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State of Idaho Division of Occupational & Professional Licenses Tiny Houses, Manufactured Homes, Mobile Homes, Modular Buildings & Recreational Vehicles Idaho Division of Occupational & Professional Licenses Offices located at: 11341 W Chinden Blvd, Building 4 Boise, ID 83714 155 N. Maple St. Blackfoot ID 83221 1250 Ironwood Dr, Ste 220 Coeur d’Alene ID 83814 Brad Little, Governor Russ Barron, Administrator Tiny Houses, Manufactured Homes, Mobile Homes, Modular Buildings & Recreational Vehicles - Defined. All structures built for use as a dwelling place, including “tiny houses”, must fall into one of the following classifications and are required to comply with the building requirements for that classification. Site Built – A building constructed at the location where it is to be used. Not intended or designed to be moved. Mobile Home - Mobile home means a factory-assembled structure or structures generally constructed prior to June 15, 1976, and equipped with the necessary service connections and made to be readily movable as a unit or units on their own running gear and designed to be used as a dwelling unit or units with or without a permanent foundation I.C. §39-4105 Modular Building – Any building or building component other than a manufactured home that is of closed construction and either entirely or substantially prefabricated or assembled at a place other than the building site. I.C. §39-4301 (10). Manufactured Home – A structure built in compliance with HUD manufactured home construction and safety standards established under 42 U.S.C. section 5401. I.C. §39-4105 Recreational Vehicle - A motor home, travel trailer, fifth-wheel trailer, park model recreational vehicle, truck camper or folding camping trailer designed for recreational, camping, or seasonal use (I.C. §49-119). A park model recreational vehicle is a type of recreational vehicle built on a single chassis w/ no more than 400 square feet in area. (I.C. § 49-117) Construction Requirements & Codes Site Built – Site built dwellings fall under the jurisdiction of the city or county in which the building is located. You should contact the city or county regarding their permit and inspection requirements. Electrical, plumbing and HVAC systems require permits and inspections by the Idaho Division of Occupational & Professional Licenses (DOPL) unless the local jurisdiction administers those codes. Modular Building – Modular buildings - residential or commercial - are regulated by DOPL; when approved, they will bear an insignia from the state of Idaho. Work done at the place of manufacture is not subject to further regulation by local jurisdictions. However, work done at the site, including the installation, is regulated by the local jurisdiction. Modular buildings are regulated by local planning and zoning ordinances the same as site-built structures. Example of Modular Insignia ---PAGE BREAK--- Manufactured Homes – Are regulated by the Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) through DOPL and are legal for use only as a single-family dwelling. The approval process is intended for manufacturing facilities and is not suitable for one time construction. Example of HUD Label Recreational Vehicles Regulation - The Idaho Transportation Department regulates RVs as vehicles for title, registration, and licensing purposes through your county vehicle licensing agency. The placement and occupancy of RVs is regulated by local planning and zoning ordinances. Certain exemptions exist regarding mechanical, electrical, and plumbing under I.C. § 39-4203. RVs must comply with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1192 Standard for Recreational Vehicles or ANSI A119.5 Standards for Recreational Park Trailers. (I.C. §39-4202). The Recreational Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA) issues an insignia for compliant RVs and Park Trailers. How does all of this apply to Tiny Houses? If you are planning to build or purchase a dwelling of any kind, including a “tiny house”, it must comply with one of the requirement classifications listed above. For a “tiny house” classified as an RV, you may have challenges in obtaining planning and zoning approval. Contact Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) or the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association for more information about compliance with the appropriate ANSI standards. Use of the modular classification will require plan approvals and inspections like those required for site-built dwellings (under DOPL’s Modular Building Program). Use of the modular building option is intended for manufacturers but may be used by anyone. Both site built and modular buildings must comply with all state adopted building codes. The HUD manufactured home standards are intended for approved HUD manufacturing facilities only. The standards would be very difficult to apply to one-time construction. Example of Park Trailer Tag Example of RV Trailer Tag Costs associated with this publication are available from the Division of Occupational & Professional Licenses in accordance with Section 60-202, Idaho Code. April 2024