DUI Compliance Glossary

The words used by statutes, courts, and licensing agencies after a DUI are not the words most people use. These are the terms that appear on WheelsBack state pages, defined in plain language. Each definition describes what the term means in general; the state page and its cited sources control how it applies in a given state.

Ignition interlock device(IID, BAIID): A breath-alcohol analyzer wired into a vehicle's starter. The engine will not start unless the driver blows a sample below the device's preset limit, and the device records every test. Some states call it a breath alcohol ignition interlock device (BAIID) or an ignition interlock system.
Rolling retest: A breath sample the interlock demands at random intervals while the vehicle is running. Missing or failing a rolling retest is logged as a violation and, depending on the state, may trigger a warning, a lockout, or an extension of the interlock period.
Lockout: A period during which the interlock refuses to allow a start — for example after repeated failed tests, a missed service appointment, or tampering. A permanent lockout usually requires a service visit to clear.
Calibration / monitoring visit: A required service appointment, typically every 30 to 90 days, at which the vendor recalibrates the device and downloads its log for reporting to the state or court. Most states set the interval in statute or rule.
Set point: The breath-alcohol concentration at which the interlock prevents a start. States set it by statute or rule, commonly between 0.02 and 0.025.
SR-22: Not an insurance policy but a certificate an insurer files with the state to prove that a driver carries the required liability coverage. States that require it after a DUI usually require it to stay on file for a fixed period (commonly two or three years); a lapse can trigger a new suspension.
FR-44: A higher-limit version of the SR-22 used by Florida and Virginia for alcohol-related offenses. It works the same way but requires liability limits above the state minimum.
Proof of financial responsibility: The statutory term for demonstrating that a driver is insured for future liability. An SR-22 or FR-44 is the usual form; some states accept other forms of proof or use a different form name.
Administrative license suspension / revocation(ALS, ALR, APS): A suspension imposed by the licensing agency — not the court — after a DUI arrest, usually for failing or refusing a chemical test. It runs on its own timeline and is separate from any penalty imposed after conviction.
Implied consent: The rule, in every state, that a licensed driver has agreed in advance to chemical testing when lawfully arrested for DUI. Refusing carries its own administrative suspension, often longer than the suspension for failing the test.
Restricted, hardship, or occupational license: A limited license that allows driving for specific purposes (work, school, treatment) or only in an interlock-equipped vehicle during a suspension or revocation. Many states make an interlock a condition of this license even when it is not otherwise required.
Interlock-restricted license: A license or permit that allows driving only a vehicle equipped with an ignition interlock. Driving any other vehicle is a separate offense in most states.
Reinstatement: The agency's restoration of full driving privileges after a suspension or revocation ends. It usually requires an application, a reinstatement fee, and proof that every condition (treatment, interlock period, insurance filing) has been met.
Reinstatement fee: The fee the licensing agency charges to restore a license. Many states charge a higher fee for alcohol-related suspensions than for other suspensions, and some add a separate administrative or program fee.
High-BAC / aggravated threshold: A blood-alcohol concentration (commonly 0.15 or 0.16, sometimes 0.17 or 0.20) above which a state imposes stricter penalties — often a mandatory interlock for a first offense that would otherwise be discretionary.
Look-back period: The number of years a prior DUI stays relevant when deciding whether a new offense counts as a repeat offense. It ranges from five years to a lifetime depending on the state.
Compliance-based removal: A rule that ties the end of the interlock period to a stretch of violation-free use (for example 90 or 180 consecutive days). A violation late in the period can extend it.
Indigent or reduced-cost program: A statutory program under which drivers below an income threshold pay a reduced share of interlock costs, with the balance paid by a state fund or absorbed by the vendor as a condition of approval.
24/7 sobriety program: An alternative or supplement to the interlock used in several states (notably South Dakota, North Dakota, and Montana): twice-daily breath tests or continuous alcohol monitoring as a condition of driving or release.
DUI, DWI, OWI, OVI, OUI, DUII, OVUII: State-specific names for the same family of offenses: driving under the influence, driving while intoxicated, operating while intoxicated, operating a vehicle impaired, operating under the influence, driving under the influence of intoxicants, and operating a vehicle under the influence of an intoxicant. WheelsBack uses "DUI" generically and the state's own term on the state page.