The Ignition Interlock License

The IIL Gets You Back On The Road

A criminal DUI conviction or a guilty finding at the Department of Licensing (DOL) hearing results in mandatory driver’s license suspension.  Until 2009, your only option if you wanted to drive was to get a restricted occupational license.  The occupational license was a real burden on people, because it only allowed you to drive to and from work.  You could not use it to run errands, carry on your normal life, and it restricted the times that you could drive and the places that you could drive.  That all changed in 2009, with the introduction of the Ignition Interlock License (IIL).  The IIL allows you to drive wherever and whenever you want.  This allows you to continue with your normal life, despite a DUI.

IIL Eligibility

  • You have been arrested for or convicted of an alcohol related DUI.
  • You were over 21, when you were arrested for DUI.
  • If you lose your DOL hearing, you can still get an IIL.
  • You had a valid driver’s license.
  • You are Washington State resident.
  • No convictions within the last seven years for vehicular assault or vehicular homicide.
  • You driver’s license is not suspended for one of the following reasons or the charge does not include:
    • Minor in Possession.
    • Reckless driving reduced from a DUI charge.
    • Vehicular Assault.
    • Vehicular Homicide.
    • Habitual Traffic Offender.

IIL Requirements

  • There is a $100 application fee paid to the DOL.
  • The Ignition Interlock device must be installed on any cars that you will drive.  If you regularly drive a car for work, then your employer can sign a declaration that waives the IIL requirement for your work car.
  • You must maintain an SR-22 High Risk Insurance Certificate.
  • The DOL processes applications in the order that they are received.  Generally it takes between 5 and 20 days; however, it can take longer.  If you want to speed up the process, it is recommended that you apply in person at a local DOL licensing center, with all of the required materials.
  • You must pay a monthly service charge to the company that installed the ignition interlock equipment.
  • You must not attempt to bypass the ignition interlock equipment and you must provide a breath sample, whenever required by the equipment.