Ignition interlock in Alaska

The interlock is a small breath tester that gets wired into your car. Before the engine will start, you blow into a mouthpiece, as the Alaska DMV describes. The device checks your breath alcohol against a pre-set limit, and if you're over it, the car stays off. That limit is normally set very low.

Once the requirement lands on your record, your license gets a "C" restriction. Police and the DMV both read that letter as a sign that you may only drive a vehicle with an interlock installed.

A DUI or refusal conviction means the interlock order comes from the court. The judge decides how long it stays on, per the DMV.

This is not the same thing as the administrative revocation. That happens when the DMV pulls your license shortly after the arrest, before your court case wraps up. The court's interlock period is a separate rule, and it runs for its own length of time.

According to the DMV, the cheapest way to satisfy the requirement is waiting to install the interlock until you're actually ready to reinstate. Since the DMV won't take paperwork older than 30 days, the install belongs right before you hand in your last forms.

The Alaska Department of Corrections also notes that putting the device in your car doesn't, on its own, begin the period the court or DMV requires you to serve. An early install just means extra monthly fees.

1. Go over what the DMV requires before your driving privileges can be reinstated.
2. Confirm you're eligible and complete any remaining DMV steps.
3. See which interlock companies have service locations close to you.
4. Schedule the install near the day you'll hand in your final papers, so they stay within 30 days.

At that final step, one call to us sends your request to a company serving Alaska, and they'll get your appointment on the calendar.

A limited license allows driving for specific purposes while your full license is suspended. The DMV wants you to wait until you've applied and been approved first. After that, they'll walk you through what comes next, and an interlock is part of it.

Put the device in before that approval and you could be paying for something you still can't legally use.

Getting your license back might mean passing a general knowledge exam, a vision check, and paying fees to the DMV. There may also be ASAP requirements. ASAP stands for Alaska's alcohol safety action program, and it decides any screening or treatment you have to finish.

An SR22 could be needed too. That's insurance proof your insurance company files with the state on your behalf. The interlock papers are just one piece of the whole package, so it pays to have everything else ready first.

MADD national averages run $70 to $150 for the install, then $60 to $80 per month while you keep the device. Over 6 months, that works out to roughly $430 to $630 total. Over 24 months, you're looking at about $1,510 to $2,070.

Prices differ by company. Intoxalock advertises a monthly lease starting at $54.99 and Smart Start at $59.99, and some companies will only give quotes over the phone. What you pay depends mostly on the length of your court order, so find that number out before you schedule anything.

Plenty of Alaska has no service location anywhere nearby. If no installer covers your area, the DMV asks for proof of residence in place of installation papers.

The Department of Corrections recommends talking with your lawyer about whether you can be excused or have a judge look at your case when there are no vendor locations in your area. If an installer does cover your area, one call from you puts your request in their hands and gets you on their schedule.