The cheapest ignition interlock companies
The cheapest ignition interlock lease with a fixed published starting price is Intoxalock's, at $54.99 a month. LifeSafer and Guardian Interlock list ranges that start at $50, but your actual price depends on where you live.
- Lowest fixed starting price
- $54.99 a month Intoxalock, in 48 states
- Lowest range start
- $50 a month LifeSafer and Guardian Interlock
- MADD typical cost
- $60 to $80 a month plus $70 to $150 to install, per MADD
Monthly and installation prices by company
| Company | Monthly lease | Installation | 12 months, install included | States | Trustpilot |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Intoxalock | $54.99a month, lowest fixed price | Set by each service center | $729.88 to $809.88install at MADD's typical range | 48 | 4.4 of 580,912 reviews |
 Smart Start | $59.99a month, starting price | From $150 | From $869.88 | 48plus DC | 4.6 of 543,627 reviews |
 LifeSafer | $50 to $120a month, by location | $70 to $150 | $670 to $1,590 | 47 | 4.6 of 520,439 reviews |
 Guardian Interlock | $50 to $120a month, by location | $70 to $170 | $670 to $1,610 | 31 | 3.7 of 5828 reviews |
 ALCOLOCK | $60 to $90a month, by location | $70 to $150 | $790 to $1,230 | 24 | 2.3 of 546 reviews |
 Low Cost Interlock | $78.76a month, starting price | $100 to $250, plus $40 set-up | $1,085.12 to $1,235.12 | 31 | 2.9 of 54,064 reviews |
 Dräger | Call for a quoteFirst month free | 32plus DC | 1.7 of 572 reviews | ||
 ADS | Call for a quote | 29 | 2.4 of 513 reviews | ||
 Monitech | Call for a quoteFree install | 1North Carolina | 4.2 of 5791 reviews | ||
The 12-month column adds a year of the posted lease, the install price and any sign-up fee. Where a company posts no install price, it uses MADD's typical $70 to $150. Calibration visits come on top. Work out your own months.
A lease means you pay to use the device each month instead of owning it. The table compares advertised monthly prices and installation charges. Some companies publish starting prices and others give ranges, so the order is not a ranking from cheapest to most expensive.
LifeSafer has no single starting rate, so your location drives the price. Dräger, ADS and Monitech keep their prices unpublished. Dräger does run a first month free deal.
Guardian Interlock promotes $0 installation, $0 for month one and $0 to enroll. That deal only applies in Colorado, New Mexico and California.
To give you a ballpark for total cost, MADD estimates installation runs about $70 to $150, with monthly charges of $60 to $80. Using those numbers, a 12-month program runs roughly $790 to $1,110 altogether.
But the monthly rate isn't the whole picture. Installation costs, check-up appointments and one-off charges can shift which provider ends up being the better deal for your situation, and some companies simply don't install in every state.
Fees beyond the monthly lease
| Company | Calibration visit | Lockout | Set-up | Removal | Another vehicle |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intoxalock | $20 | $75 | Not posted | Not posted | $30 |
| Smart Start | From $25 | Not posted | Not posted | Not posted | Not posted |
| LifeSafer | About $25 | Not posted | Not posted | Not posted | Not posted |
| Low Cost Interlock | $25 | $125 | $40 | $129.50 | $150 |
Your car has to come in now and then for calibration, a routine appointment where the device gets checked so its readings remain accurate. Intoxalock's calibration starts at $20, and Smart Start charges from $25 per visit.
Lockout charges are another cost to ask about: Intoxalock lists a $75 fee, and Low Cost Interlock charges $125 for an unlock code.
Other single fees differ from company to company:
- Intoxalock charges $30 to switch the device to a different vehicle.
- Low Cost Interlock has a $40 set-up fee, $129.50 to remove the device and $25 if a payment is late.
How a bargain lease can quietly cost you more
That low monthly rate might not save you money if calibration, reporting and support come as separate line items. Low Cost Interlock's price guide gives this example: a $65 rate that includes calibration, reporting and support can beat a $55 rate that bills them separately.
Compliance reports are the records your provider files with the state or court to document how you've been using the device. Some providers bill separately to send them. When you're weighing quotes, it's worth asking if calibration, reports and support are rolled into the monthly rate.
Small gaps grow over time. Pay $10 more per month and that's $120 extra over a full year in the program.
Where can each company install your device?
A cheap provider is no good to you if nobody nearby can install the device. Intoxalock has install shops in 48 states, and Smart Start in 48 states plus the District of Columbia, with LifeSafer close behind at 47. Guardian Interlock and Low Cost Interlock operate in 31 states each, ALCOLOCK in 24, and Monitech works only in North Carolina.
A few states offer much less choice. New York has install locations from just Intoxalock, Smart Start and LifeSafer. Virginia's options are Smart Start, LifeSafer, ALCOLOCK and Dräger, which rules out Intoxalock's cheaper rate there. Texas, California, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, Ohio and Pennsylvania each have 8 companies to pick from.
Extra charges your state may add
Certain states tack on a charge of their own. In Massachusetts, anyone with an interlock restriction pays the RMV, the state's motor vehicle agency, a $30 monthly program administration fee. Your interlock provider collects that money from you.
In Virginia, interlock companies pay the state a $20 monthly fee for each driver.
Customer ratings on Trustpilot
The 3 providers with the widest install coverage also earn the best ratings among companies with lots of reviews. Intoxalock pairs the lowest fixed starting lease we found with a 4.4 rating from 80,912 reviews. ADS has only 13 reviews and ALCOLOCK 46, so their scores tell you much less than ratings built on tens of thousands of reviews.