Alabama ignition interlock & DUI requirements
Alabama requires an ignition interlock after a first DUI only at a BAC of 0.15 or higher (90 days); below that threshold it is not automatic, though other circumstances set by the statute can still require one. A repeat offense carries 2 years.
Ignition interlock device rules, approved vendors, SR-22 insurance filing, and license reinstatement in Alabama, cited to the statute and Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA), Department of Public Safety, Driver License Division.
- IID on first offense
- High-BAC only
- Minimum IID period (first)
- 90 days
- SR-22 filing
- Required · 3 years
The short answers
Do I need an interlock?
- First offense
- Required only above a high-BAC threshold
- Threshold
- BAC 0.15
- Minimum period
- 90 days
What the source says (2)
- First offense
“The 90-day suspension shall be stayed if the offender elects to have an approved ignition interlock device installed and operating on the designated motor vehicle driven by the offender for 90 days.”
- Minimum period
“Upon 1st Conviction: Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) < 0.15 IID Term: 90 Days License Suspension/Revocation: 90 Days ... Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) > 0.15 IID Term: 1 Year License Suspension/Revocation: 90 Days **Mandatory Ignition Interlock, suspension stayed w/proof of IID installation**”
What it costs here
- State reinstatement fee
- $275
- Restricted-license fee
- $150
- Reduced-cost rule
- Alabama Ignition Interlock Indigent Fund
- Interlock lease, national range
- $50–$150 per month
What the source says (3)
- State reinstatement fee
“Reinstatement Fees ... Suspended/cancelled licenses - $100 Revoked licenses - $175 Alcohol/drug-related offenses: Suspended - $275 Revoked - $275 Additional drug-related fee - $25 Interlock Issuance Fee - $150”
- Restricted-license fee
“The Offender shall have an approved IID installed in their vehicle and provide proof of installation to the ALEA to obtain the required ignition interlock restricted driver license. There is a $150 fee for this driver license.”
- Reduced-cost rule
“The agency shall require each approved manufacturer to provide a minimum number of indigent defendants with ignition interlock services, including installation, lease, calibration, and removal, at no cost to the indigent defendant.”
How to drive legally now
- Restricted license
- Available in some first-offense cases · Ignition interlock restricted driver license
- Hearing-request deadline
- 10 days from the notice
- Driving after a DUI in Alabama: the restricted license
- How to get a license back in Alabama
- Date the hearing deadline with the timeline calculator
What the source says (2)
- Restricted license
“The 90-day suspension shall be stayed if the offender elects to have an approved ignition interlock device installed and operating on the designated motor vehicle driven by the offender for 90 days.”
- Hearing-request deadline
“The request shall be received by the agency or be mailed and postmarked within 10 days of the notice of intended suspension issued pursuant to Section 32-5A-303 or the notice of suspension issued pursuant to Section 32-5A-302 where no notice of intended suspension was served.”
Approved interlock providers
Vendors listed here appear on the Alabama licensing agency's approved-device list. Listing order is alphabetical and is not a ranking or endorsement. Installation locations are on each vendor's own locator.
Where to get it installed — the official approved-installer list: Agency approved-vendor list
| Vendor | Website | Location finder |
|---|---|---|
| LifeSafer | LifeSafer website | Find a location |
| RoadGuard Interlocklisted by the agency as “Draeger, Inc.” | RoadGuard Interlock website | Find a location |
| Sens-O-Lock of America | Sens-O-Lock of America website | Find a location |
| Smart Start | Smart Start website | Find a location |
What Alabama law requires
Alabama's ignition interlock, SR-22, and reinstatement rules are set by the statute and agency rules cited below. The values in the tables on this page are taken from those sources and are not interpretations of how they apply to any particular case.
Primary source: Ala. Code § 32-5A-191.4
Ignition interlock requirement
| Item | Alabama rule |
|---|---|
| IID on first offense | Required only above a high-BAC threshold |
| Minimum IID period, first offense | 90 days (elective, stays the 90-day suspension); 1 year mandatory if BAC 0.15 or higher, refusal, child under 14 passenger, or injury |
| Minimum IID period, repeat offense | 2 years |
Under Ala. Code § 32-5A-191(e), on a first conviction the 90-day suspension is stayed if the offender elects to install an approved IID for 90 days. The IID becomes mandatory for one year if the offender had a BAC of 0.15 or higher, refused the chemical test, had a passenger under 14, or someone else was injured.
