Source: https://www.greghillassociates.com/questions-answered-about-an-ignition-interlock-device-iid.html
Timestamp: 2019-01-23 14:04:29
Document Index: 381175255

Matched Legal Cases: ['art.\n2', '§ 23152', '§ 191', '§ 23103', '§ 23152', '§191', '§ 23152', '§ 23152', '§ 23152', '§ 655', '§ 191', '§ 23700', '§ 23247', '§ 23152', '§ 23152', '§ 23153', '§ 23152', '§ 655', '§ 191', '§ 23103']

Questions Answered About an Ignition Interlock Device (IID) :: Redondo Beach, California Ignition Interlock Device Lawyers Greg Hill & Associates
Questions Answered About an Ignition Interlock Device (IID)
We at Greg Hill & Associates understand that an ignition interlock device (I.I.D.) is a mysterious and often misunderstood device. The requirements surrounding its installation, use and maintenance are also clouded in myths and many anecdotal inaccuracies. Therefore, to hopefully clear up the confusion once and for all, we prepared the following memorandum.
What One Should Learn from This Article: The ignition interlock device is a necessary hurdle one must clear to have their California driver’s license returned, with some exceptions. Many people have tried to trick the device so they can continue drinking and driving. Read about the nuances and details of the IID here.
An IID is a device slightly larger than a cell phone that is wired to a vehicle’s ignition that requires a breath sample from the driver before the engine will start. If the device detects alcohol on the breath, the engine will not start.
The device can be installed in a vehicle while you wait and after installation, it requires your breath sample before the engine will start. If the IID detects alcohol on your breath, the engine will not start.
2. What is the purpose of the IID pilot program?
The intent of the law is to reduce the number of driving under the influence (DUI) offenses and provide DMV with data that can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of an IID in reducing DUI’s.
3. How do I know if I need to install an IID?
The DMV automatically mails an Order of Suspension or Revocation notice along with a DUI IID Insert or an Order of Installment of an Ignition Interlock Device when the department receives notification of a conviction for a DUI violation under California Vehicle Code (CVC) §§ 23152 or 23153 or Penal Code (PC) § 191.5(b) which occurred in one of the pilot counties on or after July 1, 2010. The notice provides you with information about the IID pilot program and driver license reinstatement requirements.
Los Angeles County is one of the pilot counties.
4. I was convicted of a “wet/reckless” offense. Will I be required to install an IID to get my driver license back?
No. A “wet/reckless” is a violation under CVC § 23103.5 and does not require IID installation; only violations under CVC §§ 23152 or 23153 or PC §191.5(b) that occurred in one of the four pilot counties on or after July 1, 2010, are subject to the new law. However, the “wet/reckless” conviction will count towards enhanced penalties for any future DUI-related convictions.
5. I drive a motorcycle. Will I need to get an IID for my motorcycle?
6. This is my first DUI conviction. Is the IID installation only for multiple offenders?
7. How long will I have to maintain an IID?
The term of the DMV-ordered IID restriction period is based on the initial DUI offense and the number of DUI-related offenses you have within the prior 10 years. Specific IID installation terms are as follows.
A conviction under CVC § 23152 requires the following restriction terms:
Number of offenses with… under… IID restriction term
1st - N/A - CVC § 23152 (DUI) - 5 months
2nd - one prior - CVC §§ 23152 or 23153, Harbors and Navigation (H & N) Code § 655 (b-f), PC §§ 191.5, 191.5 (a), 191.5 (b), or 192.5 (a) or an Out-of-State DUI occurring within the prior 10 years - 12 months
3rd - two prior - 24 months
4th & subsequent - three or more prior - 36 months
8. I drive for a living! How does this new law affect my employment?
Any DUI offender in a pilot county who is required to operate a motor vehicle owned by his/her employer during the course of his/her employment, may operate the vehicle without installation of an approved IID, if the employer has been notified that the employee’s driving privilege is restricted pursuant to CVC § 23700.
Upon request, the DMV will provide you with a Notice to Employer (DL 923) form for your employer. You must keep proof of the employer’s notification in your possession or in the vehicle.
9. I have a commercial driver license (CDL). Will I be required to install an IID?
• allows you to drive personal vehicles equipped with an IID.
• does not allow you to drive:
Yes. However any intended driver must take and pass a breath test in order to start the vehicle. All other possible drivers should be trained on the operation of the device. The person with the IID restriction is responsible for all readings recorded by the device.
11. Where can I get an IID installed?
• Visiting DMV’s website at
www.dmv.ca.gov/vehindustry/ol/forms/ignitioninterlockdevicelist.htm.
