Bonners Ferry funeral home that has served Boundary County since 1921 under a series of owners, family owned since its present owner took over in 2021. Also arranges monuments and grave markers and helps families with Social Security and insurance paperwork.
What to Do When Someone Dies in Boundary County, Idaho
When someone dies in Boundary County, Idaho, an estate that needs probate is opened with the Magistrate Court in Bonners Ferry, for a $166 filing fee.
The First Days After a Death in Boundary County
A certified copy of the death certificate from the Idaho Bureau of Vital Records and Health StatisticsIdaho Bureau of Vital Records and Health StatisticsVerified Oct 15, 2026View source costs $16. The coroner for Boundary County is the Boundary County Coroner.
Who controls the funeral and the burial or cremation follows an order set by law: guardian or conservator at time of death, then surviving spouse, then majority of surviving adult childrenIC 54-1142Verified Oct 17, 2026View source. An agent the person named in advance comes before that orderIC 54-1139Verified Oct 17, 2026View source. Cremation carries no statutory minimum waiting periodIC 39-268(2)-(3)Verified Oct 17, 2026View source.
Vital Records Office Record
Idaho Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics
Boundary County · State vital records office
Phone
Website
Certified copies
From Idaho Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics; the Local Registrar files the certificate and issues no copies to the public
Idaho Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics
P.O. Box 83720
Boise, ID 83720-0036
Certified copy fees
| First certified copy | $16 |
Verified October 15, 2026 · Source
Coroner or Medical Examiner Record
Coroner
Boundary County · Boundary County Coroner
Phone
Verified November 3, 2026 · Source
ToolsWhat Do I Do When Someone Dies? · How Do I Settle an Estate? · How Many Death Certificates Do I Need? · How Much Does a Funeral Cost?
Funeral Homes in Boundary County
Boundary County has 1 funeral home or crematory, in Bonners Ferry.
Probate in Boundary County
Probate cases in Boundary County are filed with the Magistrate Court in Bonners Ferry, in the 1st Judicial District. The same 1st Judicial District also serves Benewah County, Bonner County, Kootenai County and Shoshone County. Opening probate costs $166IRCP Appendix A, Category A (eff. 7/12/2024); Idaho Code § 31-3201A(1)Verified Oct 17, 2026View source in Idaho, the same at every court.
Probate in Idaho typically takes 6 months to 12 months. In Idaho, estates valued at $100,000Idaho Code § 15-3-1201Verified Sep 8, 2026View source or less skip probate with the Small Estate Affidavit, 30 days after death. Creditors have 4 monthsIdaho Code §§ 15-3-801, 15-3-803, 15-3-804, 15-3-805, 15-3-806Verified Oct 18, 2026View source to present a claim, counted from the first publication of the notice to creditors.
Probate Court Record
Boundary County Magistrate Court
Boundary County · 1st Judicial District
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 9:00 AM-5:00 PM PT
Office
6452 Kootenai Street, Bonners Ferry, ID 83805
Website
E-filing
Self-represented filing
Allowed
Self-help forms
E-filing
OptionalAttorneys must e-file through iCourt File and Serve (I.R.E.F.S. Rule 4(a)). Self-represented individuals may e-file or file on paper; one who chooses to e-file continues to e-file for the life of the case unless the court grants a motion to withdraw (Rule 4(b)). An original will is filed both electronically and on paper, the paper filing within seven business days of the electronic one (Rule 5(a)). On paper: Original wills (must also be filed conventionally within 7 business days).
Self-represented filing
AllowedSelf-represented individuals may file probate. The First District Court Assistance Office does not help with probate, wills or estates; the Idaho Court Assistance Office publishes probate guidance in the Wills & Probate section of its publications page.
Self-help center
- Boundary County Annex Building, 6566 Main Street, Bonners Ferry1-208-446-1225 · d1cao@idcourts.govThe First District Court Assistance Office holds walk-in hours at the Boundary County Annex Building on the third Friday of the month from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and a family law class by Zoom on Wednesdays at 10 a.m. The office does not help with probate, wills or estates.
P.O. Box 419
Bonners Ferry, ID 83805
Fax
1-208-267-7814
Departments
- Clerk of the District Court1-208-267-2242 · 6452 Kootenai Street
About the court
- The courthouse is at 6452 Kootenai Street in Bonners Ferry, and the court keeps Pacific time. The 1st Judicial District includes Benewah, Bonner, Boundary, Kootenai, and Shoshone counties.
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
What Probate Costs in Boundary County
Probate on a $500,000 estate in Idaho costs an estimated $24,719Idaho Code § 15-3-721 (court reviews reasonableness of attorney compensation; no statutory percentage) — see also § 15-3-720 (reasonable attorney fees in estate litigation)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source, counting the court fee, the executor's and the attorney's pay, the bond and publication.
