Idaho law allows concealed carrying without a license by a person over 18 years old who is a citizen of the United States or a current member of the armed forces of the United States, and who is not otherwise prohibited.

That 18-and-up floor matters more than people realize. A lot of guys at the range assume the age was always 18 — it wasn't. House Bill 206 in 2019 is what dropped it from 21. If you've got a kid heading off to college who's 18-20 and wants a permit for out-of-state reciprocity, there's a provisional license path worth knowing about.

Permitless carry does not mean anyone can carry. Federal prohibitions are fully enforceable in Idaho regardless of state law. If you're federally prohibited, you're prohibited — full stop.

Worth repeating at every gun counter in the Treasure Valley. Constitutional Carry doesn't carve out exceptions from federal law — it never did. The number of people who conflate "no permit required" with "no restrictions apply" is not zero.

Within Idaho, an enhanced permit gives you no additional carry rights over permitless carry on the street. Its value is strictly for out-of-state reciprocity and campus carry privileges.

This is the thing most people at the local gun shop either don't know or explain wrong. If you never leave Idaho and don't set foot on a college campus, the enhanced permit costs you money and a Saturday. If you drive through Nevada or Utah regularly, or your kid goes to U of I, it's worth the 8-hour class and the 98 rounds — which honestly isn't a bad day at the range anyway.

In Idaho, a business owner who posts a sign isn't creating a separate firearms offense if you ignore it. What they can do is communicate the prohibition verbally, and if you refuse to comply, you're looking at trespass, not a firearms charge.

This is a real and meaningful distinction from states like Texas where a properly posted 30.06 sign carries legal weight. In Idaho, the sign is a request with teeth only if they ask you to leave and you don't. Know the difference before you travel — what applies here doesn't apply everywhere.

For those of you carrying in Idaho or traveling out of state with a permit — what pushed you to get the enhanced over just riding on permitless carry, or what's kept you from bothering with the permit at all?

Read the full article in The Handbook →