• Calling DMV at 800-777-0133. An agent will mail or fax you a complete list of IID manufacturers. If you cannot wait for the mailed list or do not have access to a fax machine, ask the agent to give you the name and telephone numbers of all IID manufacturers on the list.
• Visiting a field office. The complete list will be printed for you.
12. How much does it cost to install and maintain an IID?
Company Installation Cost Monthly Fee Contact #
Auto Sense International $120 $69.50 + tax 800-325-2656
Guardian $55 $55 + tax 800-499-0994
Lifesaver $25 $75 + tax 800-210-8087
Consumer $134 $65 + tax 877-777-5020
Smart Start $99.95 + tax $74.95 +tax 800-880-3394
Draeger $95 $65 + tax 800-332-6858
Alco $128 $69.80 + tax 888-663-9847
Alcohol Counter Measures $120 $69.50 + tax 877-786-7394
13. I cannot afford to install an IID. Are there any low income programs?
Yes. Under the new law, IID installers in all counties are required to offer pilot program participants reduced-fee IID installations. The IID installation cost will be determined by your family’s income in comparison to the federal poverty guidelines. The guidelines are updated periodically in the Federal Register by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and can be accessed at www.aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/09fedreg.shtml. When installing the device or when calibrating it every 60 days, eligible participants will pay IID installers according to the following fee schedule:
If the offender’s family income is _____ of the federal poverty level, the DUI offender pays percent of the IID cost, and…100 percent or below 10.
The IID provider absorbs the remaining IID cost. 101 to 200 percent 25, 201 to 300 percent 50.
14. Can someone use a balloon or other air source on the IID to mimic human breath?
15. Can a person with an IID restriction have someone else take the breath test for the driver to start the vehicle?
Yes, but not legally. Vehicle Code § 23247 makes it unlawful for another person to blow into an IID or to start a motor vehicle equipped with the device for the purpose of providing an operable motor vehicle to a person whose driving privilege is restricted. If the car was started illegally, the person who started it or another sober individual would have to ride in the vehicle because the unit will randomly ask for a "running retest." If a test is not taken or if the test is failed, the unit will log a violation. With some devices, the horn will honk until the vehicle is turned off. California law imposes fines and/or jail for individuals assisting in the circumvention of the IID.
16. Will the IID unit lose all memory if the battery is disconnected?
No. The unit has a back-up lithium battery to protect the data log's memory.
17. What if the driver is taking a medicine with an alcohol base?
18. What if the driver uses mouthwash in the morning and the mouthwash has an alcohol base?
19. What happens when the IID-equipped vehicle needs repair?
The driver needs to contact the IID service provider before having repairs conducted on his/her vehicle in case the repair shop has questions about the IID. Documentation must be provided if the power to the vehicle is interrupted as the unit will record the power disconnect and the reconnect.
20. If the IID unit malfunctions, will it shut the vehicle off?
21. What happens if the vehicle stalls in traffic?
22. What happens if the driver is out of California and experiences problems with his/her IID unit?
Most states currently have IID programs with service centers to assist them. Drivers are instructed to contact the primary service center to be routed to the closest center for assistance.
23. Will installation of the IID damage the vehicle?
24. Will the requirements to take a "running retest" cause the driver to take his/her eyes off the road creating a hazardous situation?
No. When the IID signals for a retest, the driver has a few minutes to provide the sample or to pull over to the side of the road in a safe area to provide the breath sample. There are no buttons to push; the driver must only breathe into the unit to complete a breath sample. This is much simpler than using a cellular telephone or tuning a state-of-the-art car stereo.
25. How often does the device need a calibration check?
26. Can the device be tampered with by computer?
27. What happens when a driver fails the breath test?
28. If a driver gets stranded and thinks the IID unit is causing the problem, is there anything he/she can do?
29. Can someone required to have an IID leave his/her car running outside of a bar, while drinking inside, and then drive away?
If someone tries to do this, the unit will randomly ask for breath tests while the vehicle is running. If a sample is not given when requested, the device logs a violation and with some devices, the horn starts to honk until the vehicle is shut off.
30. What are the requirements of the IID pilot program?
The IID pilot program requires all individuals convicted of a DUI in one of four California counties to install an IID on every vehicle they own or drive, provide DMV with a Department of Motor Vehicles Ordered Verification of Ignition Interlock (DL 924) form, pay a $45 administrative service fee (ASF), and meet all other reinstatement requirements before the DMV can reinstate, reissue, or restrict their driver license.
