How long must the ignition interlock stay installed?

PennDOT's Ignition Interlock 'The Law' FAQ states an individual 'is required to drive with an Ignition Interlock system for one year from the date their operating privilege is restored.' 75 Pa.C.S. § 3805(e.1), as amended in 2026, describes the term as 'one year or 18 months from the date the operating privilege has been restored'; a conviction for driving without the device extends the period one year (§ 3805.1/§ 3808).

Does Pennsylvania require an SR-22 after a DUI?

PennDOT's restoration-requirements fact sheet lists what must be satisfied after a DUI or refusal suspension: the restoration fee, court notifications, ignition interlock, and proof of insurance, which it defines as 'motor vehicle insurance.' No SR-22 or FR-44 filing appears among the listed requirements, and 75 Pa.C.S. § 3805.1(b)(2)(v) requires only 'proof of financial responsibility covering each motor vehicle to be operated.'

What does license restoration cost after a Pennsylvania DUI?

75 Pa.C.S. § 1960 sets the restoration fee at $70 ($88 for certain non-DUI suspensions). A chemical-test-refusal suspension carries an additional restoration fee under § 1547(b.2) of $500, $1,000 or $2,000 depending on prior refusals. PennDOT's fact sheets state the Ignition Interlock Limited License application fee is $80.00 (July 2025 IILL fact sheet) or $85.00 (July 2025 fee chart), and that fees are adjusted every two years based on the Consumer Price Index.

Where is the list of approved ignition interlock vendors?

PennDOT's Ignition Interlock Fact Sheet directs individuals to the Pennsylvania DUI Association webpage at www.padui.org for 'a list of approved Ignition Interlock vendors,' and states that the list of approved systems is published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin under 75 Pa.C.S. § 3805(h). Individuals convicted in Allegheny or Dauphin County are directed to county interlock services.

PAVerified against primary sources · August 28, 2026

Pennsylvania ignition interlock & DUI requirements

Ignition interlock device rules, approved vendors, SR-22 insurance filing, and license reinstatement in Pennsylvania, cited to the statute and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), Bureau of Driver Licensing.

IID on first offense: Required only above a high-BAC threshold
Minimum IID period (first): 1 year from restoration of the operating privilege
SR-22 filing: No
Reinstatement fee: $70

What Pennsylvania law requires

Pennsylvania'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: 75 Pa.C.S. § 3805

Ignition interlock requirement

Ignition interlock requirements in Pennsylvania by offense
Item	Pennsylvania rule
IID on first offense	Required only above a high-BAC threshold
Minimum IID period, first offense	1 year from restoration of the operating privilege (statute as amended in 2026 reads 'one year or 18 months')
Minimum IID period, repeat offense	1 year from restoration of the operating privilege (PennDOT lists '1 year ignition interlock' at every prior-offense tier; statute as amended in 2026 reads 'one year or 18 months')

Threshold: BAC of 0.10 or higher (the 'High BAC' tier, 75 Pa.C.S. § 3802(b)/§ 3804(b)) or the 'Highest BAC' tier (0.16+, § 3804(c)), plus chemical-test refusals. PennDOT states the requirement is mandatory 'for first-time and repeat DUI offenders with high blood alcohol levels' and for chemical-test-refusal suspensions. A first-offense general-impairment DUI (0.08–0.099, no prior) is sentenced under § 3804(a)(1), receives no license suspension (§ 3804(e)(2)(iii)), and is expressly excepted from the interlock requirement by § 3805(a.1)(1). First-offense ARD acceptance also carries no interlock requirement per PennDOT. Under § 3805(a) the interlock is imposed by PennDOT as a condition of restoring the operating privilege after a § 3802 or § 1547 suspension.

Approved interlock providers

Vendors listed here appear on the Pennsylvania 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.

Official approved-vendor list: Pennsylvania agency vendor list

Approved interlock vendors in Pennsylvania
Vendor	Website	Location finder
Alcohol Detection Systems	Alcohol Detection Systems website	Find a location
ALCOLOCK	ALCOLOCK website	Find a location
Allegheny County	Listed on the agency list	—
Dauphin County	Listed on the agency list	—
Interlock Of PA	Listed on the agency list	—
Intoxalock	Intoxalock website	Find a location
LifeSafer	LifeSafer website	Find a location
Low Cost Interlock	Low Cost Interlock website	Find a location
RoadGuard Interlock	RoadGuard Interlock website	Find a location
Smart Start	Smart Start website	Find a location

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 Pennsylvania does, the sources below say so.

