Idaho AI Laws and Regulation (2026)

Idaho regulates AI through targeted laws rather than a broad framework. HB 575 criminalizes non-consensual explicit deepfakes, HB 664 requires disclosure of synthetic media in elections, HB 465 covers AI-generated child exploitation material, and Idaho Code Title 33, Chapter 70 governs generative AI in public schools. A chatbot law, the Conversational AI Safety Act, is on the books but does not take effect until July 1, 2027.

Artificial intelligence regulation in Idaho reflects a careful balance between protecting residents from specific AI-related harms and maintaining a business-friendly environment that avoids heavy-handed regulation. The Gem State has enacted targeted laws addressing deepfakes and AI transparency while resisting comprehensive AI oversight frameworks.

This guide covers every enacted and pending Idaho AI law, including deepfake regulations, consumer protection requirements, chatbot safety proposals, and how federal AI policy affects Idaho residents and businesses.

Idaho's Enacted AI Laws

Idaho has passed several AI-related laws since 2024. Most focus on preventing specific harms rather than imposing broad regulatory requirements on AI developers or deployers, with one exception: a 2026 chapter of the education code that builds a governance framework for generative AI in public schools. Idaho also addressed AI status questions earlier, in Idaho Code 5-346 (2022), which provides that artificial intelligence shall not be granted personhood in the state.

HB 575: Explicit Synthetic Media (2024)

Idaho House Bill 575, signed into law in 2024, criminalizes the non-consensual disclosure of sexually explicit synthetic media, commonly known as AI-generated deepfake pornography.

HB 575 is codified at Idaho Code 18-6606, which was amended again in 2026. The statute reaches three independent kinds of conduct, and only the first carries an emotional-distress element:

• Disclosing explicit synthetic media knowing, or when the person reasonably should know, both that an identifiable person depicted did not consent and that disclosure would cause that person substantial emotional distress
• Disclosing explicit synthetic media with the intent to annoy, terrify, threaten, intimidate, harass, offend, humiliate, or degrade an identifiable person
• Possessing and threatening to disclose explicit synthetic media with the intent to obtain money or other valuable consideration from an identifiable person

Because the second and third prongs stand on their own, a prosecution does not always have to prove substantial emotional distress.

Penalties for violating HB 575 include:

The felony trigger is important to read carefully: a repeat offense is one route to felony exposure, but so is a first offense in which the person depicted is a minor. Idaho was among the first wave of states to address AI-generated intimate imagery through criminal law.

HB 664: FAIR Elections Act (2024)

Idaho House Bill 664, officially titled the "Freedom From AI-Rigged (FAIR) Elections Act," was enacted on March 25, 2024. The law addresses the use of synthetic media in electioneering communications.

HB 664 provides two key protections for electoral integrity.

First, it grants candidates for office a private right of action when their speech or actions are digitally altered through synthetic media in an electioneering communication. Affected candidates may seek both injunctive relief (a court order to stop distribution) and general or special monetary damages.

Second, the law creates an affirmative defense for anyone who uses synthetic media but includes a "clear and conspicuous disclosure" stating that the content has been manipulated. This means political advertisers can still use AI-generated content as long as they prominently label it.

The FAIR Elections Act positions Idaho among 28 states that have enacted laws regulating deepfakes in political communications, ensuring voters can distinguish authentic campaign content from AI-altered material.

HB 465: AI-Generated Child Exploitation Material (2024)

Idaho House Bill 465 expanded the state's existing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) statutes to explicitly cover AI-generated content. It passed the House 69-0 and the Senate 35-0, was signed by the Governor on March 25, 2024 as Session Law Chapter 194, and took effect July 1, 2024.

This legislation addressed a critical gap in prosecution. As lawmakers noted during debate, AI-generated imagery has become so realistic that investigators and prosecutors often cannot distinguish between real and synthetic content. By adding AI-generated material to the statutory definition, Idaho ensured that creating, distributing, or possessing such content carries the same criminal penalties regardless of how it was produced.

Idaho joined a growing number of states that explicitly include AI-generated content in their CSAM statutes, closing a loophole that defendants could otherwise exploit by claiming the material depicted no real child.

