Ignition interlock in Arkansas

Arkansas publishes a roster of state-approved providers for breath alcohol interlock devices, and the current version of that roster has applied since May 15, 2023. The state suggests reaching out to an approved provider to find a place near you that does installations. When you call our booking line, we pass your request along to an interlock company or installer that works in Arkansas, and they will arrange your appointment.

The Office of Driver Services, the branch of state government in charge of your driving privileges, is where these rules come from. That office has the power under Arkansas law to require an interlock. It also decides the blood alcohol level where the device will refuse to start your car.

Nationwide, MADD estimates installation at $70 to $150, plus $60 to $80 each month you keep the device. Half a year of use lands somewhere around $430 to $630 altogether, while a full year runs closer to $790 to $1,110. Each company sets its own prices, so the quote you receive when you book is what you should go by.

With a restricted license, you are only allowed to drive a car that has an interlock installed. If that applies to you, the device stays in use until your original suspension runs out. Having it put in early gets that clock started sooner. One phone call gets the booking process moving.

New rules take effect on July 1, 2026, under Act 841 of 2025. Once that date arrives, every device will need to take a digital photo of the driver at every test and keep it on file. That way the provider can see who was really blowing into it.

Once the new rules apply, a test result showing more than 0.025% blood alcohol can be treated as a violation. You will not get extra time for a high reading if a follow-up test within 10 minutes comes in under 0.025% and the camera confirms the retest was yours. The device may also demand random retests while the engine is on, and ignoring one can count as a strike on your record.

Extensions can be triggered by violations that occur in the last 60 days of your original period, or at any point during an extension. There are three ways this can happen: a reading above 0.025% that you do not clear with a retest, skipping a random retest, and failing to show up for the service and monitoring visits your provider requires. A violation confirmed by the provider adds 60 days to your period.

Once your required time is up, it falls to you to request written confirmation from your interlock provider that your record is clean. Assuming they sign off, they will give you a certificate of compliance, which is simply written proof that you followed the rules. Bring that to the Office of Driver Services and they will lift the interlock restriction on your driving record.

You are allowed to ask the provider to take another look at their report. You can also hand over evidence that you played by the rules, like a passing retest done inside the 10-minute window. If you book with an approved installer today, you start out with a provider who already knows how Arkansas handles things.