If you have a DUI and you live in Alameda, Los Angeles, Sacramento, or Tulare Counties in California, you also have a car breathalyzer or ignition interlock requirement. It may not be what you expected when you were planning your evening with friends, but after driving under the influence you still have a chance to keep your life moving along just like before. You just have to keep your ignition interlock in mind from that point forward. That’s pretty easy!
Except, affording an ignition interlock device isn’t that easy for everyone. The requirement adds to the total cost of that DUI in California, and it becomes a difficult situation: how can you afford an ignition interlock in California, and on the other hand, can you afford not to have one?
Fortunately, states like California offer financial assistance for low-income residents with an ignition interlock requirement. For instance, if your income is:
- At 100 percent or below the federal poverty level, you only pay 10 percent of the cost of the IID installation.
- Between 101 to 200 percent of the federal poverty level, you only pay 25 percent of the cost of the IID installation.
- Between 201 to 300 percent of the federal poverty level, you only pay 50 percent of the cost of the IID installation.
The remaining cost is paid by your ignition interlock service provider! All you have to do verify your income through paycheck stubs (three months’ worth) or your federal income tax returns, and you are good to go!
For most DUI offenders an ignition interlock device is a second chance at life after a conviction, especially since driving legally becomes an option again. In Alameda, Los Angeles, Sacramento, or Tulare Counties in California, when you have a mandatory ignition interlock requirement, but you may not feel you can afford it, you have options to help you jump that hurdle and get your life back on track after a DUI.
Do I Have to Install an Ignition Interlock in VA?