31. Which four counties are involved in the IID pilot program?
32. I do not live in a pilot county. Does the law apply to me if I get a DUI in a pilot county?
Yes. All offenders who are cited and convicted of a DUI violation in a pilot county are required to install an IID. The pilot is based on the county of citation and conviction, not the offender’s residence address. For example, if you live in Shasta County (non-pilot county), receive a citation for a DUI violation in Los Angeles County (pilot county) and are subsequently convicted— you are required to comply with this law.
If you live in a non-participating county, but were cited and convicted of DUI in an IID pilot county, you do not have to travel to the pilot county to have your IID installed. You can contact a local installer to have your IID installed.
33. What happens if I don’t own a car?
34. I am a first-time DUI offender. When the IID is installed, will I have a restricted driver license such as, to drive to/from work and to an alcohol program?
35. I am a first-time DUI offender. What happens to my driver license after the five-month mandatory IID restriction period ends?
36. What option do I have to continue unlimited driving if I am a first-time DUI offender and have served the five-month mandatory IID restriction period, but still have reinstatement requirements that I have to meet?
37. Can I install an IID and get unlimited driving privileges if I am a first time DUI offender and received an Administrative Per Se (APS) suspension for the DUI arrest?
If you are a first-time DUI offender convicted under CVC § 23152 and received an APS suspension, you must serve 30 days of the APS suspension before you are eligible to install an IID and obtain an IID-restricted driver license with unlimited driving privileges.
A conviction under CVC § 23152 or PC 191.5 (b) requires the following restriction terms:
1st - N/A - CVC § 23153 or PC 191.5 (b) (DUI w/ injury) - 12 months
2nd - one prior - CVC §§ 23152 or 23153, (H & N) Code § 655 (b-f), PC §§ 191.5, 191.5 (a), 191.5 (b), or 192.5 (a) or an Out-of-State DUI occurring within the prior 10 years - 24 months
3rd - two prior - 36 months
4th & subsequent - three or more prior - 48 months
Note: Wet/ reckless convictions of CVC § 23103.5 are not considered a prior conviction when determining IID restriction terms.
38. Why didn’t the court tell me that I needed to install an IID to get my driver license back?
It does not have to give you such a warning. The new law mandates the DMV, not the court, to impose/monitor IID installations.
39. I submitted proof of IID installation to the court; however, the DMV will not give me my driver license back. Why is this?
You or the IID installer, not the court, must provide the DMV with the Department of Motor Vehicles Ordered Verification of Ignition Interlock (DL 924) form. It is important to note that if the court ordered an IID installation, you must also provide the court with the appropriate proof of installation form.
40. I provided the DMV with a DL 924 form, but the DMV will not give me my driver license back. Why?
• Proof of Enrollment Certificate (DL 107) or Notice of Completion Certificate (DL 101),
• California Insurance Proof Certificate (SR 22),
• Department of Motor Vehicles Ordered Verification of Ignition Interlock (DL 924),
• any applicable reinstatement fees, and
• $45 ASF.
41. What are the maintenance and calibration requirements once an IID is installed?
42. What happens when the driver forgets his/her service appointment?
The device will prompt the driver. For example, a device may flash or the light may stay on and a tone will sound if it needs service. If the IID is not serviced, all IIDs will enter a lockout condition and the driver will not be able to operate the vehicle. Then, the vehicle would have to be towed to the service center or the service center technician would have to perform remote service.
43. What happens if the installer reports an IID non-compliance to the DMV?
44. How do I go back to an IID restriction after a period of noncompliance?
45. What are the requirements for an IID exemption approval?
• do not own or have access to a vehicle at your residence and
• no longer have access to the vehicle used when the DUI offense occurred.
• The request must also indicate you acknowledge that you are:
1. only allowed to drive a vehicle that has a certified IID installed,
2. required to have a valid driver license before driving, and
3. immediately subject to the IID installation requirements when you purchase or gain access to a vehicle.
The DMV will only approve signed exemption requests that are submitted within 30 days of the suspension or revocation notice mail date. Upon receipt, DMV will verify if you qualify for the exemption and notify you in writing of your eligibility.
If the exemption is granted, an IID restriction will still be imposed on your driving record but the $45 ASF payment will not be required.
46. Why was an IID restriction placed on my driver license when I was approved for an exemption?
When you submitted the exemption form DL 4055B for approval, you agreed to drive a vehicle that has a properly installed IID.
47. I own a car that is not currently running. Can I still get an exemption?
48. What happens if during my IID restriction period I drive a vehicle that is not equipped with an IID?
For more information about DUI sentencing issues, click on the following articles: