Official Government Website

Public Event Reservations, Idaho Capitol Building

For reserving the Idaho Capitol Front Steps (aka “Jefferson Steps” – the area bounded in green in this image) or the 2nd Floor Rotunda (interior of building). To reserve other areas/rooms at the Capitol, contact the Idaho State Legislature.

Overview:

  • 🗓️ Current reservation schedule
  • 🎞️ NEW! Video overview
  • Can I get married at the Capitol? We cannot issue a reservation permit for a wedding. However, you can use public space when it is open, and that includes holding small, quiet ceremonies. Keep in mind that you’re still obligated to follow the rules.

Step 1: Mandatory information

You are required to understand and abide by the rules and information below when you hold a public event at the Idaho State Capitol Building. If you have any questions about this information, email or call us before you proceed: CapitolEvent@adm.idaho.gov or 208-332-1930.

Rules for use and reservation:
Important Notes & Useful Info:
  1. Email confirmations: An email confirming that you successfully submitted a REQUEST will come from: notifications@cognitoforms.com. An email confirming your reservation & containing your actual reservation PERMIT, will come from: capitolsteps@lso.idaho.gov. Your reservation is not final until you’ve received the second email. Be sure to check your spam folder for these emails!
  2. Reservation window: We are allowed to issue a permit for reservations requested a MINIMUM of 2 business days in advance, and a MAXIMUM of 6 months in advance. [Section 400.03]
  3. Reservation not required. A reservation is not required for public use of the State Capitol. “A Permit grants a reservation providing priority for use of the area,” but public use is permitted without a permit “…subject to the provisions of these rules, on a first-come, first used basis.” [Section 400.01]
  4. No reservations for weddings, receptions, etc… Per the Guidelines for Use: “The Capitol building cannot be reserved for private events (weddings, receptions, proms, parties, and so forth).”
  5. No fee for use. There is no fee for either reservations or allowed use of the Capitol Building.
  6. No parking in the curved driveway. Parking is not allowed in the curved driveways in front of the Capitol [DIAGRAM].
  7. Parking to unload equipment. Metered parking is available along Jefferson Street between 6th and Capitol.
  8. Loading elevator inside building. The east rotunda elevator is larger, and more accommodating for loading in.
  9. Equipment available from the State. A lectern with a small built-in public address (PA) system may be provided for your event. The State can provide this equipment only as part of an issued event reservation permit; if you do not have a reservation permit, we cannot provide this equipment. Equipment is set up 15 minutes prior to the event start time on the middle landing of the Front Steps [DIAGRAM] or on the north side of the 2nd Floor Rotunda (unless you request a different location). This equipment may not be moved by the user.  NOTE: The PA system provided by us is adequate for small events of approximately 50 or fewer attendees, but may not be sufficient for larger events.
  10. Amplification: On the Front Steps, you may provide your own PA system if you need something more powerful than the one provided by the State. In the Rotunda, you may only use the PA system provided by the State; you may not bring in outside amplification. We reserve the right to ask you to reduce the volume of your event should it disrupt normal business. 
  11. Tables, chairs, and other equipment. We cannot provide other equipment for your event, but you are welcome to bring other equipment as needed. When using the rotunda, please be sure feet and other points contacting marble floors are padded to protect the marble from damage.
  12. Do not move furnishings inside the Capitol. You may NOT move any existing Capitol furnishings, including the benches around the rotunda.
  13. Electrical access on the Front Steps. For use by reserved events on the Front Steps only, there is 120-volt electrical access on either side of the steps [DIAGRAM]. You will need to provide necessary cords and other supplies as needed for your event. We recommend at least 50 feet of extension cord.
  14. Road closure: The State is not involved in road closures for public events. For info about closing roads, contact the Boise City Clerk’s office.
  15. Cecil Andrus Park across Jefferson St from the Capitol Building is owned and managed by the City of Boise. More info at cityofboise.org/departments/parks-and-recreation/parks/cecil-d-andrus-park/.

Step 2: Complete and submit the form

» PUBLIC EVENT RESERVATION REQUEST FORM

If you have any questions as you complete the form, call 208-332-1930.

Step 3: After you submit the form

When we receive your application it will be reviewed and processed within two business days. You will receive a confirmation by email in the form of a calendar event invitation with your completed permit attached. It is wise to print and bring this permit with you to your event, though it is not required.

We reserve the right to cancel a reservation if the location is required for an official State function, including but not limited to use by an elected official. In such case, Facilities Services will notify you and every effort will be made to help you reschedule your reservation.

Reserving Other Areas Inside the Capitol Building

For information about reserving the 1st or 4th floor rotunda for public events, see the information at the Legislature website.

The center open area inside the Capitol Building is the rotunda. There are reservable spaces on the 1st, 2nd, and 4th floors of the rotunda. The rotunda as a whole is an open space, and sound carries readily between all floors. In order to be sure a public event on one floor isn’t impacted by sound from another, all three floors are treated as a single reservable space. If there is a reservation on the 1st floor, another event may not reserve the 2nd floor during that same time, and so on.

Although the rotunda is treated as a single open space for the purposes of reservation, the 1st and 4th floors reservations are handled by the Legislature while the 2nd floor reservations are handled by the Department of Administration.

 

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