Title 61 — PUBLIC UTILITY REGULATION

61-101. Title and application. This act shall be known as "The Public Utilities Law" and shall apply to the public utilities and public services herein described and to the commission herein referred to.

61-102. Commission. The term "commission" when used in this act means the Idaho public utilities commission.

61-103. Commissioner. The term "commissioner" when used in this act means one of the members of the commission.

61-104. Corporation. The term "corporation" when used in this act includes a corporation, a company, an association and a joint stock association, but does not include a municipal corporation, or mutual nonprofit or cooperative gas, electrical, water or telephone corporation or a…

61-105. Person. The term "person" when used in this act includes an individual, a firm and a copartnership.

61-110. Railroad. The term "railroad" when used in this act includes every commercial, interurban and other railway other than a street railroad, and each and every branch or extension thereof, by whatsoever power operated, together with all tracks, bridges, trestles, rights of w…

61-111. Railroad corporation. The term "railroad corporation" when used in this act includes every corporation or person, their lessees, trustees, receivers or trustees appointed by any court whatsoever, owning, controlling, operating or managing any railroad for compensation wit…

61-113. Common carrier. The term "common carrier" when used in this act includes every railroad corporation, street railroad corporation, express corporation, dispatch, sleeping car, dining car, drawing room car, freight line, refrigerator, oil, stock, fruit, car loaning, car ren…

61-114. PIPELINE. (1) The term "pipeline" when used in this act includes all real estate, gathering lines, fixtures and personal property owned, controlled, operated or managed in connection with or to facilitate the transmission, storage, distribution or delivery of natural gas …

61-115. Pipeline corporation. The term "pipeline corporation" when used in this act includes every corporation or person, their lessees, trustees, receivers or trustees appointed by any court whatsoever, owning, controlling, operating or managing any pipeline for compensation wit…

61-116. Gas plant. The term "gas plant" when used in this act includes all real estate, fixtures and personal property owned, controlled, operated or managed in connection with or to facilitate the production, generation, transmission, delivery or furnishing of gas (natural or ma…

61-117. Gas corporation. The term "gas corporation" when used in this act includes every corporation or person, their lessees, trustees, receivers or trustees appointed by any court whatsoever, owning, controlling, operating or managing any gas plant for compensation, within this…

61-118. Electric plant. The term "electric plant" when used in this act includes all real estate, fixtures and personal property owned, controlled, operated or managed in connection with or to facilitate the production, generation, transmission, delivery or furnishing of electric…

61-119. Electrical corporation. The term "electrical corporation" when used in this act includes every corporation or person, their lessees, trustees, receivers or trustees appointed by any court whatsoever, owning, controlling, operating or managing any electric plant for compen…

61-120. Telephone line. The term "telephone line" when used in this act includes all conduits, ducts, poles, wires, cables, instruments and appliances, and all other real estate, fixtures, and personal property owned, controlled, operated or managed in connection with or to facil…

61-121. Telephone corporation — Telecommunication services. (1) The term "telephone corporation" when used in title 61, Idaho Code, means every corporation or person, their lessees, trustees, receivers or trustees appointed by any court whatsoever, providing telecommunication ser…

61-124. Water system. The term "water system" when used in this act includes all reservoirs, tunnels, shafts, dams, dikes, headgates, pipes, flumes, canals, structures and appliances, and all other real estate, fixtures and personal property, owned, controlled, operated or manage…

61-125. Water corporation. The term "water corporation" when used in this act includes every corporation or person, their lessees, trustees, receivers or trustees, appointed by any court whatsoever, owning, controlling, operating or managing any water system for compensation with…

61-129. Public utility. The term "public utility" when used in this act includes every common carrier, pipeline corporation, gas corporation, electrical corporation, telephone corporation and water corporation, as those terms are defined in this chapter and each thereof is hereby…

61-130. Reference to other statutes and laws. Wherever the words "public utilities commission of the state of Idaho," or the words "public utilities commission" or "commission," are used in the existing laws or statutes of the state of Idaho, or in any laws enacted at the thirty-…

61-201. Creation — Appointment and term of office of members of the Idaho public utilities commission — Filling of vacancies. There is hereby created a state commission to be known and designated as the Idaho public utilities commission. The commission shall be comprised of three…

61-202. Removal of commissioners. The governor may remove any one or more of said commissioners from office for dereliction of duty or corruption or incompetency upon filing with the secretary of the commission charges against such commissioner or commissioners, setting forth the…

61-203. President. On the first Monday of April, 1981, and every two (2) years thereafter, the commissioners shall elect one (1) of their members to be president. Should the president be unable to fulfill his term because of death, resignation, absence, disability, removal from o…

61-204. Attorney general attorney of commission. It shall be the right and the duty of the attorney general to represent and appear for the people of the state of Idaho and the commission in all actions and proceedings involving any question under this act or under any order or a…

61-205. Secretary — Appointment — Duties. The commission shall appoint a secretary, who shall hold office during its pleasure. It shall be the duty of the secretary to keep a full and true record of all proceedings of the commission, to issue all necessary process, writs, warrant…

