The Civil Division serves legal and judicial process papers within Blaine County including but not limited to court summons and complaints, small claims, garnishments, court issued writs, and subpoenas. The division additionally collects delinquent property taxes, levies on property and conducts court ordered sheriff's sales. Civil process service is performed in strict compliance with Idaho Code to ensure the accuracy of the service of legal documents, record keeping and returns to the court as mandated by law. The following information is provided to better inform the public of our policies and procedures. Please be aware that the Civil Office does not give legal advice; only an attorney is allowed to give legal advice. This site is for information purposes only and should not be considered as legal advice. If you need help with a legal situation, please contact an attorney.

FEES
In accordance with the Idaho Code of Civil Procedure, the Blaine County Sheriff's Office requires advance fees for service of most civil process. Payment may be made in cash or by check made out to the Blaine County Sheriff's Office; credit card payment is not accepted. The fee for general service of documents is $60 per person or business served. Other costs may include charges for moving and storage, towing, recording, publishing in a newspaper, or postage. If we are unable to locate the person to be served, $15 of the general service fee will be returned with "No-Found" documentation. Bank levies require an additional check made out to each back involved in the amount of $5. Towing, storage and Sheriff fees are added to the writ amount and increase the amount the debtor must pay to fully satisfy the case. If you need assistance in determining the exact amount of fees in your case, please contact our Civil Administrator at (208) 788-5563.

SHERIFF'S INSTRUCTIONS
A signed Letter of Instruction directing the Sheriff to serve process or perform an enforcement action is required with all legal documents. Specific addresses of the person or business to be served are required to effect service. Letter of Instruction forms for Writ and Non-Writ service are available for download below or may be picked up at the Sheriff's Office located at 210 First Avenue South in Hailey, Idaho. The letter must be signed by the attorney of record or the pro se plaintiff.

Click here for the Non-Writ Letter of Instruction Form
Click here for the Writ Letter of Instruction Form

Legal guidance and forms are available through the following links:
Idaho Supreme Court Self Help Center
http://www.courtselfhelp.idaho.gov/

Landlord and Tenant Guidelines
from the Office of the Attorney General at
http://www2.state.id.us/ag/consumer/tips/LandlordTenant.pdf


FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

Can the service fee be combined for two people?
All fees are per service and return (two defendants equal two services/returns even if they are at the same address).

When can I expect to receive the money that was awarded me?
If the defendant does not satisfy the judgment you must decide how you will try to collect. If you have a small claims judgment the court should provide you with a pamphlet "Collecting on Your Small Claims Judgment" which provides the necessary information to guide you in executing on the judgment. This document is available on the web in English at www.courtselfhelp.idaho.gov/sccolect.doc or in Spanish at www.courtselfhelp.idaho.gov/scspcolect.doc.

How can I have the Sheriff's Civil Division serve my legal papers?
Bring or mail the Blaine County Sheriff's Office: The original and 1 copy (or 2 copies) of non-writ documents
or
The original and 2 copies (or 3 copies) of writ documents
and
A letter of instruction specifying the name(s) and address(es)
of the individual(s) or business to be served
and
The appropriate amount of fees (see fee section above)
In addition: Writs of Execution may require a Claim of Exemption packet and an envelope made out to the defendant's last known mailing address with appropriate postage.

Does the Sheriff do evictions?
Yes. Bring or mail the original and 1 copy (or 2 copies) of the court order to evict, a Letter of Instruction and the proper fees to the Blaine County Sheriff Civil Division. Eviction fees vary; contact our Civil Administrator to determine the exact amount of fees in your case.

How many attempts does the Civil Division make before they return my papers un-served?
We make at least three (3) attempts on different days and at different times, unless we receive information prior to the third attempt that the party to be served no longer lives/works at the address provided.

Does a Writ issued to enforce a judgment need to be addressed to a specific sheriff's department?
Yes, the writ must be addressed to the county agency that will be enforcing the judgment.

Can the Sheriff's Office guarantee that every civil paper received will be served?
No, for various reasons we cannot guarantee that every civil paper received will be served; the person may have moved from the address provided, be out of town or there may not be enough time before a hearing to locate and properly serve the person.

Can the Sheriff's Office serve my documents if I don't have an address for the person to be served?
No. The Civil Division does not provide investigative services to determine the whereabouts of the person to be served. A home or work physical address for the person to be served must be provided by the party requesting service in the Letter of Instruction.

Contact the Civil Department
Our Civil Administrator Ginger Clement and Civil Deputy Kyle Green are here to help you with your civil processing needs. If you have any questions about our services that are not addressed in the information provided, you may contact us by phone at (208) 788-5563. The Civil Division fax number is (208)788-5559.