WV DMV Interlock Phone Number: Costs and Reinstatement Steps

The West Virginia DMV interlock phone number is 1-800-642-9066 toll-free for state residents, or 304-926-2507 on a direct line. Both reach the DUI-Interlock Section at the Division of Motor Vehicles headquarters in Charleston, which runs the state’s Alcohol and Drug Test and Lock Program under West Virginia Code 17C-5A-3a. The DMV asks that you call this number before you send in an application, so staff can pull your driving record and confirm you actually qualify.¹

How to Contact the Interlock Unit

The interlock program is not handled by regional DMV offices. Every application, question, and record review goes through the DUI-Interlock Section in Charleston.

Toll-free (WV residents): 1-800-642-9066
Direct line: 304-926-2507
Out-of-state callers: 304-558-3900
Mailing address: 5707 MacCorkle Avenue SE, Charleston, WV 25304

The Charleston office is open 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8:00 a.m. to noon on Saturday.² You can drop off documents in person or mail them, but the phone call comes first. The $100 application fee is non-refundable, so a five-minute record check up front is worth making.¹

What the DMV Will Ask About Before You Apply

When you call, expect staff to look at what your license was revoked for and how long you have already served. The program is open to drivers revoked for DUI offenses, drivers who refused a chemical breath test, and people serving conditional probation on a DUI conviction.³ Each category has its own waiting period before the interlock can go on, and its own minimum time on the device after.

On a standard first offense with a BAC between 0.08 and 0.15 percent, the wait is 15 days of hard revocation, then at least 125 days on the interlock. If the BAC was 0.15 or higher, it’s 45 days revoked and a minimum of 270 days on the device. Refusing the chemical test on a first offense brings a 45-day revocation and a full year on the interlock.³

For a DUI involving a death, where the court finds reckless disregard for safety and alcohol as a contributing cause, you cannot apply for 12 months and then must stay on the interlock for at least two years.³ These are statutory floors. The Commissioner can add time for any program violation.

Applying After the Call

If the record check clears you, download the application from dmv.wv.gov/forms, or ask the operator to send you one.⁴ The form asks for your full legal name, date of birth, Social Security number, and driver’s license number, plus the VIN, make, and model of the vehicle that will get the device.¹

Send the completed form and the $100 fee to the Charleston address, or bring it in person. Fill every field. Incomplete packages get returned, and the fee is not refunded if it turns out you were not eligible after all. Once the DMV approves you, they mail an approval number and a list of authorized service providers. Pick one, schedule installation, and bring the certificate they give you back to the DMV. That is when your restricted license is issued.¹

One boundary worth knowing before you call: the interlock must be installed on every vehicle you own or operate, not just one.³ There is a narrow exception for equipment operated at a job site off public roads. Otherwise, if it has a steering wheel and you might drive it, it needs the device.

What Installation and Monthly Costs Look Like

The $100 application fee is only the start. Installation runs roughly $100. Ongoing lease and monitoring costs typically fall between $2.50 and $3.50 per day, which comes to about $75 to $105 a month. You also bring the vehicle in every 30 to 60 days for calibration and data download, and those service visits carry their own fees. Removal at the end adds one more charge.⁴ A driver serving the 125-day minimum can expect roughly $500 to $700 in device costs. Longer terms scale up from there.

Most drivers also have to file proof of financial responsibility, an SR-22, before the restricted license is issued. The SR-22 is not a separate policy; it is a form your insurer files certifying you carry at least the state minimum liability coverage. Insurance premiums usually rise substantially after a DUI. If the SR-22 lapses or your policy is canceled, the DMV is notified and your license goes back to suspended.

Reinstatement Questions to Ask

When your interlock period is up and your compliance record is clean, your service provider handles removal after the DMV signs off. Before your license is restored to unrestricted status, you still owe a reinstatement fee and any outstanding processing costs. Balances can be checked and paid through the DMV’s self-service portal at apps.wv.gov.

One thing worth confirming on the phone: your SR-22 obligation does not necessarily end the day the device comes off. It usually runs for a separate period that extends past the interlock requirement. Dropping the SR-22 too early is a common way people end up suspended again a few weeks after they thought they were done. Ask the DUI-Interlock Section and your insurer for the exact end date on each obligation, and keep both in writing.

1
West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles. WV Alcohol and Drug Test and Lock (Interlock) Program Application
2
West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles. Kanawha City (Charleston)
3
West Virginia Legislature. West Virginia Code 17C-5A-3a – Establishment of and Participation in the Motor Vehicle Alcohol and Drug Test and Lock Program
4
West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles. West Virginia Alcohol and Drug Test and Lock Program Revocation Interlock Information