It’s Complicated, So Let’s Clarify
Often, the answer to this question gets bifurcated and stuffed into an over-simplified “yes” or “no.” The correct answer lies somewhere in between.
If we consult the governing statute within Idaho Code, Section 18-3302K(4)(b), we will read the following:
…(4) The sheriff must deny an enhanced license to carry a concealed weapon if the applicant is disqualified under any of the criteria listed in section 18-3302(11), Idaho Code, or does not meet all of the following qualifications:
…(b) Has been a legal resident of the state of Idaho for at least six (6) consecutive months before filing an application under this section or holds a current license or permit to carry concealed weapons issued by his state of residence;
In this case, the “or” is significant. It tells us that a non-resident may successfully apply for an Enhanced Concealed Weapons License if that person already has a valid license from their home state.
There’s the “yes,” as found in the law.
But Wait—There’s More
To complete the application process, you will need to appear in person at a county sheriff’s office within Idaho. Twice. We have not been able to find a substitute, alternative, or any other workaround to this requirement. Thus, if you live in a nearby state or have the means and opportunity to travel at your leisure, these two appearances may not pose much of an obstacle. But for others, the two appearances may simply put the Idaho Enhanced CWL out of reach, for practical reasons.
A Case Study
As an example, I’ll offer the account of a student who attended MoD.Handgun.1 a couple of years ago.
She was a Wisconsin resident and held a valid Wisconsin concealed carry license. And she completed the class, thereby earning her signed certificate from me. So by Idaho law, she was allowed to apply.
Piece of cake, right? Well, not so much.
To describe her as “itinerant” hardly covers it. She spent the overwhelming majority of her time on the road for work, mostly in the south and southwest. She might go months at a time without even visiting her home state of Wisconsin, and she passed through Idaho even less frequently than that.
I kept in touch with her for a while, hoping to figure out some way to help her finish what she had started and obtain her Idaho ECWL. In the end however, we had to resign ourselves to the reality that she could not make it back to Idaho even once—let alone twice—so there was no administrative pathway forward for her as far as the State was concerned.
The Takeaway
Yes, Idaho law does allow non-residents to obtain an Enhanced Concealed Weapons License. But please be aware that you have one year from the date appearing next to the instructor’s signature to initiate your application process. The process typically takes 4-6 weeks, and you will need to appear at your sheriff’s office in person, twice during that time.
It’s Complicated, So Let’s Clarify Often, the answer to this question gets bifurcated and stuffed into an over-simplified “yes” or “no.” The correct answer lies somewhere in between. If we consult the governing statute within Idaho Code, Section 18-3302K(4)(b), we will read the following: …(4) The sheriff must deny an enhanced
I would like to challenge you to examine whether you, too, have put yourself or others at risk by thinking spatially, when you might have been well served to think both spatially and temporally.
…it’s like standing in your open front door in the dark of night and yelling at a prowler: “Hey, come get my family and valuables, you maniac!” All wrong.