confirm the time zone before calling about filing, hearing or estate settlement deadlines. |
| The county lists resident magistrate judges at the courthouse | Bonner County's own courts page lists resident magistrate judges at the Bonner County Courthouse. Probate is still a magistrate-division case under Idaho Code § 1-2208, and the filing counter remains the clerk of the district court in Sandpoint. |
| Bonner County is part of the First Judicial District | Bonner County is one of five counties in Idaho's First Judicial District, and two resident district-judge chambers are established in Bonner County (Idaho Code § 1-802). Do not file a Bonner County estate in another First District county unless the court orders a transfer under Idaho Code § 15-3-201 or § 15-1-303. |
Recent updates
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely Bonner County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse w/ co-owned home | Start by identifying how the home is titled and whether the spouse is the sole beneficiary. Idaho's surviving-spouse summary administration route may apply when the spouse is the sole beneficiary, but it carries the debt-liability rule in Idaho Code § 15-3-1205. | Sunset organizes deeds, account information and beneficiary clues so the spouse can decide whether to file in Sandpoint or ask a Bonner County probate attorney to review the route. |
| Out-of-state adult child w/ small estate | If only personal property needs collection and the estate subject to probate fits the affidavit route, Idaho Code § 15-3-1201 controls. If a court case is needed, file in Bonner County only if venue is proper under Idaho Code § 15-3-201. A self-represented filer may choose paper filing or iCourt File and Serve under the Idaho Rules for Electronic Filing and Service. | Sunset helps identify accounts before travel decisions are made, then can generate an estate settlement packet or connect the child with a vetted Idaho probate attorney. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A home sale usually requires clear court authority or another valid title route. In Bonner County, the parent should expect to file an application or petition with the clerk of the district court in Sandpoint and obtain letters testamentary or letters of administration if appointed (Idaho Code § 15-1-201, § 15-3-103). | Sunset gathers asset information, helps prepare the court packet and can coordinate attorney help when real property, creditor questions or family disagreements make estate settlement more complex. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How to use it | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Court Assistance Office for Bonner County | Document review and legal information for people representing themselves, through the Idaho Supreme Court's Court Assistance Office at courtselfhelp.idaho.gov/Local/Bonner. The Bonner office is at the Bonner County Courthouse, 215 S. 1st Avenue, Sandpoint. | 208-446-1225. In person every Wednesday by appointment, plus walk-in hours the first Friday of each month, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., in Courtroom 5. |
| Idaho Legal Aid Services | Statewide civil legal aid intake. Its service list does not include probate administration, so use it as an intake resource rather than a promised estate representative. | Legal Advice Line 208-746-7541. Online intake: idaholegalaid.org/apply-for-help. |
| Idaho Volunteer Lawyers Program | Advice-and-counsel clinics by appointment. Its wills clinic is estate planning, not estate administration. | ilf.idaho.gov/ivlp/legal-assistance/. |
| Idaho State Bar Lawyer Referral Service | Referral to an Idaho attorney. As of August 2026, the Idaho State Bar lists a $35 referral fee except for exempted case types, with an initial consultation of up to a half hour at no fee. | isb.idaho.gov/lawyer-referral-service/. Phone: (208) 334-4500. |
| Idaho State Law Library | Statewide legal research help and public law library access. | isll.idaho.gov. Phone: (208) 364-4555. |
When to hire an attorney
Counsel often makes sense in Bonner County when the estate includes real property, a business, creditor disputes, tax filings, a contested will, family conflict, a nonresident decedent, or uncertainty about community property. Idaho does not require every personal representative to hire counsel, but the Court Assistance Office does not give legal advice and Bonner County does not list a ready-made county probate packet. Sunset connects families to a vetted attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across more than 2,300 financial institutions and helps families build a clearer picture of the accounts, insurance, investments, debts and real property that drive estate settlement decisions.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset organizes the information needed for a Bonner County application or petition, including the asset list, family information and documents a personal representative or attorney typically needs before filing in Sandpoint.
