Administrative License Revocation (ALR) Procedures
Wisconsin Department of Transportation (DOT)
Wisconsin is one of 42 states that has implemented ALR which means that your license will be confiscated immediately if your BAC is above .08 OR if you refuse a BAC test. Your license will either be suspended or revoked at that point, even though you have not been officially convicted in a criminal trial. In fact, you can be charged with an administrative license suspension even if you are not later charged with driving under the influence offense. This action was designed to be in addition to and separate from the traditional OWI judicial conviction penalties such as license suspension, jail time, community service hours, ignition interlock device (IID), and alcohol and drug rehabilitation.
You will be given a 10 day grace period during which you can drive under a temporary driving permit issued by the officer at the scene. During that time, you can request a hearing to challenge this case. This case will be heard by an administrative law judge. If you do not request a hearing, your license will be automatically remain suspended on the 11th day for 6 months. After the suspension period, you will have a restricted license allowing you to drive to work or school, health care providers, parole or probation meetings, drug and alcohol counseling, court-approved locations, and emergencies. Wisconsin allows you to install an interlock device in lieu of suspension after 30 days.
Judicial Procedures
In Wisconsin, the drunk driving law prohibits a person from driving when they have a BAC of .08% or higher. Courts are required to order the installation and monitoring of an interlock device for any driver whose BAC levels are .15% or higher, even if a first offense.
The IID analyzes the BAC level of the breath sample and allows the operator to turn on the engine if the breath sample registers below the programmed BAC threshold. In the case that the operator gives a sample above the threshold, the ignition remains barred from use and the vehicle remains unusable.
Low Cost Ignition Interlock is a leading provider of ignition interlock devices in Wisconsin. We offer affordable, reliable interlocks that are easy to use, ensuring that you can fulfill your state requirements and get back on the road. We hope to guide you through the entire interlock program experience and answer any questions you have along the way.
Looking for an interlock service provider in Wisconsin? Select your zip code to locate Low Cost Ignition Interlock service providers in your area or visit our store locator to view our Wisconsin service map.
This means that your interlock unit was previously counting down a timer until your device would lockout, caused by a violation. By state law, if you do not come in for service by the time that countdown of days expires, your vehicle will lock you out of the ignition.
That means that your required recalibration service is due soon. Make sure you get in for an appointment before the countdown expires. If you go past the last day on this service countdown, you will be charged a $50 late fee. Recalibrations can be scheduled by visiting www.interlockappointment.com or calling us.
The interlock will never shut your engine off. If you fail a test or do not take it properly, the horn will start honking on your vehicle and the hazard lights will start flashing. The honking and flashing will continue until you either pass a test or pull over and shut the vehicle off.
Your interlock unit is designed to withstand extreme temperatures and will not break in the cold. However, it does need to come up to a certain temperature to be able to analyze your breath tests. There are heating coils that will warm up the handset upon you turning your key to the ON position. This warm up may take a few minutes though and you will need to be patient. The warm up times will depend on the temperature of the handset. Parking indoors or warming the handset up in your hands will help it come up to temperature faster. Unfortunately, by state law you are not allowed to unplug your handset and bring it inside, as the state sees this as a potential window for tampering with the unit. Your handset must remain plugged in at all times, or a violation may be recorded.
The interlock unit will only detect the chemical element of alcohol. It will not tell us if the alcohol detected was from a beer or your mouthwash. It will only tell us that alcohol was detected, and by state law, we must report that. Per the contract that you signed with us, and signs in our shops, alcohol violations are NON NEGOTIABLE and will be assessed to your account, regardless of the reason alcohol was detected. Please take great care to avoid using products containing alcohol when you plan on driving soon.
Give your mechanic our phone number. They can call during normal business hours (Mon-Fri 9-5) to get mechanic access codes that will allow them to work on your vehicle with the interlock unit not asking for tests. Codes can only be given to certified mechanic shops, not to a friend or family member who is working on your vehicle.
Recalibrations, violation resets and removals can be scheduled online at www.interlockappointment.com. If you do not have internet access, you can also call us. Installation appointments must be made by phone.
Your interlock unit will start to remind you 7 days before service is due. Upon powering up the interlock, the screen will read "service needed in x days." You must be in for service on or before that date to avoid negative reporting to the state and late fees on your account. If you are not seeing the countdown warning yet, you may also check the service date on your handset. Turn the key to the ON position. Push the blue down arrow button repeatedly until you see the screen display SERVICE, and then click OK. Again push the blue down arrow button until you see NEXT SERVICE, and then click OK. This will show you your next required service date. If the date falls on a day that we are not open, it is your responsibility to come in before that date.
We are not a government agency and do not have access to these records. Check the back of your driver's license, under the restrictions listings, for a section that says "functioning IID required until xx/xx/xxxx." That is the date you can have your interlock unit removed. If no date is listed on your license, you can call the WI DOT at (608)266-2353 and inquire about your removal date.
After a failed test, the vehicle will not start and the test will be recorded as a failed test. Repeated failed tests could result in the device going into what is known as a temporary lockout. The lockout period appears on the interlock device handset. After the lockout period has ended, you will be able to retest.
In the event you fail a "rolling retest" (a test while the car is running), the alerts will sound on the device. These are usually tied into your vehicles headlights or flashers and horn. We don not and cannot stop the car from running. This is required to ensure your compliance with the IID program in Wisconsin. To get the alert to stop sounding, simply pull over and turn off the vehicle. After a temporary lockout period, you will be able to retest to start your vehicle again.
Service is required every 60 days to recalibrate the Interlock. If service is not made on your Interlock, the device will permanently lock you out until a Wisconsin Ignition Interlock employee can remove the lockout. This recalibration is to ensure the device is still reading properly and functioning as it should be. It also serves as a point for us to upload the events from your device into a report for your program file. Not having these reports could affect how long you need the device installed for.
Most OWI convictions will require installation of the ignition interlock device in order to reinstate driving privileges in the state of Wisconsin. Wisconsin Ignition Interlock is a local installer and service provider of the LCI-777 ignition interlock device, an interlock device approved for use in the state of Wisconsin. The LCI-777 meets all State of Wisconsin ignition interlock device requirements, while offering the greatest ease of use.
Every year in Wisconsin, numerous people are convicted of drunk driving charges. Depending on the circumstances leading to their arrests, they may be required to install ignition interlock devices on their vehicles. These devices may curb future drunk driving, but may also seriously limit a person's freedom.
Drunk driving appears to be a problem in Wisconsin. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1.9 percent of drivers nationwide have reported driving after having had too much to drink. In comparison, 3.1 percent of drivers have reported the same in Wisconsin. To address this issue, there have been changes to drunk driving laws. One recent proposal would affect several aspects regarding ignition interlock devices.
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