As of July 1, 2026, Idaho became the only U.S. state to make firing squad its main method of execution. Governor Brad Little signed the law — House Bill 37 — on March 12, 2025. The state deliberately delayed the law's start date to give its Department of Correction time to prepare the execution chamber. Five other states allow firing squad, but none have made it the default choice the way Idaho now has.

Getting the Chamber Ready

The state has been retrofitting F-Block at the Idaho Maximum Security Institution to handle both firing squad and lethal injection executions. Lethal injection remains available as a backup if a firing squad execution becomes impractical for some reason — equipment breaks, staff unavailable, or a court order blocks it — according to a fact-check from June 2026. The Department of Correction finished these renovations by summer 2026, lining up with when the law took effect.

Having a second method on hand gives the state flexibility without needing new laws each time something goes wrong.

Why Idaho Made This Change

Idaho has struggled to carry out death sentences. In February 2024, the state prepared to execute Thomas Creech — convicted of murdering his wife in an arson fire — but the execution did not happen because of problems getting lethal injection drugs. This mirrors a larger problem: many states have had trouble obtaining the medications needed for lethal injection. Pharmaceutical companies have resisted cooperating, and supplies have dried up.

Firing squad solves that problem. It requires no special drugs, no pharmaceutical company cooperation, no pharmacy involvement. It depends only on equipment and staff.

The Federal Picture

In April 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice added firing squads, electrocution, and lethal gas back as options for federal executions. This is separate from Idaho's state law, but both moves point in the same direction: away from methods that depend on drug supply chains toward methods states can control themselves.

The constitutional question is unresolved. The Eighth Amendment bans "cruel and unusual punishment," but the Supreme Court has not definitively ruled on whether firing squad meets that standard. Courts will likely challenge Idaho's implementation, and that litigation could delay or block actual executions.

What Happens Next

July 1 makes firing squad legally available. It does not mean an execution is imminent. Carrying out an execution still requires a court order, a completed appeals process, and approval from the Department of Correction. Depending on pending lawsuits and the status of individual cases on death row, months or longer could pass before the first scheduled execution under this law.

Idaho has answered its own policy question. The next questions — whether courts will allow it, how quickly the state can implement it, and whether other states follow — belong to the courts and the states watching closely to see what happens.