One of the more common questions I get when someone has been charged with a California DUI is whether they will need to install an ignition interlock device. Unfortunately the answer is not straight forward and depends on several things.
An ignition interlock device, in short, is a breathalyzer that is installed into the dash of a person’s vehicle that must be blown into before the vehicle can be started, but only if the breathalyzer does not detect alcohol. Not only must the ignition interlock device be blown into before someone can start their vehicle, but it must also be blown into at random times throughout the drive.
There are a number of things that a person can be sentenced to following a DUI conviction, some of which are mandatory and some of which are imposed at the discretion of the judge. Amongst the discretionary terms of a California DUI sentence is the requirement that a person install an ignition interlock device.
However, if you are arrested and convicted of a California DUI in Los Angeles, Alameda, Tulare or Sacramento Counties, the installation of an ignition interlock device is mandatory following a license suspension and before a person can drive again.
As of January 1, 2010, Assembly Bill 91 became law and created a pilot program in those counties.
The law, California Vehicle Code section 23700, in part reads:
"Before a driver’s license may be issued, reissued, or returned to a person after a suspension…of that person’s driving privilege that requires the installation of an ignition interlock device…"
How long a person has to install an ignition interlock depends on how many prior DUI convictions the person has had. A first time offense carries a 5-month installation period. A second time offense carries a 12-month installation period. A third time offense carries a 24-month installation period. A fourth time offense carries a 36-month installation period.
If a person is required to install an ignition interlock device, they must certify to the California DMV that the device has been installed and they must take their vehicle to the provider of the ignition interlock device every 60 days for maintenance.
The law provides for an exception to the pilot program for those who do not own a car or otherwise have access to one. If that is the case, a person must complete and submit an “exemption form” to the California DMV. A person can then completely avoid the ignition interlock device by waiting out their suspension plus the period during which they would have had the ignition interlock device installed. If, however, the person obtains a vehicle in that time, they must have the ignition interlock device installed.
The pilot program is set to run to January 1, 2016. By July 1st of this year, the California DMV will report to the Legislature on the pilot program’s effectiveness in reducing repeat California DUI offenses. If the data from the pilot program indicates a reduction in repeat California DUI offenses, we may see the installation of an ignition interlock device as a requirement following a DUI conviction throughout California.
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