Michigan ignition interlock & DUI requirements
Michigan requires an ignition interlock after a first DUI only at a BAC of 0.17 or higher; below that threshold it is not automatic, though other circumstances set by the statute can still require one.
Ignition interlock device rules, approved vendors, SR-22 insurance filing, and license reinstatement in Michigan, cited to the statute and Michigan Department of State (Secretary of State).
- IID on first offense
- High-BAC only
- Minimum IID period (first)
- Rest of 1-year suspension if BAC 0.17+
- SR-22 filing
- Not required
The short answers
Do I need an interlock?
- First offense
- Required only above a high-BAC threshold
- Threshold
- BAC 0.17
- Minimum period
- Rest of 1-year suspension if BAC 0.17+
What the source says (2)
- First offense
“(c) The person has an alcohol content of 0.17 grams or more per 100 milliliters of blood, per 210 liters of breath, or per 67 milliliters of urine.”
- Minimum period
“for 1 year for a violation of section 625(1)(c) if the individual has no prior convictions within 7 years or not more than 2 convictions within 10 years.”
What it costs here
- State reinstatement fee
- $125
- Reduced-cost rule
- Available — see exemptions below
- Interlock lease, national range
- $50–$150 per month
What the source says (2)
- State reinstatement fee
“an individual whose operator's or chauffeur's license is suspended, revoked, or restricted under section 303, 319, 320, 324, 625, 625b, 625f, or 904 shall pay a license reinstatement fee of $125.00 to the secretary of state before a license is issued or returned to the individual.”
- Reduced-cost rule
“Agrees to provide an ignition interlock device without cost to a person whose gross income for the immediately preceding tax year based on his or her state income tax return was less than 150% of the official poverty line for that same tax year”
How to drive legally now
- Restricted license
- Available in some first-offense cases · Restricted license
- Waiting period
- 30 days
- Hearing-request deadline
- 14 days from the notice
- Driving after a DUI in Michigan: the restricted license
- How to get a license back in Michigan
- Date the hearing deadline with the timeline calculator
What the source says (2)
- Restricted license
“The secretary of state may issue the individual a restricted license during a specified portion of the suspension, except that the secretary of state shall not issue a restricted license during the first 30 days of suspension.”
- Hearing-request deadline
“This request for a hearing must be postmarked or submitted electronically within 14 days of the receipt of the officer's Report of Refusal to Submit to Chemical Test containing the notice of suspension”
Approved interlock providers
Vendors listed here appear on the Michigan 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Alcohol Detection Systems | Alcohol Detection Systems website | Find a location |
| Intoxalock | Intoxalock website | Find a location |
| LifeSafer | LifeSafer website | Find a location |
| RoadGuard Interlock | RoadGuard Interlock website | Find a location |
| Smart Start | Smart Start website | Find a location |
What Michigan law requires
Michigan'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: Mich. Comp. Laws § 257.319(8)(g)-(h)
Ignition interlock requirement
| Item | Michigan rule |
|---|---|
| IID on first offense | Required only above a high-BAC threshold |
| Minimum IID period, first offense | High-BAC (0.17+) first offense: 1-year suspension, restricted license with BAIID available after the first 45 days for the remainder of the suspension; removal after the provider verifies no readings of 0.025 g/210 L or more. Standard first offense: none required by statute. |
| Minimum IID period, repeat offense | Not less than 1 year of documented BAIID operation before an unrestricted license (specialty-court restricted license, MCL 257.304(6)(c)); otherwise a repeat offender's license is revoked and any BAIID-restricted license is set by a Secretary of State hearing officer. |
Under MCL 257.319(8)(g)-(h), an individual convicted of operating with an alcohol content of 0.17 grams or more (MCL 257.625(1)(c), 'high BAC') with no prior convictions within 7 years receives a 1-year suspension; the Secretary of State may issue a restricted license after the first 45 days, and shall order that the individual not drive under that restricted license unless the vehicle has an approved ignition interlock device (BAIID). For a standard first OWI (0.08-0.169) the statute contains no mandatory IID; MCL 257.625(24) lets the court order an IID as a condition of probation at its discretion.
What the source says (5)
- IID on first offense
“(c) The person has an alcohol content of 0.17 grams or more per 100 milliliters of blood, per 210 liters of breath, or per 67 milliliters of urine.”
