Ignition Interlock Devices in Prince George’s County DUI Cases

An ignition interlock device(IID) is known in the public world as the breathalyzer. It is a device installed in a car for someone who wants to keep driving after a DUI. It is what people who have have been convicted of a DUI offense use to start and to operate a vehicle during the course of usually a one-year period of time. The installation of ignition interlock devices in Prince George’s County DUI cases, allow people who would otherwise be restricted from driving, the ability to do so, following a DUI conviction.

If someone wants to drive, keep driving, and avoid a suspension of anywhere between six to nine months or even longer if it is a second offense, they have to get interlock. Other alcohol-monitoring devices used in Prince George’s County include a SCRAM bracelet. That could be used on occasion, but 98 percent of the time the interlock is used. If you have been convicted of a DUI offense and you want to know more about ignition interlock devices, speak with a capable DUI lawyer that could help you.

Reasons Someone Would Get an IID Installed

There are a number of reasons why someone would need to have an ignition interlock device installed in their vehicle. If someone gets a DUI and refuses the breath tests or if they blow over a certain threshold, they could be required to do so or face the loss of their license. If somebody is found guilty of a DUI or if someone accrues too many points because of a DUI, they may be required to have the interlock by Maryland law. For somebody under 21 who gets a DUI, there are requirements for a period of time. Any one of these could require somebody to have interlock from as little as six months to a year or even longer.

Facts About Ignition Interlock Device Installation

The cost of ignition interlock devices in Prince George’s County DUI cases is about $1,000 through the course of a year. There are several providers in Maryland. Some have free installation and charge a higher monthly fee. Others have to pay for installation and have a low monthly fee. A person could have an ignition interlock device installed in Prince George’s County at certain providers. It is based on what service provider they want to use and what kind of car they have, like whether it is a push button or turnkey. People could call around. Providers are everywhere.

Do Ignition Interlocks Need to be Installed in Every Vehicle a Person May Be Driving?

Ignition interlock devices in Prince George’s County DUI cases do not need to be installed in every vehicle a person may be driving. The requirement is that if a person is driving throughout that one-year period, the vehicle that they are driving must be equipped with an interlock device. They have to have it installed on at least one vehicle. It could be their vehicle. It could be a friend’s vehicle. It could be a vehicle registered to someone else, but it has to be owned by them. They could have vehicles that they own that do not have it, so they would not be able to drive those. The requirement is if they want to drive, the vehicle has to have an interlock.

Ways an Attorney Could Help with the IID Installation Process

Some ways an attorney could help with the installation process of an ignition interlock device include guiding the individual in what is required of them. For example, a person is to call a provider, make an appointment, get it installed, take that paperwork to a full-service MVA, and get their license reissued. It is important to go to the MVA right away because if someone waits they get no credit. If a person gets it installed and waits three weeks to get to the MVA, that three weeks is all wasted. It does not count towards their one year. There is a certain protocol to be followed and certain things to watch out for that an attorney could be helpful in advising a person.

Fighting the Installation of an Ignition Interlock Device in Prince George’s County

It is not possible to fight the installation of installation of ignition interlock devices in Prince George’s County DUI cases, but an accomplished DUI attorney could challenge the requirement or suspension. They could request a motor vehicle hearing, which would be held at the office of administrative hearings. That hearing must be requested within the first ten days of the DUI incident. It is going to be a separate and distinct hearing from the criminal case. Someone could be found not guilty of a criminal case and still have to get an interlock by virtue of a refusal or blow. That is a separate court case and a separate challenge. There are ways of challenging it, but it is tricky and needs to be handled by a skilled attorney. If you want to know more about ways you can challenge the installation of an IID, speak with a capable DUI attorney that could help.