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All state guides Idaho dealer license

How to get a used car dealer license in Idaho

You apply to the Idaho Transportation Department on form ITD 3170 for a retail dealer license. Every owner of a new used-only dealership first takes an 8-hour class and passes a closed-book test. You post a $20,000 bond and pay a $300 consumer recovery fund fee on top of the $190 license fee.

  • Sourced to ITD
  • Checked October 2026
  • Free
License
Retail vehicle dealer license (used vehicles)
Surety bond
$20,000
State fee
$490 ($190 license + $300 ICAR)
Pre-license course
8 hours + closed-book exam
Background check
Personal history form, no prints
License term
12 months, $175 renewal
What the state asks for

Idaho dealer license requirements

The figures a first-time used car dealer needs before applying to ITD. Each row shows how well it is supported.

Surety bond
$20,000Official source

Retail dealers file a $20,000 bond as a surety bond, a certificate of deposit or cash. Wholesale-only dealers post $40,000. A new dealer must keep the bond in place for at least three consecutive years.

State license fee
$490 ($190 license + $300 ICAR)Official source

The initial dealer license fee is $190. Retail applicants also pay $300 into the Idaho Consumer Asset Recovery (ICAR) fund. Dealer plates are $21.75 each and salesperson ID cards are $36.

Pre-license education
8 hours + closed-book examOfficial source

Every owner of a new used-only or wholesale-only dealership attends an 8-hour pre-licensing class from an approved provider and passes a closed-book written test before applying. State law caps the class fee at $350.

Background check
Personal history form, no printsOfficial source

Each owner, partner, officer and director completes a Personal History form (ITD 3171), which asks about license discipline and dealership-related felony convictions. ITD's application checklist does not ask for fingerprints.

Insurance
$25,000/$50,000/$15,000Official source

File a liability certificate (Acord 25) for at least $25,000 bodily injury to one person, $50,000 for two or more, and $15,000 property damage. It must be written for any auto or state that it complies with Idaho Code 49-1608A.

Business location
Office, sign, 5-vehicle displayOfficial source

An enclosed commercial building in a zone that allows vehicle sales, an office with a locking room, desk, filing cabinet and listed phone, a permanent exterior sign, and a display area for five or more vehicles.

License term and renewal
12 months, $175 renewalOfficial source

The license runs from the month of issue through the last day of the month before it a year later (issued in May, it ends April 30). Renewal costs $175 and requires 4 hours of approved education and five sales in the past licensing year.

Sales allowed without a license
4 per calendar yearOfficial source

ITD requires a dealer license once you sell five or more titled vehicles in a calendar year. Selling even one vehicle that is not titled in your own name also takes a license.

Processing time
Allow 30 daysOfficial source

ITD asks you to allow 30 days for processing. After a passing site inspection you can receive a 90-day temporary license. The permanent license follows a successful 90-day follow-up audit.

“Official source” means the state agency’s own page, form or law. Where the state’s sources did not settle a point, the row says so instead of showing a guess.

Who issues the license

Idaho Transportation Department, Division of Motor Vehicles, Dealer Services

License you apply for

Retail vehicle dealer license (used vehicles)

Official licensing page

Rules ITD began enforcing in 2025 and 2026

Since July 1, 2026 ITD checks that a dealer sold at least five vehicles in the past licensing year before it renews the license. Since July 1, 2025 the sign rule calls for a permanent exterior sign with your trade name, visible from at least 50 feet from the main road. Idaho Code 49-1607 lists a $200 initial fee, but ITD's current form and fee list charge $190. Pay the amount on the current ITD 3170.
Step by step

How to get a Idaho dealer license

The order that works for a first application. Tick each step off as you finish it.

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  1. Clear the dealership name with ITD

    Before you buy the bond, call the Dealer Team at 208-584-4343 to check that your proposed name is not deceptively similar to an existing dealership. File any assumed business name with the Secretary of State. A corporation, LLC, LP or LLP also needs proof of its status from that office.

    Dealer Team: 208-584-4343

  2. Complete the 8-hour class and pass the test

    Every owner of a new used-only dealership attends an 8-hour pre-licensing class from an ITD-approved provider and passes a closed-book test before applying. ITD lists the approved providers on its dealer page. Keep each certificate of completion, because ITD must verify it before a license is issued.

    Idaho Code 49-1637

  3. Get zoning approval and set up the site

    Find an enclosed commercial building in a zone that allows vehicle sales and have the zoning officer sign the application or a letter. Set up the office, a listed business phone, a permanent exterior sign and a display area for at least five vehicles next to the office.

    Display area: 5 or more vehicles

  4. Line up the bond, insurance and tax numbers

    Buy the $20,000 dealer bond in the exact owner names, business name and address shown on the application. Get an Acord 25 liability certificate with limits of at least $25,000/$50,000/$15,000, a seller's permit from the Idaho Tax Commission in the dealership's name, and a federal EIN.

    $20,000 bond · Idaho Code 49-1608

  5. Complete ITD 3170 and the personal histories

    List every owner, partner, officer and director on the Application for Vehicle or Vessel Dealership License and have all of their signatures notarized. Each of those people also completes a Personal History form, ITD 3171. Do not send salesperson applications with this packet.