What the source says (5)
- IID on first offense
“The 90-day suspension shall be stayed if the offender elects to have an approved ignition interlock device installed and operating on the designated motor vehicle driven by the offender for 90 days.”
- Minimum IID period, first offense
“Upon 1st Conviction: Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) < 0.15 IID Term: 90 Days License Suspension/Revocation: 90 Days ... Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) > 0.15 IID Term: 1 Year License Suspension/Revocation: 90 Days **Mandatory Ignition Interlock, suspension stayed w/proof of IID installation**”
- Minimum IID period, repeat offense
“(f) On a second conviction ... the offender shall be required to have an ignition interlock device installed and operating on the designated motor vehicle driven by the offender for a period of two years from the date of issuance of a driver’s license”
- Ignition interlock statute
“Section 32-5A-191.4 Ignition Interlock Devices. (a) As used in Section 32-5A-191, the term, “ignition interlock device” means a constant monitoring device that prevents a motor vehicle from being started at any time without first determining the equivalent blood alcohol level of the operator”
- IID on first offense
“if the offender is found to have had at least 0.15 percent or more by weight of alcohol in his or her blood ... the person shall be required to have an ignition interlock device installed and operating on the designated motor vehicle driven by the offender for a period of one year”
Removal: Removal is completion-based and court-authorized: under Ala. Code § 32-5A-191(k)(2) the interlock requirement may be removed only when the court of conviction confirms to ALEA that the licensee is no longer subject… Full rule and source
SR-22 requirement
An SR-22 is a certificate an insurer files with the state to confirm that a driver carries the liability coverage the state requires. Some states use an FR-44 or a different form for alcohol-related offenses; where Alabama does, the sources below say so.
| SR-22 filing required after a DUI | Yes |
|---|---|
| Filing period | 3 years |
Ala. Code § 32-7-18 (Motor Vehicle Safety-Responsibility Act) provides that whenever the director suspends or revokes a license 'upon receiving record of a conviction,' no license shall thereafter be issued 'unless and until he or she shall give and thereafter maintain proof of financial responsibility'; a DUI conviction under § 32-5A-191 results in such a suspension/revocation. Under § 32-7-31(a)(1) the director may cancel the proof after three years from the date it was required if no further qualifying conviction is recorded. ALEA's Request for Reinstatement Requirements form (DI-46A) calls the filing 'SR22 Insurance', and ALEA's hardship-license rule refers to 'SR-22 insurance ... required ... under applicable law'. Caveat: no ALEA page states the SR-22 requirement specifically for DUI; the statute applies generally to conviction-based suspensions and revocations.
What the source says (4)
- SR-22 filing required after a DUI
“Whenever the director, under any law of this state, suspends or revokes the license of any person upon receiving record of a conviction or a forfeiture of bail, the director shall also suspend the registration for all motor vehicles registered in the name of such person”
- Filing period
“(1) At any time after three years from the date such proof was required when, during the three-year period preceding the request, the director has not received record of a conviction or a forfeiture of bail which would require or permit the suspension or revocation of the license”
- sr22Note_hardshipRule
“An individual whose driver license has been revoked and who is required to carry SR-22 insurance under applicable law is required to carry SR-22 insurance while holding a hardship driver license.”
- sr22Note_di46a
“NOTE: The reinstatement fee and/or SR22 (if required) should not be submitted until all tickets are settled and your hearing (if required) is complete.”
Program costs
Fees set by the state are cited to the fee schedule. Vendor charges vary by vendor and are shown as published ranges with the month they were checked.
