Limited Driver's Licenses/Ignition Interlock

Currently, a person convicted of driving under the influence has been able to get a limited driver's license from the Division of Motor Vehicles so that they can continue to drive and to earn a living. The limitation currently placed on a license focuses primarily on where a person can drive. House Bill 19 shifts the emphasis from where a person can drive to how a person can drive by changing the type of limited license available to an offender from the traditional limited license to an ignition interlock limited license.

An ignition interlock limited license requires an offender to install and maintain an ignition interlock device on the vehicle they intend to drive. An ignition interlock device analyzes a person's blood alcohol content and prevents the car from being started if the person's blood alcohol level is above a set level. The license allows the offender to drive only the vehicle on which the device is installed. Under HB 19, driving another vehicle is considered the same as driving with a revoked license and that vehicle can be forfeited to the state.

HB 19 also requires an offender to maintain an ignition interlock device on their vehicle during the period of their probation.

Several states require ignition interlock devices for DUI offenders and studies suggest that ignition interlock devices lead to a substantial decline in recidivism, particularly for offenders with multiple DUI's. More importantly, an ignition interlock device prevents an intoxicated person from starting their car and thereby keeps a potential drunk driver off the road.