Clearwater County

Clearwater County Clearwater County was established February 27, 1911, by the State of Idaho under the provisions of H Clearwater County Idaho
Photo is courtesy of Dave King

06/06/2026

JOB OPENING: DEPUTY CLERK/AUDITOR/RECORDER
Clearwater County is hiring two full-time Deputy Clerk/Auditor/Recorders under the supervision of the County Clerk. Employees in this position perform a variety of technical and accounting duties involved in the processing of daily deposits from County departments, account maintenance, processing of invoices for accounts receivable and payable and recording documents for County records. Minimum qualifications are: High School Diploma or GED equivalency. Bookkeeping and accounting experience preferred. Must be able to communicate effectively in person and on the telephone. Must be able to operate computer and related office equipment. Must be willing to work elections, including some evenings and out of town training. Physical abilities will require some lifting/moving 25 lbs. with some physical exertions. Benefits include paid medical, dental and vision coverage for the employee, two life insurance policies and PERSI retirement.

Some required testing to be performed at the Idaho Dept. of Labor office.

Clearwater County is an Equal Opportunity Employer with preference to Veterans of the US Armed Services in accordance with Idaho Code 65-503. This job will be open until filled.

An application and complete job description can be obtained from Idaho Department of Labor located at 416 Johnson Ave. Room 19, Orofino, Idaho 83544, Phone (208) 696-5351 – Hours: Mon. 10 am – 12:30 pm & 1 pm – 3 pm and Wed. 10 am – 1 pm; or from JoAnn Davis, Clerk of the District Court, Clearwater County Courthouse, 150 Michigan Ave., Orofino, Idaho 83544. Phone: 208-476-5615, Email: [email protected]

Please contact Idaho Department of Labor to set up required employer testing: 208-696-5351.

06/01/2026

From the Clearwater County Sheriff's Office: Please be advised that the driver's license office located at the courthouse will be closed June 2, 2026.

Driver's license is by appointment only - Appointments can be made by calling 208-476-8970.

05/26/2026

Clearwater County Sheriff Chris Goetz announces retirement at the end of June.

After 28 years working for the Clearwater County Sheriff's Office with 17 ½ as Sheriff, he will be retiring on June 30th 2026.

Sheriff Goetz started with the Clearwater County Sheriff’s Office as the Weippe Resident Deputy in 1998. He then moved to Orofino as a Patrol Deputy, was promoted to Patrol Corporal then transferred to Narcotics Detective. Sheriff Goetz was them promoted to Patrol Sergeant and then to Sheriff Alan Hengen’s Chief Deputy.

In 2008 he was elected Sheriff of Clearwater County and is currently serving his fifth, four-year term.

Sheriff Goetz has been active in the Idaho Sheriff’s Association (ISA) and the Western States Sheriff’s Association (WSSA). He served twice as President of ISA and is a Lifetime Member of WSSA. He is one of only three Sheriff’s that have ever been the ISA President twice. He also served on the ISA Board of Directors since 2010 and has been the Chair of the Legislative Committee and Vice Chair of the Operations Committee.

Sheriff Goetz is a Past President of the Idaho Association of Counties and has been the Chairman of both their Justice and Public Safety Committee and their Legislative Committee. He has also served on the National Association of Counties Board of Directors.

In his spare time, he is also the Assistant Fire Chief for the Sunnyside Rural Fire District, President of the Clearwater County 4H Leaders Council, member of the 4H livestock sale committee and member of the Weippe Rodeo Association.

05/21/2026

County Offices will be closed Monday, May 25, 2026 for Memorial Day.

To all who gave their lives for our country, we honor you.
To all who have served and still serve, thank you. You are our heroes.

05/11/2026

From the Clearwater County Sheriff's Office: Please be advised that the driver's license office located at the courthouse will be closed May 13, 2026.

Driver's license is by appointment only - Appointments can be made by calling 208-476-8970.

05/08/2026

PUBLIC NOTICE
Polling Location Change for the May 19, 2026 Primary Election

Notice is hereby given that the polling location for Precinct #4 and Precinct #5, normally located at the National Guard Armory, has been changed for the May 19, 2026 Primary Election.

The new polling location will be:
Best Western Lodge at River’s Edge – Event Center
615 Main Street
Orofino, Idaho

All voters residing within Precinct #4 and Precinct #5 should report to this location to cast their ballot on Election Day

05/04/2026

From the Clearwater County Sheriff's Office: Please be advised that the driver's license office located at the courthouse will be closed May 6, 2026.

Driver's license is by appointment only - Appointments can be made by calling 208-476-8970.

04/30/2026

From The Clearwater County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office:
Many Clearwater County citizens have received texts purporting to be either from the Idaho District Court, or the Idaho Department of Motor Vehicles, stating that you have unpaid traffic fines, defaulted tickets, or overdue accounts. Some texts purport to also be a summons to court, others indicate your driver’s license will be revoked, if you do not take care of the fine.

These are attempts to defraud you. Please do not reply to the text or click on any link in the text. Any summons issued by the court will be personally served, and any communication with DMV will be by USPS mail. Neither issues notices via text message.

If you have questions about any pending case, please contact the Clearwater County Court Clerk’s Office at 208-476-5596.

If you have other questions or concerns, please contact the Clearwater County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office at 208-476-5611.

04/30/2026

Starting Monday, May 4, 2026
DMV Office (2200 Michigan Ave)

Regular Hours (normal week):
Monday–Friday — 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Week with a Federal Holiday:
Closed on the Federal Holiday.
Open the remaining weekdays — 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM

04/27/2026

Clearwater County Solid Waste Community Update: From Jerod Robinett, Solid Waste Manager

Dear Clearwater County Residents:
We want to keep our community informed about the current situation at the Clearwater County Transfer Station and the challenges we are facing.

First, we sincerely thank everyone who participated in the recent cleanup day. Your support made it a tremendous success, with record amounts of waste collected and shipped out. We deeply appreciate your patience, kindness and the strong community spirit shown during this effort.

At this time, we also want to be transparent about the financial and operational challenges affecting our solid waste services. Over the past few years, and especially in recent months, the costs of fuel, labor, equipment, electricity, repairs and landfill fees have increased significantly. Our last fee adjustment was in 2021and since then, our operating expenses have more than doubled.

The Transfer Station operates solely on the fees collected and unfortunately, the current rates are no longer sufficient to cover rising costs. In addition, landfill disposal fees are scheduled to increase by 25% beginning January 1, 2027, which will add substantial costs to our budget

We are also currently facing temporary transportation challenges. Due to restrictions at the usual landfill location (Asotin), our waste is being transported further away to Missoula, which creates additional expenses and logistical complications. While we are working towards a more sustainable long-term solution, we must also prepare for the possibility of continuing higher costs.

Clearwater County currently maintains one of the lowest solid waste fees in the region. We have delayed increases as long as possible out of consideration for our residents, however, to continue operating efficiently, maintain necessary repairs and provide reliable service, a fee increase is necessary

Please know that we are committed to being responsible stewards of community resources. We are doing everything possible to manage costs carefully, while continuing to meet the county’s waste management needs.

We value your understanding and support as we work through these challenges together. If you have questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out.

Address

150 Michigan Avenue
Orofino, ID
83544

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

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