Custer County Clerk of the District Court Role
Custer County has a unified elected County Clerk rather than separate county and district clerks. The official clerk page states that constitutional and statutory law gives this officer five titles: Clerk of the District Court, Auditor, Recorder, Clerk of the Board of County Commissioners, and Chief Elections Officer. The current Custer County Clerk is Lura Baker, with office phone (208) 879-2360.
For court records specifically, the local court clerk channel is Custer County Courts, Seventh Judicial District, at 269 S. 9th Street #1128, PO Box 1128, Challis, ID 83226. The court phone is (208) 879-2359, and the email for proof of insurance, record requests, and general court inquiries is custercourtclerks@custer.idcourts.gov. Recorder, marriage license, and non-court county records use the Clerk/Recorder office at 801 E Main Ave #385.
This split matters because a person may need both offices for one legal problem. A divorce decree, criminal judgment, probate order, or traffic disposition comes from the court side. A deed, survey, easement, recorded lien, marriage license, ordinance, or board record comes from the county clerk and recorder side. Calling the wrong counter can delay a copy request or filing.
The official Custer County Clerk page is the main source for the office's roles.
That page is important because it explains why one elected office appears in several record workflows.
Custer County Clerk Contact Channels
Use the right counter before sending money or records requests. Court case documents, criminal and civil filings, divorce records, probate records, traffic case questions, and hearing records route through Custer County Courts. Recorded instruments, marriage licenses, passports, county ordinances, board records, and recorder copies route through the Clerk/Recorder office.
Custer County Courts
269 S. 9th Street #1128
PO Box 1128
Challis, ID 83226
(208) 879-2359
custercourtclerks@custer.idcourts.gov
Custer County Clerk/Recorder
801 E Main Ave #385
PO Box 385
Challis, ID 83226-0385
(208) 879-2360
Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
The county also lists staff contacts such as Tamra Giampedraglia, Dawn Maydole, Annie Davis, and Corrin Petersen for clerk, auditor, election, recording, and payroll functions. Use the published department pages for current staff routing.
Custer County Clerk Record Duties
As Clerk of the District Court, the office supports court filing and records. As Recorder, it keeps recorded documents, issues marriage licenses, processes passports, records land documents, plat maps, surveys, easements, assertions of right-of-way, and some liens. As Auditor, it handles budget and accounting work. As Clerk of the Board, it is a route for board records and ordinances. As Chief Elections Officer, it handles election records and processes.
The county's rural land and courthouse history make the Recorder role especially important. Research materials point to land records, easements, assertions of right-of-way, plat maps, surveys, and liens as recurring Custer County record types. Court users should not assume those documents are inside a court file. A civil judgment, estate case, or property dispute may have a court record in iCourt and a separate recorded document at the Clerk/Recorder office.
| Role | Records handled | Primary contact route |
|---|---|---|
| Clerk of the District Court | Case files, filings, hearings, certified court copies. | Custer County Courts. |
| Recorder | Deeds, mortgages, releases, maps, surveys, liens, marriage licenses. | Clerk/Recorder office. |
| Auditor | County budget, accounting, expenditures, checks. | Clerk office. |
| Board clerk | Commissioner records, ordinances, minutes. | Clerk office at the courthouse. |
| Elections officer | County election administration records. | Clerk office. |
Custer County Clerk Copy Fees
The recorder page publishes a detailed recording and copy fee schedule. Exact court-copy fees for case documents were not located in the county court pages reviewed, so certified court-copy charges should be confirmed with the court clerk before ordering. Recorder fees matter for deeds, mortgages, surveys, estate-related documents, and county-record copies.
The Custer County recorder page is the source for recording and copy fees.
Recorder fees should not be treated as court filing fees unless the court clerk confirms a matching charge.
| Recorder item | Fee or rule |
|---|---|
| Ordinary recorded instrument, first page | $10.00 |
| Ordinary recorded instrument, later pages | $3.00 each |
| Deeds, grants, and conveyances, 30 pages or less | $15.00 |
| Trust deeds or mortgages of real property, 30 pages or less | $45.00 |
| Reconveyances, trustee substitutions, and mortgage releases, 30 pages or less | $15.00 |
| Power of attorney, 30 pages or less | $25.00 |
| Copy of any record or paper | $1.00 per page |
| Certificate under seal | $1.00 |
Request Custer County Certified Copies
Certified copies must come from the office that holds the record. A certified court judgment, divorce decree, criminal disposition, probate order, or traffic case record comes from Custer County Courts. A certified recorded instrument comes from the Recorder. Birth and death certificates are not recorder copies and must be obtained through Idaho Vital Statistics.
For court copies, ask whether the case is public, sealed, archived, or partly restricted under Idaho Court Administrative Rule 32. For recorder copies, ask whether the request needs a plain copy, certificate under seal, recording reference, or mail return. Certified copy language matters because agencies, courts, and title work may reject an unofficial printout.
- Identify whether the record is a court case file, recorded instrument, marriage license, ordinance, or other county record.
- Gather names, case number or recording information, dates, and the exact document requested.
- Contact Custer County Courts for court case documents or the Clerk/Recorder for recorded documents.
- Ask for current copy, certification, mailing, and payment rules before sending payment.
- Provide a mailing address and any required requester information.
- Confirm whether sealed, restricted, or older records require extra review.
Note: Online search results are not the same as certified copies with an official seal.
Custer County Clerk Assistance
The clerk assistance page explains that staff can help route public users to information but cannot provide legal advice. Idaho Court Assistance Office resources are also relevant for self-represented users. The Custer County Court Assistance Officer listing gives 269 S. 9th St., PO Box 1128, Challis, ID 83226, phone 208-589-9872, and d7cao@idcourts.gov.
The Custer County clerk assistance source documents the local assistance page.
Use assistance resources for forms and process direction, but legal strategy must come from an attorney.
Custer County Clerk Hours and Closures
The Clerk/Recorder office is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., excluding county holiday closures. The court office hours are also listed as Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Holiday closures matter for filing deadlines, public-record request timing, and travel from outside Challis.
For time-sensitive records, ask whether the deadline belongs to the court, recorder, sheriff, or another agency. Each office has its own record custodian role, and a holiday can affect filing, recording, copy pickup, and mailed responses differently.
The Custer County holiday closures source is included in the clerk page manifest.
Check closures before a records trip, especially near state and county holidays or winter travel periods.