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Federal Judge Temporarily Blocks Key Parts of Idaho’s Transgender Bathroom Law

Judge Amanda K. Brailsford found core enforcement provisions too vague to stand.

FILE - The Idaho state Capitol in Boise, Idaho, on July 3, 2025 (AP Photo/Jenny Kane, File)
Illuminated directional sign with male and female restroom symbols and an arrow
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A federal judge on Tuesday granted a request for a preliminary injunction blocking enforcement of H.B. 752, a new Idaho law that would have threatened transgender people with up to five years in prison for using public restrooms consistent with their gender identity instead of their biological sex at birth. H.B. 752 had been set to take effect July 1. The court’s order limits enforcement of the law, protecting access to some restrooms while the legal challenge continues. (Photo: AdobeStock)

Overview

  • A federal judge granted a preliminary injunction on Tuesday that bars Idaho from enforcing major parts of H.B. 752 while a constitutional challenge proceeds.
  • The injunction protects transgender Idahoans using single‑user restrooms and people who lack an available single‑user restroom on the same floor, but other sections of the law remain on the books.
  • Brailsford wrote the statute’s exceptions for a restroom that is “reasonably available” or for being in “dire need” give no objective standards, creating a risk of arbitrary enforcement.
  • The ruling flagged practical enforcement problems raised by police groups and noted the state’s suggestion of DNA testing as an implausible means to verify ‘biological sex,’ and Idaho’s attorney general said the state will appeal.
  • H.B. 752 carries criminal penalties of up to one year for a first offense and up to five years for a repeat offense, and the case is likely to move through further federal proceedings and an appeal to the Ninth Circuit, shaping the legal fight over similar laws nationally.