Ignition interlock in New Jersey

The option to install before conviction has been open since February 19, 2024. No court order is needed. You simply decide to have the device fitted while your case is pending.

Once it's installed, bring your paperwork to the Motor Vehicle Commission. They will issue you a license carrying an interlock notation. That notation restricts you to driving only vehicles with an interlock.

Starting early earns you credit toward your suspension too. A law approved April 3, 2025 gives a driver with the device and a noted license 1 day off the suspension for every 2 days the interlock stays in the car. The sooner the device goes in, the sooner those days start counting, so making the call today gets the clock running.

Restoring your driving privilege means visiting an MVC Full Service Agency in person. Bring two documents your installer gives you: the Certificate of Installation, which proves the device was put in, and the work order covering the job.

Once the agency has those, it hands you a license restricting you to cars with the device. The Motor Vehicle Commission oversees how interlocks are fitted and used statewide, and the court is the one that decides you need one.

Skip the installation after the court orders one, and you risk an additional 1-year suspension stacked on the suspension you already have. Getting the device in beforehand keeps this from turning into one more penalty.

Installers must report to the Motor Vehicle Commission when a device is taken out before the term is up. When that happens, your driving privilege stays on hold until a fresh installation certificate is filed. Leaving the interlock in place for the whole period the court ordered spares you from redoing all the paperwork.

If this is a third offense or later, the same 2 to 4 year interlock period applies, plus an 8-year license forfeiture. Forfeiture means the license is gone for that full stretch.

Intoxalock puts its New Jersey devices at an average of $3.60 a day. That's just one company's figure for this state, and other providers charge what they like.

Going by MADD's national averages, a 12-month term runs roughly $790 to $1,110 all in, counting the install and the monthly fees. Over 24 months, expect somewhere around $1,510 to $2,070.

New Jersey lets drivers who can't manage the cost pay half of what it takes to set the device up and half of what it costs to lease it each month. The rule labels this "indigent," which just means very low income.

To show you qualify, present the manufacturer or service provider with proof that you take part in a government benefits program, such as a card or letter. Have it ready when you book so the lower price applies from your very first appointment.

The bill that adjusted how long the interlock terms last got the governor's signature on December 21, 2023, and the revised terms began applying on February 19, 2024. That same statute stretched the interlock program out to January 1, 2029.

A newer measure, approved on April 3, 2025, applied right away and brought in the 1-for-2 suspension credit, running until January 1, 2029 as well.

There are 8 companies with install locations in New Jersey. Reach out by phone or through the booking form, and your details land with a provider serving New Jersey, who then arranges your appointment. Call today to get your install on the calendar.