    ITD 3170 and ITD 3171

  6. Mail the packet with the fees

    Put the forms in checklist order and send them with a check payable to Idaho Transportation Department to Dealer Services, PO Box 34, Boise ID 83707-0034. A retail applicant pays the $190 license fee plus the $300 ICAR fee. Allow 30 days for processing.

    $190 + $300 ICAR

  7. Pass the investigator's site inspection

    When the application is approved, the Motor Vehicle Investigator for your district calls to schedule a visit. The investigator checks the location, display area, office and sign, records your declared business hours and brings plate order forms. A site in compliance is eligible for a 90-day temporary license.

    90-day temporary license

  8. Clear the 90-day follow-up audit

    ITD issues the permanent license after a successful follow-up audit about 90 days in. Use that time to enroll in the Dealer Portal and to license each salesperson on form ITD 3171 for $36. Owners who are active in the business get an ID card at no charge.

    Salesperson license: $36

Practical advice

Do not pick the wholesale license because it sounds simpler. It carries a $40,000 bond instead of $20,000, and since July 1, 2026 ITD enforces the rule that wholesale dealers sell only to Idaho-licensed dealers. Ask ITD which of your owners must take the class, since the requirement covers all owners. Check your sign against the 50-foot rule before the investigator visits.

Before you apply

Seven things to settle before any state application: the business, the owners, the money and the property.

Read the startup playbook
The lot and the office

Idaho dealer location requirements

What the state checks at the business address.

  • An enclosed commercial structure that meets building codes, in an area zoned for the business. The zoning officer signs the application or a letter.
  • A clearly defined office with a locking room for your books, a desk, a filing cabinet and a business phone.
  • A phone number listed in a local or online directory and answered in the dealership's name. It may forward to another location or a machine.
  • A permanent exterior sign attached to the land or building, showing your trade name and visible from at least 50 feet from the main road.
  • An improved display area for five or more vehicles, next to the office, owned or leased by you and set apart from other businesses.
  • Declared business hours during which the location is open and staffed by a licensed salesperson.
  • A home works only if the dealership is in a separate building, or on a ground floor with its own entrance and no door into the residence.

Zoning comes first

A site that meets the state’s rules can still fail local zoning. Get written approval for vehicle sales from the city or county, and ask the landlord for a lease that depends on the license being issued, before you sign.
Once you are licensed

Keeping a Idaho dealer license

Renewal and ongoing duties

Renew every year for $175. Owners of a used-only dealership complete 4 hours of approved education first, and you certify that you sold at least five vehicles in the past licensing year. A renewal sent more than 30 days late is handled as a new application. ITD suspends the license on the date a bond cancellation takes effect. Salesperson licenses last three years.

Federal rules that apply here too

  • The FTC Buyers Guide, posted on every used vehicle you offer for sale.
  • The FTC Safeguards Rule: a written plan for protecting customer financial information.
  • IRS Form 8300 when a customer pays more than $10,000 in cash.
  • A federal odometer disclosure on each transfer.
How each federal rule works
FAQ

Idaho dealer license FAQ

The questions first-time dealers ask most.

How do I get a used car dealer license in Idaho?

Clear your business name with ITD Dealer Services, have every owner complete the 8-hour pre-licensing class and test, and set up a zoned commercial location with an office, sign and display area for five vehicles. Then mail form ITD 3170 with a $20,000 bond, a liability insurance certificate, your seller's permit, EIN, a Personal History form for each owner and the fees. An investigator inspects the site before ITD issues a license.

How much is the dealer bond in Idaho?

$20,000 for a retail dealer. Wholesale-only dealers post $40,000, and dealers that sell only motorcycles, ATVs, UTVs, truck campers or snowmobiles post $10,000. The bond can be a surety bond, a certificate of deposit or cash. New dealers must keep it for at least three consecutive years.

How much does an Idaho dealer license cost?

A retail applicant sends $490 to ITD: the $190 initial license fee plus a $300 Idaho Consumer Asset Recovery (ICAR) fund fee. Dealer plates are $21.75 each and salesperson ID cards are $36. The pre-licensing class is paid to the provider, and state law caps that fee at $350. Renewal of the dealer license is $175.

Do I need a pre-licensing course in Idaho?

Yes, if you are opening a used-only or wholesale-only dealership. All owners must attend an 8-hour pre-licensing class and pass a closed-book written test before applying. Franchised new-vehicle dealers are exempt. At renewal, owners of used-only dealerships need 4 hours of approved education each year.

Can I get an Idaho dealer license without a car lot?

Not as a retail dealer. ITD requires an enclosed commercial building, an office, a permanent sign and a display area large enough for five or more vehicles. Idaho's wholesale dealer license does not need a display area, but it carries a $40,000 bond and only allows sales to Idaho-licensed dealers.

How many cars can I sell in Idaho without a dealer license?

Fewer than five in a calendar year, and only vehicles titled in your own name. ITD requires a dealer license when a person sells five or more titled vehicles in a calendar year, or sells or displays any vehicle that is not titled in that person's name.

Sources

Checked October 2026. This is general information, not legal, tax or insurance advice. Fees, bond amounts and forms change, and local zoning rules vary. Confirm current requirements with ITD or your attorney before you sign a lease or pay a fee.

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