If you’ve been convicted of a DUI in California, the state’s ignition interlock device requirements decide when you can drive again, what car you can drive, and for how long. A first DUI without injury can bring a court-ordered IID for up to six months, while a second offense carries a mandatory one-year term, a third offense two years, and a fourth or subsequent offense three years. DUIs involving injury are mandatory and can run up to four years depending on your record.1California Department of Motor Vehicles. Statewide Ignition Interlock Device Pilot Program
The device has to go on every vehicle you drive, not just one, and the restriction only comes off after you’ve completed the full term, cleared your DUI program, and shown proof of insurance. The sections below walk through who the rule covers, what you have to do to get your restricted license, and what will cost you if you cut corners.
Who Has to Install One
Two separate tracks can lead to an IID order: an administrative action by the DMV and a criminal court order after conviction. They often run at the same time.
For a first DUI with no injuries, the court can order an IID for up to six months, but it isn’t automatic. The judge decides based on the facts of the case. On the DMV side, a first-time offender can voluntarily install an IID to get a broader restricted license that allows driving anywhere, anytime, as long as the vehicle has the device. Without the IID, the only alternative restricted license is limited to driving to and from work and to a DUI education program.
Installation is mandatory, with no judicial discretion, for anyone convicted of a second or subsequent DUI, or any DUI involving injury. The term runs from one to four years depending on prior convictions.
How Long the Device Stays on Your Car
- First offense, no injury (court-ordered): up to six months.
- Second offense: one year mandatory.
- Third offense: two years mandatory.
- Fourth or subsequent offense: three years mandatory.
DUI convictions involving injury carry longer mandatory periods and can extend up to four years depending on prior history. These are floors. Violations during the monitoring period, like failing a breath test or missing a calibration appointment, can push the term past its original end date.
Getting Your IID-Restricted License
Several steps run in parallel through the installer, your insurer, and the DMV. Miss any one and your license stays suspended.
Pick an Approved Installer
The device has to come from a manufacturer on the DMV’s approved list and be installed by a technician licensed by the Bureau of Automotive Repair or the Bureau of Household Goods and Services. The DMV publishes the current list of approved manufacturers and devices on its website.
Submit the DL 920
Once the device is installed, the installer gives you a completed Verification of Installation Ignition Interlock form (DL 920). The DMV needs the original before it will issue your restricted license. Copies are not accepted.
File an SR-22
California will not issue the IID-restricted license until your insurance company files a California Insurance Proof Certificate, the SR-22, directly with the DMV. The SR-22 confirms you carry at least the state’s minimum liability coverage. It typically raises your premium and stays in place until your full driving privilege is reinstated.
Enroll in a DUI Program
You also need to show the DMV that you’re enrolled in a licensed DUI education program. First offenders are usually placed in a three-month or nine-month program; repeat offenders are assigned an 18-month or 30-month program. The DMV verifies enrollment through the Proof of Enrollment Certificate (DL 107).
Pay the DMV Fees
First-time offenders pay a $125 administrative per se (APS) fee, a $55 reissue fee, and a $15 restriction fee, plus an IID restriction fee. Anyone subject to the mandatory IID requirement pays an additional $103 administrative service fee. These are DMV charges only. The device itself is billed separately by the installer.
What the Device Costs
Expect three layers of cost from the IID provider: a one-time installation fee, a monthly lease for the hardware, and a service fee at each calibration visit. Installation typically runs $50 to $150, and monthly lease fees generally fall between $70 and $100, though pricing varies by provider. Combined with calibration charges and DMV fees, the total over a 12-month IID term can easily reach $1,000 to $1,500 or more.
California runs a reduced-fee assistance program tied to the Federal Poverty Level:
- At or below 100% of the FPL: you pay 10% of program costs.
- 101–200% of the FPL: you pay 25%.
- 201–300% of the FPL, or receiving CalFresh benefits: you pay 50%.
- 301–400% of the FPL: you pay 90%.
The discount applies to the IID provider’s charges. Extra costs caused by noncompliance, like a service visit triggered by a violation, are not covered no matter your income.
Calibration Appointments and the 60-Day Rule
After installation, you have to bring the vehicle back to the installer at intervals that cannot exceed 60 days. At each visit the technician inspects the device for tampering, recalibrates it, and downloads stored data, which includes every breath test, every failed test, and any evidence of a bypass attempt.
If military service, a death in the family, or a similar event beyond your control prevents you from making the appointment, the installer may grant an extension if you provide documentation before the deadline. Otherwise, the installer is required to file a Notice of Non-Compliance (DL 921) with the DMV, and your driving privilege will be suspended or revoked.
Penalties for Violations
Missing a calibration appointment triggers a noncompliance report and loss of your restricted license. Driving a vehicle without a functioning IID during your restriction period brings a citation and further suspension or revocation.
California Vehicle Code Section 23247 goes further and makes several IID-related acts criminal. Asking someone else to blow into your device, having another person start your car for you, or driving a vehicle without a required IID are all misdemeanors. A conviction carries up to six months in county jail, a fine of up to $5,000, or both. It is also illegal for anyone to knowingly lend or rent a vehicle to a person with an IID restriction unless the vehicle has a functioning device installed.
Driving an Employer’s Vehicle
If your job requires you to drive a vehicle your employer owns, California Vehicle Code Section 23576 may let you drive that vehicle without an IID. The conditions are strict. The vehicle has to be owned by the employer and used only for work purposes, and you must give your employer written notice that your driving privilege is restricted. Proof of that notice must be on you or in the vehicle whenever you’re driving it.
The exemption does not apply if you’re self-employed or if you own or partially own the business. It also does not relieve you of the IID requirement on your personal vehicle. Every car registered to you, or that you regularly drive outside of work, still needs the device.
If You Move Out of State
Leaving California does not end your IID obligation. The state still expects the full term to be completed, and your conviction and sanctions are shared with other states. Your new state may add its own requirements or treat the California conviction as its own.
On the practical side, your IID provider has to keep servicing the device, either directly in your new state or by transferring your account to another service center in its network, so that data downloads and reporting continue without a gap. Missing an appointment during the move counts as a violation and can extend your term. Call your provider and both DMVs well before you leave.
Removing the Device
After you’ve completed the full IID term without a violation that triggered an extension, you return to a certified installer for removal. The installer issues a Notice of Removal confirming the device has been properly taken off the vehicle. Submit that form to the DMV to clear the IID restriction from your record. Full reinstatement also requires completing your DUI program and showing proof of financial responsibility, so removing the device alone will not restore an unrestricted license.