- Minimum IID period, first offense
“for 1 year for a violation of section 625(1)(c) if the individual has no prior convictions within 7 years or not more than 2 convictions within 10 years.”
- Minimum IID period, repeat offense
“(c) The individual demonstrates that the individual has operated with an ignition interlock device for not less than 1 year.”
- Ignition interlock statute
“shall order an individual convicted of violating section 625(1)(c) not to operate a motor vehicle under a restricted license issued under subdivision (g) unless the vehicle is equipped with an ignition interlock device approved, certified, and installed as required under sections 625k and 625l”
- IID on first offense
“The court may order as a condition of probation that a person convicted of violating subsection (1) or (8), or a local ordinance substantially corresponding to subsection (1) or (8), shall not operate a motor vehicle unless that vehicle is equipped with an ignition interlock device”
Removal: Compliance-based. For a high-BAC first offense, MCL 257.319(8)(h) provides the device may be removed after the interlock provider verifies to the Department that the individual operated the vehicle with no instances… 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 Michigan does, the sources below say so.
| SR-22 filing required after a DUI | No |
|---|---|
| Filing period | Not applicable |
The Michigan Department of State's 'Financial responsibility restricted licenses' FAQ ties proof-of-financial-responsibility filings to a financial-responsibility judgment (an unpaid court judgment after an at-fault, uninsured crash); an OWI conviction or suspension is not among the described triggers. The Michigan Vehicle Code's 'Proof of Financial Responsibility for the Future' subdivision (MCL 257.511-257.528) is likewise organized around nonpayment of judgments. No Department of State page was found that requires an SR-22 after an alcohol-related suspension.
What the source says (2)
- SR-22 filing required after a DUI
“The court may award a judgment for damages to the injured party against the uninsured motorist. If the uninsured motorist cannot pay the judgment, their driver's license is suspended until the judgment is paid in full.”
- SR-22 requirement
“Section 257.512 Section Nonpayment of judgment; suspension of registration and nonresident's operating privilege.”
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 | $125 | 2026-08-29 |
| Indigent program:manufacturer must provide the device without cost if prior-year gross income was under 150% of the federal poverty line | Device at no cost; maintenance fee to installer capped at $2.00 per day | 2026-08 |
| Device pricing | The Department of State states that rates and policies vary by manufacturer and that it does not endorse or recommend manufacturers | 2026-08 |
What the source says (1)
- License reinstatement fee
“an individual whose operator's or chauffeur's license is suspended, revoked, or restricted under section 303, 319, 320, 324, 625, 625b, 625f, or 904 shall pay a license reinstatement fee of $125.00 to the secretary of state before a license is issued or returned to the individual.”
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 Michigan's interlock program page or statute states them.
| Question | Michigan rule |
|---|---|
| Motorcycles | Not addressed on the official pages read MCL 257.319(8)(g)-(h), MCL 257.304, MCL 257.625k and the Department of State's License restoration (OHAO) and Ignition Interlock Manufacturers List pages refer to 'a vehicle' or 'a motor vehicle' equipped with a BAIID and do not mention motorcycles. |
| Employer-owned vehicle | Not addressed on the official pages read No employer-vehicle exemption appears in MCL 257.319(8), MCL 257.304 or MCL 257.625k; those statutes list driving 'in the course of the individual's employment or occupation' only as a permitted purpose on a BAIID-restricted license, not as an exemption from the device. The Department of State's License restoration page (Specialty Court section) states that a BAIID needs to be installed on every vehicle the person plans to drive. What the source says“Please note that a BAIID needs to be installed on every vehicle you plan to drive.” |
| Unable to provide a breath sample | Not addressed on the official pages read Neither MCL 257.319, MCL 257.304 nor MCL 257.625k, nor the Department of State's License restoration and Ignition Interlock Manufacturers List pages, addresses a person who is physically unable to provide a breath sample. |
| Reduced-cost / indigent program | Available MCL 257.625k(5)(c): a BAIID manufacturer is included on the Department of State's list of approved manufacturers only if it agrees to provide an ignition interlock device without cost to a person whose gross income for the immediately preceding tax year, based on the state income tax return, was less than 150% of the official poverty line in the HHS poverty guidelines; a person whose device is installed without cost under this provision pays the installer a maintenance fee of not more than $2.00 per day. The provision is a condition of manufacturer approval administered by the Department of State; the statute gives the program no name and describes no application form. What the source says“Agrees to provide an ignition interlock device without cost to a person whose gross income for the immediately preceding tax year based on his or her state income tax return was less than 150% of the official poverty line for that same tax year” |
| Maintenance fee cap under the no-cost device provision (MCL 257.625k(5)(c)) | A person who receives a device without cost pays the installer a maintenance fee capped at $2.00 per day. What the source says“A person in whose vehicle an ignition interlock device is installed without cost under this subdivision shall pay a maintenance fee to the installer of not more than $2.00 per day.” |
Compare: motorcycles by state · employer, medical and reduced-cost exemptions by state
Frequently asked questions
- When does Michigan require an ignition interlock after a first drunk-driving conviction?
