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Six Trans Idaho Residents Sue Jail-Risk Restroom Law

5/1/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Six transgender Idaho residents filed a lawsuit in Boise challenging House Bill 752, effective July 1, 2026.
They say the law forces them to stay home or leave Idaho because a restroom violation carries a one-year jail term for a first offense and a five-year term for a second.
Plaintiffs represented by the ACLU of Idaho seek a permanent injunction against a law defended by Attorney General Raúl Labrador and county prosecutors.

History

Historical Context

When Governor Pat McCrory signed North Carolina’s House Bill 2 in March 2016, the mandate to use restrooms matching birth-certificate sex sparked national boycotts and cost the state over $400 million. Years later Idaho adopted comparable statewide restroom restrictions, permitting $5,000 civil actions per violation, illustrating the spread of anti-trans bathroom legislation across the United States.

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Story summary

Six transgender Idaho residents filed a lawsuit in Boise challenging House Bill 752, effective July 1, 2026.
They say the law forces them to stay home or leave Idaho because a restroom violation carries a one-year jail term for a first offense and a five-year term for a second.
Plaintiffs represented by the ACLU of Idaho seek a permanent injunction against a law defended by Attorney General Raúl Labrador and county prosecutors.

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