Idaho's 2026 Session: Every Transportation and Motor Vehicle Bill That Passed
Published July 27, 2026 · Idaho's 2026 legislative session adjourned April 2, 2026
Sixteen transportation and motor vehicle bills passed the 2026 Idaho legislative session — the largest single-topic recap yet. Most are administrative simplifications (no more sticker replacements, no more 10-year plate cycles, electronic registration cards), but a few drew real opposition: federal funding for bike/pedestrian projects and the electronic registration bill each needed a second House vote to clear.
Driver and vehicle administration
Five bills simplify day-to-day DMV interactions — fewer physical requirements, fewer replacement cycles, more electronic options.
One identity-verification standard across driver and vehicle services
Combines separate DMV identity requirements for driver's licenses, registration, and titling into a single statute, reflecting that county offices increasingly handle both vehicle and driver services together.
House 66–1 · Senate 35–0
No more vehicle registration stickers
Removes the requirement that vehicles display a registration sticker. A valid license plate and registration are now sufficient to legally operate a vehicle in Idaho.
House 67–2 · Senate 31–4
License plates no longer expire after 10 years
Eliminates the mandatory 10-year license plate replacement cycle — plates can now be used indefinitely as long as they remain legible.
House 66–1 · Senate 32–2
Electronic vehicle registration cards allowed
Lets drivers use an electronic format for vehicle registration instead of a paper card, mirroring the option already available for proof of insurance. Took two House votes to pass.
House 43–26 (1st) / 49–17 (2nd) · Senate 34–0
Idaho residency required for Consumer Asset Recovery Fund claims
Requires a person to be an Idaho resident (or have been one at the time of purchase) to file a claim against the Idaho Consumer Asset Recovery Fund for vehicle-purchase fraud losses.
House 53–14 · Senate 26–7
Road safety
Four bills address vehicle interactions on the road, from e-bike liability to truck speed limits to counterfeit safety parts.
Drivers must exercise due care around e-bikes, same as regular bicycles
Responds to a court ruling that found drivers had no legal duty to avoid colliding with electric-assisted bicycle riders. Clarifies that the existing due-care requirement for bicyclists applies equally to e-bikes.
House 68–0 · Senate 34–0
Heavy trucks get the same speed limit as other vehicles
Eliminates Idaho's differential speed limit for vehicles with five or more axles over 26,000 pounds, citing research that speed variance between vehicle types — not absolute speed — is a bigger crash risk factor.
House 57–11 · Senate 27–7
Slow-moving vehicles only required to pull over when it's safe
Clarifies that operators of slow-moving vehicles, construction equipment, and farm equipment only have to pull off the road when a safe, size-appropriate exit becomes available — not immediately regardless of conditions.
Senate 35–0 · House 68–0
New penalties for counterfeit air bags
Creates new prohibited-acts and penalty provisions specifically for counterfeit automobile air bags and supplemental restraint systems, closing a gap that let counterfeit safety parts circulate with little legal risk.
House 54–13 · Senate 29–5
Driver's education and licensing
Two bills change who can teach new drivers and who can get an Idaho commercial license.
Parent-taught driver's ed now available statewide
Previously, parents could only teach their own children to drive in rural districts or urban districts without a driver's training course. This extends that option to every school district in Idaho.
House 63–6 · Senate 29–6
Nondomiciled commercial driver's license program eliminated
Ends Idaho's program for issuing CDLs to out-of-state or out-of-country learner's-permit holders. Idaho CDLs will only go to people who complete the full licensing process in-state.
House 46–21 · Senate 29–4
Funding and specialty plates
Five bills covering highway funding formulas, specialty license plates, and code cleanup — including the session's closest transportation vote.
Highway funding distribution simplified
Updates the Highway Distribution Account so all vehicle-registration and fuel-tax revenue is treated the same — a flat 60% state / 40% local split — undoing a 2015 carve-out that tracked new gas-tax revenue separately.
House 70–0 · Senate 34–0
Federal funds cleared for bike and pedestrian projects
Allows federal grant funding to be used for bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure projects — one of the more contested transportation votes of the session.
House 39–29 · Senate 19–16
Appaloosa license plate fees redirected
Updates where fees from the Appaloosa specialty license plate go, since the Appaloosa Horse Club — the original fee recipient — relocated out of Idaho to Oklahoma.
House 65–0 · Senate 34–0
New white-and-black specialty license plate for state trooper salaries
Creates a new all-white, black-lettering specialty plate. Proceeds go to the Idaho State Police Law Enforcement Fund, supporting state trooper salaries and highway funding.
Senate 33–2 · House 70–0
Obsolete transportation code language removed
Part of the Idaho Code Cleanup Act follow-through — removes outdated transportation statute language flagged for repeal.
Senate 35–0 · House 67–0
Related Tally Idaho coverage
Full 2026 Transportation-subject bills list · Full 2026 session · How Idaho laws are made