Generative Artificial Intelligence in Education (2026)

Idaho's most substantial AI statute is not a criminal law at all. Idaho Code Title 33, Chapter 70, titled "Generative Artificial Intelligence in Education," was added in 2026 as Session Law Chapter 71 and runs from Section 33-7001 through Section 33-7008.

The chapter opens with a statement of legislative intent that Idaho's public education system ensure the responsible, ethical, safe, and effective use of generative AI tools in teaching, learning, and administration, while safeguarding student privacy and protecting the role of the educator.

The chapter's eight sections cover:

• Legislative intent (33-7001) and definitions (33-7002)
• A statewide generative artificial intelligence in education framework (33-7003)
• Policy adoption at the district level (33-7004)
• Standards, assessments, and professional development (33-7005)
• Parental and community engagement (33-7006)
• Procurement and technology requirements (33-7007)
• Rulemaking authority (33-7008)

For Idaho parents, teachers, and school administrators, this is the AI law with the most day-to-day effect, because it reaches classroom tools, district policy, and how schools buy AI products.

Recent Idaho AI Legislation

Idaho's legislature has considered additional AI-related bills, reflecting the ongoing national debate about how to regulate artificial intelligence technology.

HB 127: Chatbot Disclosure Bill That Died in Committee (2025)

Idaho House Bill 127 would have made it an unfair and deceptive trade practice for a business to use a chatbot or other AI agent to converse with a consumer without clear and conspicuous notice that the consumer was not talking to a human.

HB 127 never became law. The Idaho Legislature's own record for the bill shows only two actions: it was introduced and read the first time on February 4, 2025, and was reported printed and referred to the House Business Committee on February 5, 2025. No further action followed, so the bill died in committee.

Two points follow for Idaho businesses. First, there is no standalone Idaho chatbot disclosure statute in force today. Second, Idaho Code Section 48-603H is a real section of the Consumer Protection Act, but it is titled "veterans benefits consumer protections" and governs compensation and disclosure by people who help with VA benefits claims. It has nothing to do with AI. The chatbot disclosure duty Idaho did ultimately adopt arrives through the Conversational AI Safety Act described below, and not until July 1, 2027.

SB 1067: AI as Protected Free Speech (2025)

Idaho Senate Bill 1067, introduced on February 7, 2025, represented one of the most sweeping pro-AI deregulation proposals in any state. The bill would have declared artificial intelligence a form of personal expression protected under free speech principles and prohibited government entities from regulating AI.

Specifically, SB 1067 would have created Chapter 98, Title 67 of the Idaho Code and prevented "governmental entities from enacting or enforcing any law or ordinance that has the express or practical effect of constraining the development, training, or use of artificial intelligence."

The bill classified AI as a "general purpose technology" and would have only permitted general regulations that apply to all technologies, not targeted AI-specific rules. This approach would have effectively blocked Idaho cities and counties from passing their own AI ordinances.

SB 1067 was referred from the Senate Commerce and Human Resources Committee to the Senate State Affairs Committee on February 10, 2025, where it saw no further action. While the bill did not advance, it illustrates Idaho's generally libertarian approach to technology regulation.

SB 1297: Conversational AI Safety Act (2026, Effective July 1, 2027)

Idaho Senate Bill 1297, the Conversational AI Safety Act, passed the Idaho Senate by a 21-12 vote in March 2026, passed the House, and was signed into law by the Governor on March 31, 2026 as Session Law Chapter 249. The law takes effect July 1, 2027.

It is codified as Idaho Code Title 48, Chapter 22, which the Idaho Legislature publishes with the notation "effective July 1, 2027" and which runs from Section 48-2201 (short title) through Section 48-2205 (penalties and enforcement).

The act creates a regulatory framework for operators of conversational AI services accessible to the general public. It defines covered services as applications that simulate human conversation through text, visual, or audio communications, while exempting developer tools, business-focused applications, voice assistants, and internal business systems.