- Under MCL 257.319(8)(g)-(h), a first conviction for operating with a 'high BAC' of 0.17 grams or more (MCL 257.625(1)(c)) brings a 1-year suspension; the Secretary of State may issue a restricted license after the first 45 days, and the driver may not operate under it unless the vehicle has an approved breath alcohol ignition interlock device (BAIID). For a standard first offense, MCL 257.625(24) allows a court to order an interlock as a probation condition.
- How long does the interlock stay on after a high-BAC conviction in Michigan?
- MCL 257.319(8)(h) states the device may be removed after the interlock provider verifies to the Department of State that the individual operated the vehicle with no instances reaching or exceeding 0.025 grams per 210 liters of breath. The Department's removal instructions note that the Ignition Interlock Report must show a service date after the period of restriction is complete.
- What is the license reinstatement fee after an OWI suspension in Michigan?
- MCL 257.320e(1) requires an individual whose license is suspended, revoked, or restricted under sections 303, 319, 320, 324, 625, 625b, 625f, or 904 to pay a license reinstatement fee of $125.00 to the Secretary of State before a license is issued or returned. The Department of State's reinstatement-fee page describes payment online, by mail, or at an office.
- Is there help with interlock costs for low-income drivers in Michigan?
- MCL 257.625k(5)(c) requires each listed manufacturer to agree to provide an ignition interlock device without cost to a person whose gross income for the preceding tax year was less than 150% of the official poverty line; that person pays the installer a maintenance fee of not more than $2.00 per day.
- Who is approved to install ignition interlock devices in Michigan?
- The Michigan Department of State's Ignition Interlock Manufacturers List page states that manufacturers currently authorized to install devices for Michigan drivers are listed there, that each has been approved according to MCL 257.625k, and that the State does not endorse or recommend manufacturers. The page currently lists Smart Start, LifeSafer Interlock, Intoxalock, Alcohol Detection Systems, and RoadGuard Interlock.
Sources
- Michigan Legislature - MCL 257.319 (suspension; high-BAC restricted license with ignition interlock)
- Michigan Legislature - MCL 257.625 (operating while intoxicated; 0.17 high BAC; court-ordered interlock)
- Michigan Legislature - MCL 257.625k (ignition interlock device manufacturer certification; indigent provision)
- Michigan Legislature - MCL 257.304 (specialty court interlock restricted license)
- Michigan Legislature - MCL 257.320e (license reinstatement fee)
- Michigan Legislature - MCL Chapter V, Proof of Financial Responsibility for the Future (257.511-257.528) index
- Michigan Department of State - Ignition Interlock Manufacturers List
- Michigan Department of State - manufacturer list data script (Ignition-Interlock-Manufacturers-List.js) loaded by the list page
- Michigan Department of State - License reinstatement fee
- Michigan Department of State - Office of Hearings and Administrative Oversight (license restoration hearings and interlock)
- Michigan Department of State - Financial responsibility restricted licenses FAQ
- Michigan Department of State - How to request an order/authorization to remove BAIID (DAAD-071)
Record history
- — approvedVendors: <p>SMART START<br />TOLL FREE: 1-888-234-0198 → SMART START TOLL FREE: 1-888-234-0198 500 E Dallas Road Grapevine, TX 76051
- — Record verified against primary sources.