An official state sport, visitation restrictions and hundreds of other new laws in effect in Idaho

A package of 350 new Idaho laws took effect July 1, including rules targeting drone use near prisons and a new option for some residents to avoid jury service. House Bill 522 establishes regulations for drone operators, making flights delivering contraband illegal if operating within 400 feet above ground level inside the perimeter of an Idaho Department of Correction facility. Violations are classified as a misdemeanor, with potential penalties including up to a $1,000 fine and up to six months in county jail, or both. House Bill 560 allows county clerks to offer a trade: potential jurors may instead serve as poll workers for a short-staffed county election, which relieves them of jury duty for two years, though it does not apply to federal juries or elections. The 2026 legislative session produced 2,665 draft measures and involved rulemaking covering 1,488 pages, per Idaho’s Sine Die report signed by Gov. Brad Little.