Starting Tuesday, Idaho stands alone among U.S. states in designating the firing squad as its primary means of carrying out the death penalty. The shift, enacted through House Bill 37 signed by Gov. Brad Little in March 2025, took effect July 1, 2026, marking a significant departure from the lethal injection protocol the state had relied on for decades.

Why the Change

Idaho has carried out only three executions since a 1977 statute change, all by lethal injection. The most recent attempt, in February 2024, was unsuccessful — a failure that accelerated momentum for an alternative method. Lawmakers had already introduced the firing squad as a secondary option in 2023; the new law elevates it to the primary method. Lethal injection remains available if a firing squad execution cannot be carried out.

The state spent more than $1.2 million retrofitting an execution chamber to accommodate the new protocol, an investment that underscores the seriousness with which Idaho officials pursued the change.

Who Is on Death Row

Eight prisoners currently sit on Idaho’s death row. All eight were convicted of first-degree murder. Under Idaho law, the death penalty also applies to aggravated lewd conduct against a child age 12 or younger, in addition to first-degree murder convictions.

Requirements for Firing Squad Members

The law sets strict eligibility standards for volunteers who serve on a firing squad. Participants must hold Peace Officer Standards and Training certification for a minimum of three years and must pass a target shooting qualification. Eligible personnel include law enforcement officers, probation and parole officers, corrections staff, and detention officers.

The law bars anyone with a firearm or use-of-force disciplinary action within the past 12 months from serving. Volunteers with a blood or legal relationship to either the condemned person or the victim are also disqualified.

Idaho’s Unique Position

No other state has designated the firing squad as its primary execution method. Several states permit it as a backup option, but Idaho’s decision to move it to the front of the process is without current precedent in the country. The law takes effect as the state navigates several other high-profile policy and legal questions — including a court challenge to Idaho’s restroom law just days before its own July 1 deadline.

What’s Next

With the method change now in effect, attention will shift to whether and when the state schedules an execution under the new protocol. No execution date has been publicly announced for any of the eight death-row inmates. Legal challenges from condemned prisoners or advocacy groups remain a possibility, and courts could weigh in before any execution proceeds under the firing squad framework.

The broader debate over capital punishment in Idaho continues against a backdrop of ongoing fiscal and policy activity at the state level. How Idaho’s correctional and legal systems implement the new protocol — and whether it withstands court scrutiny — will likely define the next chapter of the state’s death penalty history.