Ignition interlock in North Carolina
If North Carolina's interlock rule applies to you, you'll need to show proof that an ignition interlock is installed in at least one designated vehicle before the DMV restores your license. The interlock itself is a little breath-testing machine hooked up to the car. The engine won't turn over until you breathe into it.
- Alcohol limit while driving
- below 0.02
- Typical cost over 12 months
- roughly $790 to $1,110
- Agency in charge
- North Carolina DMV
- Companies installing
- 5
- Required after
- a BAC of 0.15 or above, an impaired driving conviction in the past 7 years, or a habitual impaired driving revocation
- Length
- one, three, or seven years, counted from the day the DMV hands your license back
The state's Ignition Interlock Program has been running since 1989. North Carolina sets the program standards, and you can only drive with a device of a type the state has approved. The quickest route to an appointment is a phone call.
5 interlock companies in North Carolina
| Company | From, a month | Installation | 12 months, install included | Trustpilot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 LifeSafer | From $50 | $70 to $150 | From $670 | 4.6 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 |
 Monitech | Call for a quote | 4.2 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 North Carolina?
The law covers you if a DWI conviction cost you your license and you fall into any of 3 groups, under state law. BAC stands for blood alcohol level, meaning the amount of alcohol the test found in your system.
The first group is anyone whose BAC came in at 0.15 or above. The second is anyone with an earlier impaired driving conviction for an offense that happened within 7 years before this one. The third group is made up of drivers whose licenses were pulled for habitual impaired driving.
Even a first-timer is included. North Carolina punishes a first DUI with an interlock whenever your reading comes in at 0.15 or above.
Getting your license back with an interlock
You won't see your license again until you show that a working interlock has been installed on at least one of the cars you've designated. A designated vehicle is simply a car you've named as one you plan to drive. From then on, you're limited to driving vehicles that carry a working interlock of a kind the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles has signed off on.
Since the license can't come back before the install, it pays to get the appointment on the books early. Give us a call and we'll pass your request to an interlock company that serves North Carolina.
Length of the interlock requirement
How long you live with the device tracks how long your license was revoked to begin with. The count starts the day your license comes back.
Revoked for 1 year? Then it's 1 year on the interlock. Revoked for 4 years? Then 3 years. Lose it permanently, and the device stays on for seven years.
Driving rules while the device is fitted
You can't drive with an alcohol concentration of 0.02 or more. That is a very low limit, so the safest plan is not to drink before driving.
You also have to breathe into the device yourself before you get behind the wheel. Nobody else can start the car in your place.
Breaking the interlock rules
Break the interlock restrictions without picking up a driving-while-revoked charge, and the Division pulls your license for another year. That lands you right back at square one.
A violation during the final 90 days of your requirement tacks on 90 more. From that point, the requirement only closes after you get through the added stretch without another violation.
What an interlock costs in North Carolina
Nationwide, MADD's averages run $70 to $150 to install and $60 to $80 for every month after that. These numbers are national figures rather than a North Carolina average.
Using those national averages, a 1 year requirement lands near $790 to $1,110 all in. A 3 year requirement runs about $2,230 to $3,030.
Which companies install interlocks in North Carolina?
Several companies install interlocks in North Carolina, including Smart Start, Intoxalock, LifeSafer and Monitech. Monitech sticks to North Carolina alone and shows 27 locations on its location page.
Prices that companies publish aren't the same across the board. Intoxalock advertises a monthly lease from $54.99, while Smart Start advertises one as low as $59.99. Monitech doesn't publish its prices.
One call connects you with a company serving North Carolina so your install can be arranged.
Medical exception to the 0.15 rule
If your BAC of 0.15 or more is the only reason you're covered, you can request a medical exception. It's meant for cases where a diagnosed physical condition leaves you unable to activate the device on your own.
The exception is off the table if a prior conviction or habitual impaired driving is what brought you into the program.