Free formsSmall Estate Affidavit →
ToolsDo I Need Probate? · How Much Does Probate Cost? · Who Inherits Without a Will? · What Is the Estate's Personal Property Worth for Probate?
Serving as Executor in Boundary County
The court's appointment comes as Letters Testamentary (with a will) or Letters of Administration (no will)Idaho Code §§ 15-3-103 (appointment & letters required), 15-3-301 to 15-3-311 (informal), 15-3-401 to 15-3-414 (formal)Verified Aug 24, 2026View source. A person can apply for the appointment without a lawyer. Informal probate is availableIdaho Code § 15-3-301Verified Sep 8, 2026View source, with less court supervision than a formal case. No bond is required by default before letters issueIdaho Code §§ 15-3-603 (no bond unless ordered), 15-3-604 to 15-3-606Verified Aug 24, 2026View source. Someone named as executor who will not serve declines by a written renunciation filed with the courtIdaho Code § 15-3-203(c)Verified Sep 23, 2026View source.
Notice to creditors is published in a newspaperIdaho Code §§ 15-3-801, 15-3-803, 15-3-804, 15-3-805, 15-3-806Verified Oct 18, 2026View source for 3 consecutive weeks. The estate inventory is due within 90 daysIdaho Code §§ 15-3-706, 15-3-707, 15-3-708Verified Sep 15, 2026View source of appointment. An executor is paid reasonable compensation from the estateIdaho Code § 15-3-719 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source. Probate attorneys are paid reasonable compensation from the estateIdaho Code § 15-3-721 (court reviews reasonableness of attorney compensation; no statutory percentage) — see also § 15-3-720 (reasonable attorney fees in estate litigation)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source.
ToolsHow Do I Get Letters Testamentary? · Can I Self-File Probate? · How Much Can an Executor Charge? · What Are the Creditor Claim Deadlines?
Homes, Accounts and Debts in Boundary County
A deed from the personal representative, an affidavit that records a death, or a court order is recorded with the County Recorder for Boundary County. Recording a 2-page document there costs $15 in recording fees. Idaho owners hold with a right of survivorship as joint tenants, where the deed declares a joint interest, or as spouses holding community property with right of survivorship, where the deed expressly declares it. That community property passes to the surviving spouse at the death; a spouse may end the right during the marriage by recording an affidavit terminating right of survivorshipIdaho Code § 55-816; Idaho Code § 31-2402(1)(n); Idaho Code §§ 15-6-401, 55-104, 55-805Verified Oct 26, 2026View source.
The estate's bank account can be at any bank, in any stateIdaho Code § 15-3-715(5) (added 1971, ch. 111; am. 2011, ch. 69)Verified Nov 2, 2026View source. Property the state holds as unclaimed for the person who died is claimed from the Idaho State Treasurer's Office, Unclaimed Property DivisionIdaho Code Title 14, Chapter 5 (Revised Unclaimed Property Act)Verified Aug 24, 2026View source. An estate that cannot pay every debt pays them in an order set by statute, in 6Idaho Code § 15-3-805Verified Sep 23, 2026View source classes. A representative who distributes to heirs while claims are open can be personally liableIdaho Code § 15-3-807(a), (b)(1); § 15-3-1004; § 15-3-1006; § 15-3-909Verified Sep 23, 2026View source.
Recording Office Record
County Recorder
Boundary County
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 9:00 AM-5:00 PM
Office
6452 Kootenai Street, Bonners Ferry, ID 83805
Website
P.O. Box 419
Bonners Ferry, ID 83805
Fax
1-208-267-7814
Recording fees
| Base fee (first 30 pages) | $15 |
| Each page beyond 30 | $3 |
Idaho Code 31-3205 (recorder's fees). Deeds, grants and transfers of title to real property of 30 pages or fewer: $15.00 flat. All other instruments: $10.00 first page + $3.00 each additional page.
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
Free formsAffidavit of Death →Affidavit of Heirship →Letter of Instruction →Digital Assets Recovery Letter →
ToolsWhat Happens to Jointly Owned Property When an Owner Dies? · How Do I Open an Estate Account When Someone Dies? · How Do I Claim a Deceased Person's Unclaimed Property? · What Happens When an Estate Is Insolvent?
