Idaho Treats Your Out-of-State DUI as a Local Conviction
You got a DUI in Washington, Oregon, Montana, or another state. You moved to Idaho thinking the suspension stayed behind. Idaho's DMV disagrees — under the Driver License Compact and Idaho Code § 18-8005, Idaho adopts your out-of-state DUI conviction as if it happened in Boise and imposes the same suspension period and SR-22 requirement Idaho law prescribes for a first or subsequent offense.
The structural confusion happens because your original state may not have required SR-22 filing at all, or may have required it for one year instead of three. Idaho does not care what your original state required — Idaho applies Idaho's rules to the conviction, and Idaho requires SR-22 filing for 3 years following any DUI conviction regardless of where it occurred. If you hold an Idaho driver's license or apply for one after the out-of-state conviction, you enter Idaho's reinstatement process on Idaho's timeline.
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Get Your Free QuoteIdaho SR-22 Filing Period
3 years
Idaho Code § 18-8005 mandates 3-year SR-22 filing for all DUI convictions, including out-of-state convictions adopted under interstate reciprocity. The 3-year period begins on the date Idaho recognizes the conviction, not the original conviction date in your prior state.
Idaho Code § 18-8005
How Idaho Learns About Your Out-of-State Conviction
Idaho participates in the Driver License Compact, an interstate agreement that requires member states to report DUI convictions to each other's DMVs. When you apply for an Idaho license or when Idaho runs a routine interstate record check, your out-of-state DUI appears in Idaho's system as a conviction event that triggers suspension under Idaho law.
Idaho's Division of Motor Vehicles then issues a suspension notice citing Idaho Code § 18-8005. The suspension period depends on whether this is your first DUI or a subsequent offense counted across all states — Idaho counts prior DUI convictions from any state when calculating repeat-offense penalties. A first-offense DUI typically results in a 90-day minimum suspension under Idaho's administrative license suspension law, while second and subsequent offenses carry longer mandatory periods.
If you already hold an Idaho license when the out-of-state conviction posts, Idaho suspends your existing license. If you apply for an Idaho license after the conviction, Idaho denies issuance until you satisfy the suspension period and file SR-22 proof of insurance. Moving states does not reset the clock or erase the conviction from Idaho's perspective.
Idaho will not issue or reinstate your license until you file SR-22 insurance with an Idaho-licensed carrier, even if your original state never required SR-22 at all.
What SR-22 Filing Actually Requires in Idaho
Idaho's minimum liability limits are $25,000 per person for bodily injury, $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, and $15,000 for property damage. Your carrier files the SR-22 certificate electronically through Idaho's Insurance Verification System the same day you purchase the policy. Carriers writing SR-22 in Idaho include Geico, Progressive, State Farm, Dairyland, Bristol West, GAINSCO, The General, and National General. Not all carriers write SR-22 for out-of-state DUI cases — some restrict SR-22 policies to Idaho-resident violations only, so confirm eligibility before purchasing.
The SR-22 filing itself costs a one-time carrier-set fee. Your premium will be higher because DUI convictions move you into Idaho's non-standard insurance tier regardless of where the conviction occurred. If your SR-22 policy lapses or cancels for any reason during the 3-year period, your carrier notifies Idaho's DMV electronically within 24 hours and Idaho re-suspends your license immediately. You must maintain continuous SR-22 coverage for the full 3 years or restart the filing period from zero.
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Restricted License Eligibility After Out-of-State DUI
Idaho offers a restricted license during your suspension period, but eligibility depends on offense count and whether you complete a mandatory 30-day absolute suspension first. For a first-offense DUI, Idaho Code § 18-8005 requires 30 days of hard suspension before you can petition the court for a restricted license. Second and subsequent offenses have longer hard suspension periods before restricted eligibility begins.
The restricted license in Idaho is issued by the court, not the DMV. You petition the district court that has jurisdiction over your Idaho residence. The court sets the conditions — typically limited to work, school, medical appointments, and other court-approved purposes. Idaho requires ignition interlock device installation as a condition of any restricted license granted after DUI, and the IID must remain installed for the entire restricted license period.
Your out-of-state DUI conviction counts toward Idaho's repeat-offense calculation, so if this is your second or third DUI across all states, Idaho applies the harsher restricted license rules and longer hard suspension periods that apply to repeat offenders. The court has discretion to deny restricted license relief entirely if your violation history or the circumstances of the out-of-state conviction warrant it.
Idaho Reinstatement Fee
$25
Idaho charges a $25 base reinstatement fee to restore your license after satisfying your suspension period and SR-22 filing requirement. DUI suspensions may carry additional fees beyond the base amount — verify the total with Idaho Transportation Department before reinstatement.
Idaho Transportation Department Driver Services
Non-Owner SR-22 When You Don't Have a Vehicle in Idaho
If you moved to Idaho without a vehicle or sold your car after the DUI, you still need SR-22 filing to reinstate your license. Non-owner SR-22 policies cover you as a driver when you borrow or rent a vehicle, and they satisfy Idaho's SR-22 filing requirement without requiring you to own a car. Carriers writing non-owner SR-22 in Idaho include Geico, Progressive, Dairyland, GAINSCO, The General, and USAA.
Non-owner policies provide liability coverage only — no collision or comprehensive — and premiums are typically lower than standard policies because the carrier assumes you drive less frequently. The SR-22 certificate files the same way whether the policy is non-owner or standard. If you later purchase a vehicle during the 3-year SR-22 period, you must convert to a standard auto policy and notify your carrier immediately to avoid a coverage gap that triggers license re-suspension.
Compare Carriers That Write Out-of-State DUI Cases in Idaho
Not every carrier writing SR-22 in Idaho will insure an out-of-state DUI conviction. Some carriers restrict SR-22 policies to Idaho-resident violations only, treating out-of-state convictions as unacceptable risk. Geico, Progressive, Dairyland, Bristol West, GAINSCO, The General, and National General write out-of-state DUI cases in Idaho, but each carrier prices the risk differently based on your conviction state, time since conviction, and current driving record.
Get quotes from at least three carriers that explicitly confirm they write out-of-state DUI SR-22 in Idaho. Provide the conviction date, conviction state, offense count, and your Idaho address. Carriers will pull your full driving record from the national database, so disclose all prior violations upfront — withholding information voids coverage and triggers license re-suspension when the carrier discovers the omission during underwriting.