61-206. Employees. (1) The commission shall have power to employ, during its pleasure, such officers, experts, engineers, statisticians, accountants, inspectors, clerks and employees as it may deem necessary to carry out the provisions of this act or to perform the duties and exe…

61-207. Commissioners and employees — Oath — Qualifications — Restrictions on political activity. Each commissioner shall devote his entire time to the duties of his office and shall, together with each person appointed to a civil executive office by the commission, before enteri…

61-208. Office and meetings. The office of the commission shall be in Ada county. The office shall be open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., legal holidays and nonjudicial days excepted. The commission shall hold its session at least once in each calendar month and m…

61-209. Seal. The commission shall have a seal bearing the following inscription: "Idaho public utilities commission." The seal shall be affixed to all writs and authentications of copies of records and to such other instruments as the commission shall direct. All courts shall ta…

61-210. Office equipment. The commission is authorized to procure all necessary books, maps, charts, stationery, instruments, office furniture, apparatus and appliances, and the same shall be paid for in the same manner as other expenses authorized by this act.

61-211. Quorum — Single commissioner or hearing examiner may hold investigation. A majority of the commissioners shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of any business, for the performance of any duty, or for the exercise of any power of the commission. No single vacancy i…

61-212. Compensation of employees. All officers, experts, engineers, statisticians, accountants, inspectors, clerks and employees of the commission shall receive such compensation as may be fixed by the commission. The salary or compensation of every person holding office or empl…

61-213. Expenses — Audit and payment. All expense incurred by the commission pursuant to the provisions of this act, including the actual and necessary traveling and other expenses and disbursements of the commissioners, their officers and employees, incurred while on business of…

61-214. Annual report of commission. The commission shall make and submit to the governor on or before the first day of December of each year, a report containing a full and complete account of its transactions, and proceedings for the preceding fiscal year, ending June thirtieth…

61-215. Salaries of public utilities commissioners. Each member of the public utilities commission shall devote full time to the performance of his/her duties. Commencing on July 1, 2025, the annual salary of members of the public utilities commission shall be one hundred twenty-…

61-301. Charges just and reasonable. All charges made, demanded or received by any public utility, or by any two (2) or more public utilities, for any product or commodity furnished or to be furnished or any service rendered or to be rendered shall be just and reasonable. Every u…

61-301A. requiring social security number — prohibited — EXCEPTION. No public utility shall require an applicant for any product or commodity furnished by the public utility or service rendered by the public utility to disclose more than four (4) digits of the applicant’s social …

61-302. Maintenance of adequate service. Every public utility shall furnish, provide and maintain such service, instrumentalities, equipment and facilities as shall promote the safety, health, comfort and convenience of its patrons, employees and the public, and as shall be in al…

61-303. Rules and regulations just and reasonable. All rules and regulations made by a public utility affecting or pertaining to its charges or service to the public shall be just and reasonable.

61-305. Schedules of PUBLIC UTILITIES. Under such rules and regulations as the commission may prescribe, every public utility shall file with the commission within such time and in such form as the commission may designate and shall print and keep open to public inspection schedu…

61-306. Schedules — Change in form. The commission shall have the power, from time to time, in its discretion, to determine and prescribe by order such changes in the form of the schedules referred to in the two (2) preceding sections as it may find expedient, and to modify the r…

61-307. Schedules — Change in rate and service. Unless the commission otherwise orders, no change shall be made by any public utility in any rate, rental, charge or classification, or in any rule, regulation or contract relating to or affecting any rate, rental, charge, classific…

61-308. Schedules — Joint rates. The names of the several public utilities that are parties to any joint tariff, rate, contract, classification or charge shall be specified in the schedule or schedules showing the same. Unless otherwise ordered by the commission, a schedule showi…

61-313. Schedule charges only permitted. Except as in this act otherwise provided, no public utility shall charge, demand, collect or receive a greater or lesser or different compensation from any product or commodity furnished or to be furnished or for any service rendered or to…

61-313A. existing agreements. (1) No public utility that purchases, acquires, combines with, or merges with another public utility shall fail to honor an agreement entered into between the predecessor utility and a developer, property owner, or public utility customer unless: (a)…

61-314. Schedule of rates within and without state. Every telephone corporation shall print and file or cause to be filed with the commission schedules showing all rates, rentals, charges and classifications for the transmission of messages or conversations between all points wit…

61-315. Discrimination and preference prohibited. No public utility shall, as to rates, charges, service, facilities or in any other respect, make or grant any preference or advantage to any corporation or person or subject any corporation or person to any prejudice or disadvanta…

61-316. Profits. Nothing in this act shall be taken to prohibit any public utility from itself profiting, to the extent permitted by the commission, from any economies, efficiencies or improvements which it may make, and from distributing by way of dividends or otherwise disposin…

61-317. Sliding scale of charges — Automatic adjustment. Nothing in this act shall be taken to prohibit a corporation or person engaged in the production, generation, transmission or furnishing of heat, light, water or power, or telephone service, from establishing a sliding scal…

61-318. Interchange of traffic — Duty of establishing joint rates. Every common carrier shall afford all reasonable, proper and equal facilities for the prompt and efficient interchange and transfer of passengers, tonnage and cars, loaded or empty, between the lines owned, operat…