| Item | Amount | As of |
|---|---|---|
| License reinstatement fee | $275 | 2026-08-29 |
| Court ignition interlock fee(Ala. Code § 32-5A-191(r)) | $200 paid to the court following conviction (may be paid in installments); 17% to the Alabama Interlock Indigent Fund | 2026-08 |
| Ignition interlock restricted driver license issuance fee | $150 (ALEA); statute caps it at not more than $150(Ala. Code § 32-5A-191(u)) | 2026-08 |
| Fee to reissue regular license at end of IID period(Ala. Code § 32-5A-191(u)) | Not more than $75 | 2026-08 |
| Monthly fee for defendants who do not own a vehicle(Ala. Code § 32-5A-191.4(i)(6)) | $75 per month for the entire IID period unless found indigent | 2026-08 |
| Indigent program(Ala. Code § 32-5A-191.4(i)(4)-(5)) | Indigent offenders are not required to pay installation/maintenance costs; each approved manufacturer must serve indigent defendants equal to 5% of prior-year installations at no cost | 2026-08 |
| Reinstatement fees(ALEA) | Alcohol/drug-related suspended or revoked: $275; additional drug-related fee: $25; non-alcohol suspended/cancelled: $100; revoked: $175; failure to surrender license within 30 days: $50 | 2026-08 |
| Provider device application fee(Ala. Code § 32-5A-191.4(f)) | $2,000 paid by the ignition interlock provider to the Department of Forensic Sciences to evaluate the instrument | 2026-08 |
What the source says (1)
- License reinstatement fee
“Reinstatement Fees ... Suspended/cancelled licenses - $100 Revoked licenses - $175 Alcohol/drug-related offenses: Suspended - $275 Revoked - $275 Additional drug-related fee - $25 Interlock Issuance Fee - $150”
Exemptions and special cases
Four questions readers ask once an interlock is ordered — motorcycles, employer vehicles, medical inability to give a breath sample, and reduced-cost programs — answered as Alabama's interlock program page or statute states them.
| Question | Alabama rule |
|---|---|
| Motorcycles | Not addressed on the official pages read Neither Ala. Code § 32-5A-191 / § 32-5A-191.4 nor ALEA's Ignition Interlock Laws page addresses motorcycles; the statute defines the device as one that prevents 'a motor vehicle' from being started. |
| Employer-owned vehicle | Not addressed on the official pages read The statute addresses only the employer's obligation: nothing in § 32-5A-191 or § 32-5A-191.4 requires an employer to install a device in a vehicle it owns or operates for use by an employee under the requirement. No provision on either statute or the ALEA page states that the employee may drive that vehicle without a device. What the source says“(v) Nothing in this section and Section 32-5A-191.4 shall require an employer to install an ignition interlock device in a vehicle owned or operated by the employer for use by an employee required to use the device as a condition of driving pursuant to this section and Section 32-5A-191.4.” |
| Unable to provide a breath sample | Not addressed on the official pages read No waiver or alternative for a person physically unable to provide a breath sample appears in Ala. Code § 32-5A-191, § 32-5A-191.4, ALEA's Ignition Interlock Laws page, ADFS Ignition Interlock Rule 370-3-1-.01 or ALEA Chapter 760-X-4. |
| Reduced-cost / indigent program | Available — Alabama Ignition Interlock Indigent Fund (indigency 'for the purpose of ignition interlock') Under Ala. Code § 32-5A-191.4(i)(3)-(5), the court determines indigency using the criteria in § 15-12-5(b) and (c); the defendant executes an affidavit of substantial hardship on a Supreme Court-approved form and submits the court's order to the interlock provider. Each approved manufacturer must provide installation, lease, calibration and removal at no cost to a minimum number of indigent defendants equal to five percent of its prior-year installations; the Alabama Ignition Interlock Indigent Fund, administered by ALEA (Rule 760-X-4-.02), reimburses providers, and rates for indigent defendants may not exceed rates charged to non-indigent persons. The $75-per-month fee for defendants who do not own a vehicle does not apply to a defendant found indigent (§ 32-5A-191.4(i)(6)). What the source says“The agency shall require each approved manufacturer to provide a minimum number of indigent defendants with ignition interlock services, including installation, lease, calibration, and removal, at no cost to the indigent defendant.” |
| No certified provider within 50 miles | No person may be required to install a device if there is not a certified ignition interlock provider within a 50-mile radius of the person's residence or place of business or employment (Ala. Code § 32-5A-191(z)). What the source says“(z) Notwithstanding the ignition interlock requirements of this section, no person may be required to install an ignition interlock device if there is not a certified ignition interlock provider available within a 50 mile radius of his or her place of residence or place of business or employment.” |
