Ham radio operators in Idaho: new licenses by county
11,133 licensed amateur radio operators; 365 new in the past 12 months. Updated weekly from FCC data.
At a glance · Data as of
- New hams · last 30 days
- 16
- New hams · last 12 months
- 365
- ▲ 14% vs prior 12 mo
- Active licensed hams
- 11,133
- Upgrades · 12 mo
- 168
- Vanity callsigns · 12 mo
- 73
- Address updates · 12 mo
- 103
- Often a move into the area
- Expiring · next 6 mo
- 591
About ham radio in Idaho
New licenses are climbing in Idaho: 365 people earned a first amateur radio license in the past 12 months, 14% more than the year before. Idaho ranks #23 of 52 states and territories for new licenses. Ada County leads the state with 54 new hams. Among larger counties, Bonneville County is growing fastest. Technicians make up 58% of the state’s licensees, above the U.S. average of 48%, a strong pipeline of new operators who may be ready for an Elmer program.
New hams by month
Show data table
| Month | New hams |
|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 1 |
| Nov 2025 | 29 |
| Dec 2025 | 20 |
| Jan 2026 | 25 |
| Feb 2026 | 18 |
| Mar 2026 | 78 |
| Apr 2026 | 68 |
| May 2026 | 43 |
| Jun 2026 | 27 |
| Jul 2026 | 20 |
| Aug 2026 | 16 |
| Sep 2026 | 21 |
| Total | 366 |
License classes
| Class | Hams | Share | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Technician | 6,405 | 58% | 48% |
| General | 2,683 | 24% | 25% |
| Amateur Extra | 1,727 | 16% | 21% |
| Advanced | 212 | 2% | 3% |
| Novice / Other | 106 | 1% | 2% |
Bar = Idaho share · Tick = U.S. share
In the past 12 months, 79 operators upgraded to General and 77 to Amateur Extra.
How Idaho compares
#23 of 52 states and territories for new hams in the past 12 months
| Per 1,000 active hams | Idaho | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| New hams, past 12 months | 32.8 | 32.3 |
| Upgrades, past 12 months | 15.1 | 14.7 |
| Expiring, next 6 months | 53.1 | 57.3 |
365 new hams in Idaho this past year. Get next month’s list free.
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| # | County | New hams 12 mo | Change vs prior year | Active hams | New per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ada County | 54 | ▲ 2% | 2,351 | 23.0 |
| 2 | Kootenai County | 30 | ▼ 19% | 1,216 | 24.7 |
| 3 | Payette County | 30 | — | 171 | 175.4 |
| 4 | Canyon County | 29 | ▲ 7% | 1,129 | 25.7 |
| 5 | Bannock County | 23 | ▲ 53% | 388 | 59.3 |
| 6 | Bonneville County | 23 | ▲ 10% | 855 | 26.9 |
| 7 | Madison County | 20 | ▲ 25% | 361 | 55.4 |
| 8 | Bonner County | 12 | ▼ 50% | 626 | 19.2 |
| 9 | Bingham County | 11 | — | 249 | 44.2 |
| 10 | Jefferson County | 11 | — | 341 | 32.3 |
— in Change means fewer than 10 new hams the year before.
All Idaho counties
19 counties with their own page. Numbers are new hams in the past 12 months.
- Ada County54 new hams in 12 months
- Bannock County23 new hams in 12 months
- Bingham County11 new hams in 12 months
- Bonner County12 new hams in 12 months
- Bonneville County23 new hams in 12 months
- Boundary County1 new hams in 12 months
- Canyon County29 new hams in 12 months
- Elmore County5 new hams in 12 months
- Franklin County2 new hams in 12 months
- Gem County2 new hams in 12 months
- Idaho County3 new hams in 12 months
- Jefferson County11 new hams in 12 months
- Kootenai County30 new hams in 12 months
- Latah County5 new hams in 12 months
- Madison County20 new hams in 12 months
- Nez Perce County5 new hams in 12 months
- Payette County30 new hams in 12 months
- Twin Falls County3 new hams in 12 months
- Valley County2 new hams in 12 months
Smaller Idaho counties
These 25 counties have too few licensees or too little recent activity for a page of their own, so their numbers are listed here.
Show all 25 smaller counties
| County | Active hams | New hams · 12 mo |
|---|---|---|
| Adams County | 35 | 0 |
| Bear Lake County | 80 | 0 |
| Benewah County | 72 | 0 |
| Blaine County | 141 | 2 |
| Boise County | 146 | 0 |
| Butte County | 25 | 1 |
| Camas County | 8 | 0 |
| Caribou County | 53 | 0 |
| Cassia County | 60 | 0 |
| Clark County | 1 | 0 |
| Clearwater County | 112 | 1 |
| Custer County | 23 | 1 |
| Fremont County | 111 | 3 |
| Gooding County | 35 | 1 |
| Jerome County | 40 | 1 |
| Lemhi County | 77 | 0 |
| Lewis County | 29 | 1 |
| Lincoln County | 8 | 0 |
| Minidoka County | 51 | 3 |
| Oneida County | 78 | 4 |
| Owyhee County | 46 | 0 |
| Power County | 19 | 0 |
| Shoshone County | 60 | 0 |
| Teton County | 41 | 0 |
| Washington County | 61 | 1 |
Neighboring states
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Figures may be reused with credit to Ham Recruiter (CC BY 4.0).
Questions about hams in Idaho
How many ham radio operators are in Idaho?
11,133 active amateur radio licensees are on file for Idaho as of Oct 1, 2026.
How many new hams were licensed in Idaho last year?
365 people in Idaho received their first FCC amateur radio license in the 12 months ending Oct 1, 2026.
Which Idaho counties have the most new hams?
In the past 12 months: Ada County (54), Kootenai County (30) and Payette County (30).
Where does this data come from?
From the FCC Universal Licensing System (ULS) public amateur license database, which we download every Monday. Addresses are matched to counties with the U.S. Census Bureau geocoder. This page shows totals only.
Can I see the names or call signs on this page?
No. Public pages show totals only. Verified Ham Recruiter users can search and export lists for outreach; see how licensee information is handled.
About this data
Data as of . Source: FCC Universal Licensing System (ULS) weekly amateur license database; county from U.S. Census Bureau geocoding. Aggregates only, no individual licensee data is shown. Aggregate figures © Ham Recruiter, CC BY 4.0.
How we count
- New ham: an active licensee whose first license was granted in the period.
- Address updates: a change of FCC mailing address, often a move into the area.
- Counts use each licensee’s current FCC address. Someone licensed here who later moved is counted where they live now.
- Each license keeps only its most recent event of each type, so two upgrades in one year count once.
- PO-box-only addresses often can’t be matched to a county, so rural counties are slightly undercounted.
99% of Idaho licensees could be matched to a county.