SR-22 requirement in Pennsylvania
SR-22 filing required after a DUI	No
Filing period	Not applicable

The PennDOT Driving Privilege Sanctions and Restoration Requirements Letter fact sheet enumerates the restoration requirements that can appear after a DUI (restoration fee, court notification of treatment/prison completion, ignition interlock, and 'PROOF OF INSURANCE is motor vehicle insurance'); an SR-22/FR-44 filing is not among them. 75 Pa.C.S. § 3805.1(b)(2)(v) likewise requires only 'proof of financial responsibility covering each motor vehicle to be operated'. PennDOT's Financial Responsibility (Insurance) FAQ page does not mention SR-22.

Compare SR-22 rules in every state

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.

Post-DUI program costs in Pennsylvania
Item	Amount	As of
License reinstatement fee	$70	2026-08-28
Driver's license restoration fee after suspension/revocation (75 Pa.C.S. § 1960; $88 if the suspension was for unpaid Philadelphia parking tickets, unpaid tolls, or lapse of insurance under § 1786(d))	$70	2026-08
Additional restoration fee for a chemical-test-refusal suspension (75 Pa.C.S. § 1547(b.2)): first refusal / second / third or subsequent	$500 / $1,000 / $2,000	2026-08
Ignition Interlock Limited License (IILL) application fee (PennDOT IILL fact sheet, July 2025, says $80.00; PennDOT Driver Licensing Fee Chart, July 2025, lists $85.00)	$80.00–$85.00 (see label)	2026-08
Duplicate License/PL/OLL/IILL (PennDOT Driver Licensing Fee Chart)	$42.50	2026-08
Occupational Limited License application fee (PennDOT Driver Licensing Fee Chart)	$88.00	2026-08
Ignition interlock driver's license issued at a driver's license center under 75 Pa.C.S. § 3805.1(b)(3)(iii) (2026 Act 36; provision effective 16 months after July 20, 2026) — additional fee	$11	2026-08

Frequently asked questions

Is an ignition interlock required after a first DUI in Pennsylvania?: Not for every first offense. PennDOT states that Pennsylvania law makes the ignition interlock requirement mandatory 'for first-time and repeat DUI offenders with high blood alcohol levels' and for chemical-test-refusal suspensions. Under 75 Pa.C.S. § 3805(a.1)(1), a first offender sentenced under the general-impairment tier of § 3804(a)(1) is excepted, and § 3804(e)(2)(iii) imposes no suspension for that tier.
How long must the ignition interlock stay installed?: PennDOT's Ignition Interlock 'The Law' FAQ states an individual 'is required to drive with an Ignition Interlock system for one year from the date their operating privilege is restored.' 75 Pa.C.S. § 3805(e.1), as amended in 2026, describes the term as 'one year or 18 months from the date the operating privilege has been restored'; a conviction for driving without the device extends the period one year (§ 3805.1/§ 3808).
Does Pennsylvania require an SR-22 after a DUI?: PennDOT's restoration-requirements fact sheet lists what must be satisfied after a DUI or refusal suspension: the restoration fee, court notifications, ignition interlock, and proof of insurance, which it defines as 'motor vehicle insurance.' No SR-22 or FR-44 filing appears among the listed requirements, and 75 Pa.C.S. § 3805.1(b)(2)(v) requires only 'proof of financial responsibility covering each motor vehicle to be operated.'
What does license restoration cost after a Pennsylvania DUI?: 75 Pa.C.S. § 1960 sets the restoration fee at $70 ($88 for certain non-DUI suspensions). A chemical-test-refusal suspension carries an additional restoration fee under § 1547(b.2) of $500, $1,000 or $2,000 depending on prior refusals. PennDOT's fact sheets state the Ignition Interlock Limited License application fee is $80.00 (July 2025 IILL fact sheet) or $85.00 (July 2025 fee chart), and that fees are adjusted every two years based on the Consumer Price Index.
Where is the list of approved ignition interlock vendors?: PennDOT's Ignition Interlock Fact Sheet directs individuals to the Pennsylvania DUI Association webpage at www.padui.org for 'a list of approved Ignition Interlock vendors,' and states that the list of approved systems is published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin under 75 Pa.C.S. § 3805(h). Individuals convicted in Allegheny or Dauphin County are directed to county interlock services.