Taxes and Benefits
There is no estate tax and no inheritance tax in IdahoNo state estate, inheritance, or gift tax. Idaho Code Title 14, ch. 4 (Estate and Transfer Tax Reform Act of 1988) was repealed in full by H.B. 381, 2020 Idaho Sess. Laws ch. 65 (eff. July 1, 2020); the estate tax had applied only to deaths before Jan. 1, 2005. Idaho State Tax Commission: "Idaho has no gift tax or inheritance tax, and its estate tax for deaths expired in 2004."Verified Sep 15, 2026View source. The final state income tax return for the year of death is Form 40Idaho Code § 63-3030 (persons required to file); Idaho Code § 63-3032 (time for filing); Idaho Code § 63-3024 (5.3% tax on individuals, trusts and estates); Idaho Code § 63-3033 (automatic extension)Verified Sep 10, 2026View source. The federal estate tax exempts the first $15,000,00026 USC 2001(c), 2010; P.L. 119-21 §70106Verified Sep 15, 2026View source per person.
Social Security pays a one-time death payment of $25542 U.S.C. § 402(i) (Social Security Act § 202(i)), first sentenceVerified Oct 26, 2026View source to a surviving spouse who lived in the same household, or else to a spouse or child entitled to survivor benefits for the month of death42 U.S.C. § 402(i), first and second sentencesVerified Oct 26, 2026View source. A surviving spouse can take an elective shareIdaho Code §§ 15-2-201, 15-2-202, 15-2-203, 15-2-205, 15-2-207, 15-2-208Verified Sep 15, 2026View source of 50% in place of what the will leaves.
ToolsDo I Have to File Tax Returns for Someone Who Died? · What Taxes Apply to My Inheritance? · What Social Security Survivor Benefits Can I Get? · How Does Step-Up in Basis Work?
Probate Attorneys
More for settling an estate in IdahoAll Idaho settlement forms · All Idaho settlement tools
Legal Sources
(29)·
- 26 USC 2001(c), 2010; P.L. 119-21 §70106
- 42 U.S.C. § 402(i) (Social Security Act § 202(i)), first sentence
- 42 U.S.C. § 402(i), first and second sentences
- IC 39-268(2)-(3)
- IC 54-1139
- IC 54-1142
- Idaho Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics
- Idaho Code § 15-3-1201
- Idaho Code § 15-3-203(c)
- Idaho Code § 15-3-301
- Idaho Code § 15-3-715(5) (added 1971, ch. 111; am. 2011, ch. 69)
- Idaho Code § 15-3-719 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage)
- Idaho Code § 15-3-721 (court reviews reasonableness of attorney compensation; no statutory percentage) — see also § 15-3-720 (reasonable attorney fees in estate litigation)
- Idaho Code § 15-3-805
- Idaho Code § 15-3-807(a), (b)(1); § 15-3-1004; § 15-3-1006; § 15-3-909
- Idaho Code § 55-816; Idaho Code § 31-2402(1)(n); Idaho Code §§ 15-6-401, 55-104, 55-805
- Idaho Code § 63-3030 (persons required to file); Idaho Code § 63-3032 (time for filing); Idaho Code § 63-3024 (5.3% tax on individuals, trusts and estates); Idaho Code § 63-3033 (automatic extension)
- Idaho Code §§ 15-2-201, 15-2-202, 15-2-203, 15-2-205, 15-2-207, 15-2-208
- Idaho Code §§ 15-3-103 (appointment & letters required), 15-3-301 to 15-3-311 (informal), 15-3-401 to 15-3-414 (formal)
- Idaho Code §§ 15-3-603 (no bond unless ordered), 15-3-604 to 15-3-606
- Idaho Code §§ 15-3-706, 15-3-707, 15-3-708
- Idaho Code §§ 15-3-801, 15-3-803, 15-3-804, 15-3-805, 15-3-806
- Idaho Code Title 14, Chapter 5 (Revised Unclaimed Property Act)
- IRCP Appendix A, Category A (eff. 7/12/2024); Idaho Code § 31-3201A(1)
- No state estate, inheritance, or gift tax. Idaho Code Title 14, ch. 4 (Estate and Transfer Tax Reform Act of 1988) was repealed in full by H.B. 381, 2020 Idaho Sess. Laws ch. 65 (eff. July 1, 2020); the estate tax had applied only to deaths before Jan. 1, 2005. Idaho State Tax Commission: "Idaho has no gift tax or inheritance tax, and its estate tax for deaths expired in 2004."
- Idaho Code 31-3205 (recorder's fees). Deeds, grants and transfers of title to real property of 30 pages or fewer: $15.00 flat. All other instruments: $10.00 first page + $3.00 each additional page.
- Boundary County Magistrate Court, official page
- Boundary County Recorder, official page
- Boundary County vital records and death investigation offices, official page
Data sourced from Idaho statutes and official state code. How we research.
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