California ignition interlock device requirements apply to most drivers convicted of DUI: before you can drive again on a restricted license, you generally have to install a DMV-approved IID on every vehicle you drive, file SR-22 insurance, enroll in a licensed DUI program, and pay the associated fees. A first DUI without injury can carry a court-ordered IID of up to six months. A second offense, subsequent offense, or any DUI with injury carries a mandatory IID period running from one year to four years.
When the Device Is Required
Two separate tracks can put an IID on your vehicle: an administrative action by the California DMV and a criminal court order after conviction. Both often run at the same time.
For a first DUI with no injuries, installation isn’t automatic. A judge can order an IID for up to six months based on the circumstances of the case. On the DMV side, a first-time offender can voluntarily install an IID to obtain a restricted license that permits driving anywhere, anytime, in the equipped vehicle. Without the device, the only restricted license available is limited to driving to and from work and a DUI program.
For anyone convicted of a second or later DUI, or any DUI involving injury, the IID is mandatory. The judge has no discretion. The minimum term depends on your record:
- First offense, no injury (if court-ordered): up to six months.
- Second offense: one year.
- Third offense: two years.
- Fourth or subsequent offense: three years.
DUI convictions involving injury carry longer mandatory periods that can reach four years depending on prior history. These are floors. Violations during the monitoring period, such as a failed breath test or a missed calibration, can push the required term past its original end date.
Steps to Get an IID-Restricted License
Getting the restricted license means completing a sequence of steps with both the installer and the DMV. Skip one and your license stays suspended.
Use an Approved Installer
The device has to come from a manufacturer approved by the California DMV, and installation has to be performed by a technician licensed by the Bureau of Automotive Repair or the Bureau of Household Goods and Services. The DMV publishes the approved list on its website.1California Department of Motor Vehicles. Statewide Ignition Interlock Device Pilot Program
Submit the DL 920
After installation, the installer completes a Verification of Installation Ignition Interlock form (DL 920). The DMV needs the original before it will issue your restricted license. A copy will not be accepted.
File an SR-22
California requires an SR-22, formally called a California Insurance Proof Certificate, before the DMV will issue an IID-restricted license. Your insurance company files the form directly with the DMV to prove you carry at least the state’s minimum liability coverage. SR-22 filing typically raises premiums, and the requirement continues until your full driving privilege is reinstated.
Enroll in a DUI Program
You must also give the DMV proof of enrollment in a licensed DUI education program, verified through the Proof of Enrollment Certificate (DL 107). Program length depends on the offense, ranging from a three-month program for some first offenders up to a 30-month program for repeat offenders.
Pay the DMV Fees
For first-time offenders, the DMV charges a $125 administrative per se (APS) fee, a $55 reissue fee, and a $15 restriction fee, plus an IID restriction fee. Anyone subject to the mandatory IID requirement pays an additional $103 administrative service fee on top of any other applicable fees. These are DMV charges only; the device itself has separate costs.
Calibration and Maintenance
Once the device is in your vehicle, you have to return to the installer for calibration and inspection at intervals that cannot exceed 60 days. At each visit the technician inspects the device and vehicle for tampering, recalibrates the sensor, and downloads the stored data. That data includes every breath test result, any failure at or above the alcohol threshold, and any evidence of bypass attempts.
If you can’t make an appointment because of military service, a family death, or a similar event beyond your control, the installer may grant an extension when you provide documentation before the deadline. Otherwise, the installer is required to report you to the DMV using a Notice of Non-Compliance form (DL 921), and the DMV will suspend or revoke your driving privilege.
Violations and Criminal Exposure
A missed calibration triggers the noncompliance report and loss of your restricted license. Driving a vehicle without a functioning IID during your restriction period, if caught, brings a citation and further suspension or revocation.
California Vehicle Code Section 23247 goes further and criminalizes several IID-related acts. Asking someone else to blow into your device, having another person start an equipped vehicle for you, or driving a vehicle without a required IID are all misdemeanors. A conviction can bring up to six months in county jail, a fine of up to $5,000, or both. It’s also illegal for anyone to knowingly lend or rent a vehicle to a person with an IID restriction unless the vehicle has a functioning device installed.
What the Device Costs
The device carries three layers of cost: a one-time installation fee, a monthly lease for the hardware, and service or calibration fees at each visit. Installation typically runs $50 to $150, and monthly lease fees generally fall between $70 and $100, though prices vary by provider. Combined with calibration charges and DMV fees, a 12-month IID period can easily reach $1,000 to $1,500 or more.
California offers a reduced-fee assistance program tied to household income against the Federal Poverty Level:
- At or below 100% of the FPL: you pay 10% of program costs.
- 101–200% of the FPL: you pay 25%.
- 201–300% of the FPL, or receiving CalFresh benefits: you pay 50%.
- 301–400% of the FPL: you pay 90%.
This assistance applies to the IID provider’s charges. Costs from noncompliance, such as extra service visits after a violation, are not covered at any income level.
The Employer Vehicle Exemption
If your job requires you to drive a vehicle owned by your employer, California Vehicle Code Section 23576 may let you drive that vehicle without an IID installed. The conditions are strict. The vehicle must be owned by the employer, used only for work purposes, and you must have notified your employer in writing that your driving privilege is restricted. Proof of that notification has to stay on you or in the vehicle whenever you drive it.
The exemption does not apply if you’re self-employed or if you own or partially own the business. It also does not touch your personal vehicles. Every vehicle registered to you or that you regularly drive outside of work still needs the device.
If You Move Out of State
Leaving California does not end your IID obligation. California still expects the full term to be completed, and DUI conviction and sanction information is shared with other states through the Driver License Compact. Your new state may impose its own requirements or treat the California conviction as its own.
Practically, your IID provider needs to either service the device in the new state or transfer your account to a service center in their network so downloads and reporting continue without gaps. A missed appointment during the move can be enough to trigger a violation and extend your term, so coordinate with your provider and both DMV offices well before you go.
Removing the Device
After you complete the full required term without violations that extended it, you return to your certified installer to have the device taken out. The installer issues a Notice of Removal confirming the device has been properly removed. Submit that form to the DMV to clear the IID restriction from your record. Full reinstatement still requires completion of your DUI program and proof of financial responsibility, so removal alone doesn’t restore an unrestricted license.