Each block on this histogram represents a change—e.g., a substantive change, repeal & replace, or renumbering—to an individual section rather than an amendment. Some amendments result in multiple changes, resulting in multiple blocks being attributed to one amendment. Likewise, a section may be amended more than once in an year, but these amendments will only appear as one block on the histogram. When a block or blocks are marked red in a specific year, that means that a new constitution went into effect that year.
The Constitution’s provisions are organized into articles, and each article is split into sections. Here, you can view an outline of the Constitution, see the Constitution’s full text as it stood on any date since ratification, and compare any amended provision of the Constitution to its earlier version.
Explore by Year
View the constitution’s amendments by year of adoption and historical context for significant amendments.
The Idaho Constitution & Its Amendments
Idaho’s path to statehood and method of crafting its constitution was unusual. Due to political gridlock in Congress, no states were admitted from 1882 through 1888. However, the tides changed when the Congressional majority “demanded admission of six northwester states in 1889-1890.” Before 1888, it was uncertain if Congress would even preserve Idaho or if, instead, the territory would be divided among its neighbors. Accordingly, having made no preparations for statehood, Idaho’s constitutional convention was forced to “assemble and get its work approved in a decidedly unusual way.” This resulted in “do-it-yourself style” of putting together a constitutional convention, where instead of holding traditional delegate elections, counties were permitted to employ “other equitable method[s]” of selection. Furthermore, when the time came to put the constitution up for approval by territorial citizens, an unavailability of funds to finance a ratification election forced some counties to “resort to some unusual expedients, sometimes involving volunteer election judges and officials, in order to conduct the necessary referendum.” Ultimately, Idaho voters ratified the constitution on November 5, 1889, and the following year, Idaho was admitted to the Union as the 43rd state. Although the constitution has been amended over 140 times, the original 1890 document remains in force.
The Idaho Constitution can be altered by legislatively-referred amendment or by convention. Both methods require a two-thirds vote of both houses of the legislature and approval by a majority of voters at the next general election. Any revision adopted by a convention must also be submitted to voters for approval.
There have been two attempts to entirely rewrite Idaho’s constitution in the state’s history; both failed. The first, in 1912, ended when voters rejected the legislature’s proposal to call a constitutional convention. The second, in 1970, saw the legislature attempt another tact; however, voters ultimately rejected the proposed constitution.
For more information on the second attempted revision, see 1970.
Idaho State Capitol. Kevin Rank.
Additional Resources Access links to commonly referenced sources in Idaho constitutional research.
Access links to commonly referenced sources in Idaho constitutional research.