| Juvenile offenders under 19 | The ignition interlock provisions do not apply to persons who commit violations while under 19 and are adjudicated in juvenile court, unless the court orders otherwise (Ala. Code § 32-5A-191(w)). What the source says“(w) The provisions in this section and Section 32-5A-191.4 relating to ignition interlock devices shall not apply to persons who commit violations of this section while under 19 years of age and who are adjudicated in juvenile court, unless specifically ordered otherwise by the court.” |
| Commercial driver license disqualifications | ALEA states the Ignition Interlock Law does not apply to CDL disqualifications; the device can reduce suspension/revocation time on a Class D license only. What the source says“The use of an IID can reduce the amount of time for suspension or revocation on a Class D driver license. The Ignition Interlock Law does not apply to Commercial Driver License (CDL) disqualifications.” |
| Defendant who does not own a vehicle | A defendant who does not own a vehicle or otherwise have a device installed pays $75 per month for the entire required or elected interlock period unless found indigent, and still serves the full suspension or revocation (Ala. Code § 32-5A-191.4(i)(6)). What the source says“Any defendant who does not own a vehicle or otherwise have an ignition interlock device installed on a vehicle shall be required to pay seventy-five dollars ($75) per month for the entire period the defendant is required or elects to have an ignition interlock device” |
| Out-of-state residents and service outside Alabama | ADFS Rule 370-3-1-.01(k): approved devices may be serviced only by service centers in Alabama, except where the participant has a permanent residence in another state or is unable to return to Alabama for service because of a personal hardship; an out-of-state service center must keep the same firmware. What the source says“Ignition interlock devices approved for use within the State of Alabama can only be serviced by service centers located within the State of Alabama, unless one of the following exceptions applies: 1. The participant has a permanent residence in a state other than the State of Alabama;” |
Compare: motorcycles by state · employer, medical and reduced-cost exemptions by state
Frequently asked questions
- Is an ignition interlock device required after a first DUI conviction in Alabama?
- Under Ala. Code § 32-5A-191(e), a first conviction carries a 90-day license suspension that is stayed if the offender elects to install an approved ignition interlock device for 90 days. The device is mandatory for one year if the offender's BAC was 0.15 or higher, the chemical test was refused, a child under 14 was a passenger, or another person was injured.
- How long is the ignition interlock period for a second DUI conviction?
- Under Ala. Code § 32-5A-191(f), on a second conviction the license is revoked for one year and the offender is required to have an ignition interlock device installed for two years from the date an ignition-interlock restricted license is issued. After a minimum of 45 days of revocation, the IID period starts and the remaining revocation is stayed.
- What does Alabama charge to reinstate a license after an alcohol-related suspension or revocation?
- According to the ALEA Driver License Division reinstatement fee page, the reinstatement fee for alcohol/drug-related offenses is $275 (suspended or revoked), with an additional $25 drug-related fee where applicable, and a $150 interlock issuance fee for the ignition-interlock restricted license.
- Who approves ignition interlock devices in Alabama?
- Under Ala. Code § 32-5A-191.4(c), the Department of Forensic Sciences promulgates rules for approval, installation, and use of ignition interlock devices and maintains the public list of approved devices. ALEA enforces those rules (§ 32-5A-191.4(g)). The ADFS approved-device page currently lists Draeger, Inc.; Smart Start of Alabama, LLC; Sens-O-Lock of America; and LifeSafer, Inc.
- What counts as an ignition interlock violation in Alabama?
- ALEA's Ignition Interlock Laws page lists: a breath sample at or above 0.02 recorded four or more times in a monthly reporting period (unless a retest within 10 minutes is below 0.02), any tampering, circumvention, or bypass attempt, and failure to comply with 30-day servicing or calibration. Under Ala. Code § 32-5A-191(u)(3), a violation extends the IID period by six months.
Sources
- Code of Alabama § 32-5A-191.4 Ignition Interlock Devices (ALISON)
- Code of Alabama § 32-5A-191 Driving While Under Influence (ALISON)
- ALEA – Ignition Interlock Laws
- ALEA – Driver Records, Crash Reports, and Driver License Reinstatements (fees)
- Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences – Approved Interlock Devices
- Ala. Admin. Code r. 370-3-1-.01 Ignition Interlock Rules (ADFS)
- Ala. Admin. Code ch. 760-X-4 Ignition Interlock (ALEA; indigent fund reimbursement)
- ALEA Alabama Driver Manual (Nov. 2024)
- Code of Alabama § 32-7-18 Proof of Financial Responsibility Required Upon Certain Convictions (ALISON)
- Code of Alabama § 32-7-31 Duration of Proof; When Proof May Be Cancelled or Returned (ALISON)
- ALEA Rule 760-X-1-.24 Hardship Driver License (final revisions PDF; SR-22 while holding hardship license)
- ALEA form DI-46A Request for Reinstatement Requirements (dl-forms copy; SR22 checkbox)
Record history
- — Record verified against primary sources.