Once effective on July 1, 2027, SB 1297 will impose three categories of requirements:

General requirements for all AI chatbots:

• Disclosure when users might reasonably be misled into thinking they are interacting with a human
• Adoption of protocols for responding to expressions of suicidal ideation by referring users to crisis services
• Prohibition against claiming the AI provides professional mental or behavioral health care

Additional protections for minors:

• Prohibition of sexual content directed at users identified as minors
• Enhanced safety measures for AI systems accessible to children

Enforcement provisions:

• Section 48-2205 of the new chapter carries the penalties and enforcement mechanism

SB 1297 is structurally similar to chatbot safety bills introduced in Oregon (SB 1546), Colorado, Hawaii, Arizona, Georgia, and Nebraska. The bill has faced criticism from some legislators who argue it could lead to digital identity requirements for age verification.

Idaho's AI Governance Framework

Beyond legislation, Idaho has developed administrative policies governing how state government agencies use artificial intelligence.

Office of Administrative Hearings AI Guidelines (2025)

On September 24, 2025, Idaho's Chief Administrative Hearing Officer issued comprehensive guidelines for how Administrative Law Judges (ALJs) may and may not use AI in their work.

Permitted uses include:

• AI-generated voice-to-text transcriptions during hearings
• Audio recording transcription using State of Idaho-licensed software with privacy features
• General AI use outside the context of specific contested cases, provided it complies with the Idaho Code of Conduct for ALJs

Prohibited uses include:

• Using AI or generative AI to write orders or decisions
• Using AI for legal research in case proceedings

The guidelines also authorize hearing officers to request AI disclosure statements from parties in proceedings, addressing concerns about undisclosed AI use in legal filings.

Idaho ITS AI Governance Policy

Idaho Information Technology Services (ITS) published an Artificial Intelligence Governance Policy, Standard, and Guideline that establishes rules for how state agencies may adopt and use AI tools. This policy sets the baseline for responsible AI use across Idaho's state government operations.

AI in Idaho Employment Law

Idaho has not enacted any AI-specific employment legislation. The state does not require bias audits for automated hiring tools, impact assessments for AI-driven employment decisions, or specific disclosures when AI is used in recruitment, screening, or termination processes.

This places Idaho among the majority of states that rely on existing anti-discrimination frameworks rather than creating new AI-specific employment regulations. Idaho employers using AI in hiring are still subject to federal anti-discrimination laws under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act, as well as EEOC guidance on AI and automated systems.

AI in Idaho Healthcare

Idaho has not enacted healthcare-specific AI legislation. There are no state-level requirements for disclosing AI use in medical diagnosis, treatment recommendations, or health insurance decisions.

Healthcare providers in Idaho using AI tools are governed by federal regulations including HIPAA, FDA oversight of AI/ML-based medical devices, and general standards of care under Idaho medical malpractice law. The Idaho State Board of Medicine has not issued AI-specific guidance for physicians.

How Federal AI Policy Affects Idaho

Federal AI policy has a direct impact on Idaho businesses and residents, particularly given the state's limited state-level AI regulation.

Executive Order 14179 (January 2025): President Trump's executive order revoking the Biden-era AI safety framework aligns with Idaho's generally deregulatory approach. The order removes federal reporting requirements for AI developers and emphasizes innovation over regulation.

The TAKE IT DOWN Act (May 2025): This federal law, which criminalizes nonconsensual intimate AI deepfakes with penalties of up to 2 years for adults and 3 years for minors, supplements Idaho's own HB 575 by creating a federal floor of protection for Idaho residents.

NIST AI Risk Management Framework: While voluntary, the NIST framework provides guidance that Idaho businesses can follow to demonstrate responsible AI practices, particularly as other states where they do business may require compliance with recognized AI risk frameworks.

FTC Enforcement: The Federal Trade Commission has taken enforcement actions against deceptive AI practices that apply nationwide, including in Idaho. FTC guidance on AI transparency and fairness effectively sets minimum standards for Idaho businesses even without state-level AI regulation. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. AI regulation is a rapidly evolving area of law. Consult a qualified attorney licensed in Idaho for advice on your specific situation.

More Idaho Laws

• Idaho Recording Laws
• Idaho Data Privacy Laws
• Idaho Background Check Laws
• Idaho Surveillance Camera Laws
• Idaho Sexting Laws
• Idaho Whistleblower Laws