Ignition interlock in Louisiana

A restricted license lets you drive during your suspension, but only in a car with a working interlock. Louisiana law says you earn it by showing Louisiana's Department of Public Safety and Corrections that your device is installed and working.

The license stays good for the rest of your suspension or as long as the interlock stays installed, whichever runs longer. After a first DUI in Louisiana, the IIHS confirms, you need an interlock to drive while your license is suspended. Everything starts with getting the device put in, and one phone call connects you with an installer that covers Louisiana.

A first offense at 0.15 percent blood alcohol or above costs you a 2-year suspension. You can drive the whole time on a restricted license.

At 0.15 percent or above, a second offense means a 4-year suspension. A restricted license can cover all 4 years, and an interlock has to be in your car.

An interlock-restricted license is still open to you. State law allows it if you turned down a breath or blood test following a first or second DWI arrest.

A court sometimes makes an interlock a condition of probation even when your license is still valid. You then have 30 days to prove the device is installed. The 30 days runs from the court's order, so scheduling your install early leaves you the most time to get it done.

The device only records a pass when your breath alcohol comes in below 0.02g per 210L of breath. That's a much lower number than what counts as a DWI, so even a little alcohol can keep the car from starting.

The manufacturer must inspect your device at its own cost at least once every 30 days. Those inspections are how the state checks that you've stayed compliant.

Based on MADD's average figures, installing runs $70 to $150, and monthly service runs $60 to $80. Our cost tool figures 12 months at roughly $790 to $1,110 all in. A 2-year suspension runs about $1,510 to $2,070 total.

Every company prices differently. Intoxalock's monthly lease starts at $54.99, Smart Start's at $59.99, and LifeSafer charges $50 to $120 a month, all from the companies' own price pages. Dräger and ADS don't post prices. Give us a call and an installer can quote you for your vehicle.

Yes, the state caps your share of the cost under an economic hardship rule. You qualify if you are eligible for SNAP, Medicaid, SSDI or social security income, or when the court has appointed you an indigent public defender, under this state law.

If you qualify, your share of the service center's fees can't go over 50 percent. On a 2-year interlock, that adds up to hundreds of dollars back in your pocket. Bring it up when you book so the discount applies from day one.

A court can permit you to drive an employer-owned vehicle without an interlock, but only while you're on the job. You need the court's say-so, so a company car by itself isn't enough.

Take the interlock off during your restricted period and your driving privileges can be taken away for as long as a year. A conviction under the interlock law carries as much as 6 months behind bars, a fine as high as $500, or both, per Louisiana law.

When your interlock came from a first offense, a compliance violation tacks 1 month onto your interlock requirement. Any break of the device rules counts as a compliance violation, like a failed test the monitoring catches. Every one stretches your time with the device and raises what you pay.

Installers with locations in Louisiana include Dräger, Guardian Interlock, ADS, Smart Start, Intoxalock and LifeSafer. Call or send in the booking form, and we'll pass along what you need to an installer or interlock company serving Louisiana, and they'll book your appointment. Make that call today and get started toward driving legally again.