Police Radio Encryption in Idaho
Idaho has an encryption rate of 16%. Out of 150 tracked public safety agencies, 14 are fully encrypted, 21 are partially encrypted, and 115 broadcast in the clear.
Agencies by Type
Encrypted & Partially Encrypted Agencies in Idaho
- Boise Town Square (Ada County) — Encrypted
- Caldwell (Statewide) — Encrypted
- College of Idaho (Statewide) — Encrypted
- Garden City (Statewide) — Encrypted
- Indian Valley Rural Fire District (Adams County) — Encrypted
- Intermountain Communications(DMR) (Owyhee County) — Encrypted
- Meridian (Statewide) — Encrypted
- Owyhee County (Owyhee County) — Encrypted
- Payette County (Payette County) — Encrypted
- Post Falls (Statewide) — Encrypted
- Regional (Statewide) — Encrypted
- Spirit Lake (Statewide) — Encrypted
- Statewide Event (Statewide) — Encrypted
- Washington County (Washington County) — Encrypted
- Ammon (Bonneville County) — Partial
- Bannock County (Bannock County) — Partial
- Bear Lake County (Bear Lake County) — Partial
- Blaine County (Lincoln County) — Partial
- Blaine County (Blaine County) — Partial
- Businesses (Butte County) — Partial
- Caribou County (Caribou County) — Partial
- Central Shoshone County Water District (Shoshone County) — Partial
- City of Boise (Ada County) — Partial
- Coeur dAlene (Statewide) — Partial
- Kootenai County (Kootenai County) — Partial
- Leadore Community Volunteer Fire Dept. (Lemhi County) — Partial
- Nampa (Statewide) — Partial
- North Fork Fire Protection District (Lemhi County) — Partial
- Pinehurst (Shoshone County) — Partial
- Public Safety (Shoshone County) — Partial
- RACOM Corporation (Kootenai County) — Partial
- Salmon (Lemhi County) — Partial
- St Alphonsus Regional Medical Center (Canyon County) — Partial
- Weiser (Washington County) — Partial
- White Cloud Communications (P25) (Teton County) — Partial
Statewide Encrypted Systems
These agencies operate on statewide radio systems and serve multiple jurisdictions across Idaho.
- Caldwell (Idaho Cooperative Agencies Wireless Interoperable Network (ICAWIN)) — Encrypted
- College of Idaho (Idaho Cooperative Agencies Wireless Interoperable Network (ICAWIN)) — Encrypted
- Garden City (Idaho Cooperative Agencies Wireless Interoperable Network (ICAWIN)) — Encrypted
- Meridian (Idaho Cooperative Agencies Wireless Interoperable Network (ICAWIN)) — Encrypted
- Post Falls (Idaho Cooperative Agencies Wireless Interoperable Network (ICAWIN)) — Encrypted
- Regional (Idaho Cooperative Agencies Wireless Interoperable Network (ICAWIN)) — Encrypted
- Spirit Lake (Idaho Cooperative Agencies Wireless Interoperable Network (ICAWIN)) — Encrypted
- Statewide Event (Idaho Cooperative Agencies Wireless Interoperable Network (ICAWIN)) — Encrypted
- Coeur dAlene (Idaho Cooperative Agencies Wireless Interoperable Network (ICAWIN)) — Partial
- Nampa (Idaho Cooperative Agencies Wireless Interoperable Network (ICAWIN)) — Partial
County Breakdown
36 counties tracked across Idaho. 17 have at least one encrypted or partially encrypted agency.
View all 36 counties
| County | Agencies | Encrypted | Partial | Clear | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Payette County | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| Washington County | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 75% |
| Owyhee County | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 67% |
| Lincoln County | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 50% |
| Adams County | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 33% |
| Shoshone County | 5 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 30% |
| Lemhi County | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 25% |
| Bear Lake County | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 25% |
| Caribou County | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 25% |
| Teton County | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 25% |
| Bonneville County | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 17% |
| Butte County | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 17% |
| Canyon County | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 17% |
| Bannock County | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 13% |
| Ada County | 14 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 11% |
| Kootenai County | 14 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 7% |
| Blaine County | 8 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 6% |
| Bonner County | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0% |
| Twin Falls County | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0% |
| Benewah County | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0% |
| Gem County | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0% |
| Valley County | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0% |
| Nez Perce County | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0% |
| Bingham County | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0% |
| Cassia County | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0% |
| Elmore County | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0% |
| Power County | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0% |
| Boise County | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| Boundary County | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| Clark County | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| Franklin County | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| Gooding County | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| Jerome County | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| Latah County | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| Lewis County | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| Oneida County | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
What This Means for Idaho Residents
Idaho has a relatively low encryption rate of 16%. The majority of public safety agencies (115 out of 150) still broadcast in the clear, meaning scanner listeners and journalists retain access to most emergency radio traffic.
Encryption status can change at any time as agencies upgrade equipment or adopt new policies. The RTDNA considers police radio encryption the #1 threat to journalism in America. Use our search tool to check specific cities and counties in Idaho.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is police radio encrypted in Idaho?
In Idaho, 14 out of 150 tracked public safety agencies use fully encrypted radio, and 21 use partial encryption. The overall encryption rate is 16%. Use the search tool on the homepage to check specific cities and counties.
Can I listen to police scanners in Idaho?
Yes — 115 agencies in Idaho still broadcast in the clear and can be monitored with a scanner. Check specific agencies using our search tool for detailed channel information.
How often is Idaho data updated?
Data for Idaho is synchronized weekly from RadioReference.com. Encryption status reflects the latest known radio configurations, though agencies can change their setup without notice. Report incorrect data.
Search all 150 agencies in Idaho →
States with Similar Encryption Rates
Rhode Island (16%) · District of Columbia (14%) · West Virginia (14%) · Colorado (14%) · Maryland (13%)
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