Find a local probate attorney. When a Bonner County estate involves real property, a sale, a dispute or questions about Idaho procedure, Sunset can connect the family with a vetted Idaho probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Sunset gives families one place to track estate settlement tasks, assets, documents and next steps, without charging families for the core service.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Bonner County?
File with the clerk of the district court at the Bonner County Courthouse, 215 South 1st Avenue, Sandpoint, ID 83864. Idaho probate is assigned to the magistrate division of the district court, and a magistrate judge hears it (Idaho Const. art. V, § 20; Idaho Code § 1-2201, § 1-2208).
Is Bonner County in the First Judicial District?
Yes. Bonner County is in Idaho's First Judicial District with Benewah, Boundary, Kootenai and Shoshone Counties. The First Judicial District has eight district judges, and two resident district-judge chambers are established in Bonner County (Idaho Code § 1-802). A Bonner County estate is still filed in Sandpoint if venue is proper under Idaho Code § 15-3-201.
Can I e-file a Bonner County probate case?
Attorneys must file electronically under the Idaho Rules for Electronic Filing and Service. A self-represented personal representative may use iCourt File and Serve, but may instead file on paper with the Bonner County clerk of the district court; if the self-represented filer chooses electronic filing, the choice continues for the life of the case unless the court allows withdrawal (I.R.E.F.S. Rule 4).
What happens if there is an original will?
If a case involving an original will is e-filed, the original will must also be filed conventionally within seven business days (I.R.E.F.S. Rule 5(a)). If the registrar acts informally, the registrar is a magistrate judge or district judge, not the clerk, and issues the statement of informal probate if the statutory requirements are met (Idaho Code § 15-1-307, § 15-3-302).
How much is the Bonner County probate filing fee?
The filing fee to open an informal or formal probate in the magistrate division is $166.00, effective July 12, 2024. The amount is built from Idaho Code § 31-3201A, § 1-2003, § 73-213 and § 31-3201, and should be confirmed with the Bonner County clerk before filing.
Can the court waive prepayment of probate fees in Idaho?
Idaho Code § 31-3220 allows a court, including the magistrate division, to permit an indigent person to proceed without prepaying fees, costs or security after an affidavit and a court finding. Ask the Bonner County clerk what current local paperwork is used, and remember the ordinary probate filing fee is $166.00, effective July 12, 2024 (Idaho Code § 31-3201A).
Are Bonner County probate forms online?
Bonner County's courts page and its Court Assistance Office page at courtselfhelp.idaho.gov/Local/Bonner do not list a county probate packet. Check with the Court Assistance Office before filing, because Idaho materials may include Pb probate forms that are not presented as a full Bonner County packet.
Can I look up a Bonner County probate case online?
Idaho uses the iCourt Portal at mycourts.idaho.gov for online court information and payments. Ask the Bonner County clerk what is visible for a specific estate case; access to court records is governed by Idaho Court Administrative Rule 32.
Do I have to travel to Sandpoint for a Bonner County probate hearing?
Do not assume either in-person attendance or remote attendance until the court gives instructions. Idaho R. Civ. P. 7.2 allows certain hearings by telephone or video teleconference at the court's discretion. In a surviving-spouse summary administration, Idaho Code § 15-3-1205 allows a proper motion to appear telephonically or affidavits in place of personal attendance, subject to that statute's debt-liability rule.
Does Idaho collect inheritance tax or estate tax on a Bonner County estate?
Idaho has no inheritance tax, no estate tax and no gift tax for current deaths: the Idaho State Tax Commission states at tax.idaho.gov that Idaho has no gift tax or inheritance tax and that its estate tax for deaths expired in 2004. An estate may still have federal tax issues or income tax filing duties.
Shaped by the families we've helped
Thank you to the thousands of families who have trusted Sunset to help settle their loved ones' estates. This page is shaped by the questions they actually asked and the obstacles they actually hit — and that hard-won experience is what keeps it accurate, current, and genuinely useful to the families who come next.