Bases, VA care, veterans services and PCS paperwork
By J&H Digital Services LLCChecked Oct 23, 202611 sources
Mountain Home Air Force Base is about 50 miles southeast of Boise, and Gowen Field in Boise is home to the Idaho Air National Guard. Active-duty members who keep another state as home can keep their home-state driver's license and usually their car registration, and pay no Idaho use tax on cars they owned before their orders. Veterans get care at the Boise VA Medical Center and free claims help from the state.
Best for: Active-duty Air Force families
Many families choose between living in Mountain Home and commuting from south Boise, Kuna or Meridian. Talk to the base housing office first.
Best for: Idaho Army and Air National Guard members
The Idaho Air National Guard's 124th Fighter Wing flies A-10s here. The Air Force planned to replace them with F-16s starting in 2027; check the Idaho Military Division for the latest.
Best for: Primary care, mental health, surgery and specialty care for enrolled veterans
Toll-free (866) 437-5093. Veterans Crisis Line: dial 988, then press 1.
Best for: Help filing VA disability, pension and benefit claims
Best for: Long-term nursing care for veterans and spouses
Requires 90 days of service, an other-than-dishonorable discharge and Idaho residency. Residents use Medicaid or pay the monthly charge.
If you keep another state as your home of record, Idaho treats you as a nonresident for license and tax purposes. If your home of record is Idaho, you are a resident and follow normal rules.
Nonresident active-duty members, and their spouse and dependent children, can drive on a valid home-state license. No Idaho license needed.
Under the federal Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, you can usually keep a car registered in your home state. If you register in Idaho, you owe no Idaho use tax on a car you owned before you got orders (or 3 months before moving, whichever is shorter). Use Form ST-102NM at the DMV.
Military members generally pay Idaho sales tax on a car bought here. The exception: if your home is another state and your orders send you out of Idaho within 90 days, you can file Form ST-104NR for an exemption.
Active-duty members permanently stationed in Idaho for 30 days, and their families, can buy resident licenses.
Fees, rules and providers change. Confirm with the official source before you go.
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