Bill Analyses and Ratings
Bill Information: H0621E1 – Concealed Carry: Courthouse Restriction Narrowed
Bill Summary
House Bill 621 amends Idaho Code Section 18-3302C to narrow the prohibition on concealed weapons in courthouses. Under current law, licensed concealed carry holders and permitless carriers are barred from carrying in ‘a courthouse’ entirely. This bill replaces that blanket prohibition with a restriction limited to ‘the courtroom portions of a courthouse,’ and provides a statutory definition of that term.
The bill defines ‘courtroom portions of a courthouse’ to include courtrooms, judges’ chambers, witness rooms, jury deliberation rooms, attorney conference rooms, prisoner holding cells, court clerk offices, probation and parole offices, and adjoining corridors. Areas of a courthouse outside these defined spaces — such as public lobbies, hallways leading to non-court offices, or administrative wings — would no longer be off-limits to licensed carriers.
The bill retains existing prohibitions on carrying in juvenile detention facilities, jails, and public or private schools, and preserves exceptions for peace officers acting within their employment, security personnel on duty, and individuals authorized by the building authority. The changes take effect July 1, 2027.
Overall Assessment
This bill expands where licensed concealed carry holders may legally carry within courthouse buildings by limiting the gun-free zone to specifically defined courtroom-related spaces rather than the entire structure. Idahoans with concealed carry licenses or those carrying under permitless carry provisions gain the legal right to carry in courthouse lobbies, administrative hallways, and other areas outside the defined courtroom portions. The bill’s core effect is a modest but concrete expansion of Second Amendment exercise in government buildings, balanced against retained security restrictions in the most sensitive judicial spaces.
This is the engrossed version of H0621.
Rating Breakdown
ARTICLE I. Responsibility in Government (0)
This bill makes no changes to fiscal policy, government spending, taxation, or legislative accountability. It is a narrowly scoped amendment to concealed weapons law with no bearing on how government manages public resources or its own operations.
ARTICLE II. Citizen Involvement in Government (0)
The bill addresses where concealed weapons may be carried in courthouses and has no provisions touching elections, voting procedures, political participation, or civic engagement mechanisms.
ARTICLE III. Education (0)
The prohibition on carrying concealed weapons in public or private schools appears in the bill's text but is carried over unchanged from existing law — the bill neither expands nor contracts school-related carry restrictions. No education funding, curriculum, or school choice provisions are affected.
ARTICLE IV. Agriculture (0)
This bill concerns concealed weapons restrictions in government buildings and has no connection to agricultural policy, farming operations, ranching, or rural land use.
ARTICLE V. Water (0)
The bill makes no changes related to water rights, water management, irrigation, or any water-related policy in Idaho.
ARTICLE VI. Natural Resources and Environment (0)
This bill is limited to concealed weapons law and has no provisions affecting natural resource management, environmental regulation, or conservation policy.
ARTICLE VII. Energy (0)
The bill makes no changes to energy policy, resource development, utility regulation, or energy infrastructure in Idaho.
ARTICLE VIII. Idaho National Laboratories (0)
This bill has no connection to the Idaho National Laboratory, nuclear research, or related federal science and technology programs.
ARTICLE IX. Private Property Rights (0)
The bill modifies carry restrictions in government-owned courthouse buildings only and makes no changes to private property rights, takings law, or property owner authority over their own premises.
ARTICLE X. State and Federal Lands (0)
This bill addresses concealed carry in courthouses and has no provisions related to state or federal land ownership, management, or transfer.
ARTICLE XI. Wildlife Management (0)
The bill makes no changes to hunting regulations, fish and game management, predator control, or any wildlife-related policy.
ARTICLE XII. Economy (0)
This bill imposes no new business regulations, tax changes, or labor requirements, and creates no economic development provisions. Its scope is limited to where concealed weapons may be carried in courthouses.
ARTICLE XIII. Health and Welfare (0)
The bill makes no changes to healthcare delivery, insurance regulation, public health programs, or welfare services in Idaho.
ARTICLE XIV. American Family (0)
This bill addresses concealed weapons restrictions in government buildings and has no provisions related to family policy, parental rights, marriage, or child welfare.
ARTICLE XV. Older Americans (0)
The bill makes no changes to programs, services, or policies affecting older Idahoans specifically.
ARTICLE XVI. Law and Order with Justice (1)
The bill narrows the concealed carry prohibition from an entire courthouse to only the defined 'courtroom portions,' allowing licensed carriers to legally carry in courthouse lobbies, administrative hallways, and other non-courtroom spaces. This expands the practical exercise of Second Amendment rights for law-abiding Idahoans with concealed carry licenses or those carrying under permitless carry provisions, while retaining targeted restrictions in the most sensitive judicial spaces such as courtrooms, judges' chambers, and jury rooms. Note: one provider rated this -1, arguing the definition of 'courtroom portions' is broad enough to constitute an expansion of restrictions rather than a narrowing; however, the majority view holds that replacing a blanket courthouse ban with a defined, limited set of restricted spaces represents a net gain in carry rights.
ARTICLE XVII. National Defense - Securing the Border (0)
This bill addresses concealed weapons in state courthouses and has no connection to national defense, military readiness, border security, or veterans' policy.
ARTICLE XVIII. Election of Judges and Idaho Supreme Court Justices (0)
While the bill affects courthouse environments, it makes no changes to judicial selection, judicial elections, or the principles governing constitutional interpretation by Idaho courts.
ARTICLE XIX. Religious Liberty (0)
This bill makes no changes to religious freedom protections, free exercise rights, or any policy affecting religious institutions or individuals practicing their faith.