Idaho Pension Records

United States Idaho  Pensions

The State of Idaho passed at least two pension acts to assist its residents. One was the Widows' and Orphans' Act, passed in 1913, and the other was the Old Age Pension Act, passed in 1931. Each of these acts created records on the county level, where they were administered by each county.

Mothers' and Orphans' Pensions
Beginning in 1913, the State of Idaho provided a pension for mothers and orphans under certain conditions. These pensions were administered by the probate court in each county. Most of the records of these pensions cover the time period 1913 to the 1920s.

The Idaho State Historical Society Public Archives and Research Library (PARL) in Boise has original records of these pension petitions from several counties. PARL has indexed these records and made the index available online.

Old Age Pensions
The Idaho State Legislature passed the Old Age Pension law in Feb. 1931. It was the forerunner of the federally-passed Social Security Act, which became law in 1935. After the establishment of Social Security, the state Old Age Pensions were phased out.

To qualify for a pension in Idaho, the applicant had to be over 65 years of age, a resident of the county where they applied for at least three years, and a resident of the state for 15 years. Other restrictions also applied.

The Idaho State Historical Society Public Archives and Research Library (PARL) has originals of old age pension applications from several counties and has indexed them. The index is available online.