How to Get a Certified Copy of Your Divorce Decree in Idaho

Every agency you'll deal with after your divorce — Social Security, the DMV, your mortgage lender, PERSI, your bank — will ask for the same thing: a certified copy of your divorce decree. Not a photocopy. Not a printout from the court's online portal. A certified copy with the court clerk's seal and signature.

If you only ordered one certified copy at the time of your divorce, you'll run out fast. Here's how to get more and how many you actually need.

Where to Order Certified Copies

Certified copies of your divorce decree come from the District Court Clerk's office in the county where your divorce was finalized — not from Idaho Vital Records, not from the state capital, and not from iCourt.

You have two options:

In person. Visit the county clerk's office during business hours. Bring a valid photo ID. Staff will pull your case file and produce certified copies while you wait. This is the fastest option — most clerks can have copies ready within 15 to 30 minutes.

By mail. Send a written request to the clerk's office specifying your full legal name, your ex-spouse's name, the case number, and the date of the divorce. Include a check or money order for the fees and a self-addressed stamped envelope. Allow 5 to 10 business days for processing and return mail.

What Certified Copies Cost

Idaho county clerks charge a standard fee structure set by Idaho Code § 31-3205:

• $1.00 per page for the copy
• $1.00 per document for the certification seal

A typical divorce decree runs 3 to 8 pages, so each certified copy costs roughly $4 to $9. Some counties, like Bannock County, charge $0.50 per page if you bring your own copy for certification.

These fees apply per copy. If you need 8 certified copies of a 5-page decree, you're looking at about $48 to $72 total — a minor cost compared to the delays caused by not having enough copies.

How Many Copies Do You Need?

Order more than you think. Each of these agencies typically requires an original certified copy — they won't accept a photocopy of a certified copy, and some won't return the original:

A safe number is 8 to 10 certified copies. If you're dividing retirement accounts, transferring property, and changing your name, you'll use most of them. Running out mid-process means another trip to the courthouse and another week of waiting.

Divorce Decree vs. Divorce Certificate

Idaho Vital Records (part of the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare) can issue a divorce certificate — but this is different from a certified decree. A divorce certificate confirms that a divorce occurred and lists the names and date, but it doesn't contain the full terms of the decree. Most agencies that need to verify specific provisions (property division, name restoration, retirement orders) require the full certified decree, not just the certificate.

If you just need proof that you're divorced — for a new marriage license, for example — the certificate works. For everything else in the post-divorce administrative process, you need the decree.

What If You Can't Find Your Case Number?

Contact the District Court Clerk in the county where the divorce was granted. They can look up your case by the names of both parties and the approximate date of filing. Most Idaho courts use the iCourt system, so clerks have electronic access to case records going back several years.

The Idaho After-Divorce Checklist maps out exactly when you'll need each certified copy in the post-divorce sequence — from name changes to property transfers to retirement division — so you can order the right number upfront and avoid mid-process delays.

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