Ignition interlock in Nebraska
Nebraska requires an ignition interlock with every DUI conviction, even a first offense, so for most people this device is how you get back on the road lawfully. The device itself is a breath tester built into your car, and it blocks the engine from starting when it picks up alcohol on your breath. Everything begins with fitting the device, since the state won't grant your permit until that's done.
- Companies installing
- 8
- Required for
- any DUI conviction, even a first one (IIHS)
- Engine blocked above
- three-hundredths of one gram of alcohol, the number written into state law (Nebraska law)
- Paid by
- you, straight to the interlock company
- Tampering hearing
- due within 14 days of the court receiving its proof
- Agency in charge
- Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles
8 interlock companies in Nebraska
| Company | From, a month | Installation | 12 months, install included | Trustpilot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 LifeSafer | From $50 | $70 to $150 | From $670 | 4.6 of 5 |
 Guardian Interlock | From $50 | $70 to $170 | From $670 | 3.7 of 5 |
 Intoxalock | From $54.99 | Set by each service center | From $729.88install at MADD's typical range | 4.4 of 5 |
 Smart Start | From $59.99 | From $150 | From $869.88 | 4.6 of 5 |
 ALCOLOCK | From $60 | $70 to $150 | From $790 | 2.3 of 5 |
 Low Cost Interlock | From $78.76 | $100 to $250, plus $40 set-up | From $1,085.12 | 2.9 of 5 |
 Dräger (RoadGuard Interlock) | Call for a quoteFirst month free | 1.7 of 5 | ||
 Alcohol Detection Systems (ADS) | Call for a quote | 2.4 of 5 | ||
Prices are each company's national starting price. The 12-month column adds a year of that price, the install price and any set-up fee, or MADD's typical $70 to $150 where no install price is posted.
MADD's national range: $70 to $150 to install, then $60 to $80 a month, or $790 to $1,110 for a year.
Who needs an interlock in Nebraska?
Once your licence is revoked, a court may tell you to put an approved device in each car you use until the revocation runs out. Revoked means the state has taken away your right to drive for a set period. The order applies to each vehicle you operate, which means a second car or a work vehicle could also need a device fitted.
Getting your ignition interlock permit
This permit is the paperwork that lets you drive during your revocation, provided your car carries the device. Here's the sequence.
- Get the device fitted by an approved interlock company, since the state wants proof of installation before it will consider what you've asked for.
- Once that proof exists, submit your application to the Director of Motor Vehicles.
- Fill in the form online or at a Driver Licensing Office. Checking your eligibility online beforehand is another option.
- Let the Department of Motor Vehicles look through its own files along with your driving record abstract, the state's official record of your licence history and any offenses.
You qualify only if nothing else is holding your licence back (no separate suspension or cancellation, no required stretch without driving, and no further revocation), and you've worked through the full application process. Because installation has to happen first, booking that appointment is what sets everything else in motion. One call to us sends your request to an installer serving Nebraska, and they'll set up a time with you.
What an interlock costs
The money goes to the interlock company, not the state. MADD estimates the usual charges at $70 to $150 for installation, plus monthly fees of $60 to $80 while the device stays in. Across 12 months that works out to roughly $790 to $1,110, and across 24 months roughly $1,510 to $2,070.
Companies price differently. Some list a monthly lease, for example Intoxalock starting at $54.99 and Smart Start at $59.99; others such as Dräger only give quotes over the phone. Ask each provider to quote the installation, monthly and removal charges as a single package, making real totals easy to compare before you decide.
Help if you can't afford the device
You may be found indigent by the Department of Motor Vehicles, which means you don't have the money to install, remove or maintain the device. If so, the costs come from the state's ignition interlock fund, provided money is available and the department's own rules allow it.
How long the court order lasts
It's up to the judge how long you keep the device. The term can't stretch beyond the harshest revocation available for the offense. Every case is different, so check the court order itself to find out when yours wraps up.
What happens if someone tampers with or bypasses the device?
When a court hears proof that the device was tampered with or bypassed, a hearing must happen within 14 days. If you don't show up and explain why the order should stand, the court takes away your original interlock order, and your way back to driving disappears with it.
The same strict handling applies when a court has also told you to wear a continuous alcohol monitoring device that tests your body for alcohol around the clock. Remove it, interfere with it, get around it, or drink while you're supposed to be wearing it, and your interlock permit is gone. Follow the orders for both devices and your permit stays protected. Should your device give you trouble, getting the installer to check it soon is the safest bet, and a single call to us puts you in touch with one right away.