Is an ignition interlock device required after a first DUI conviction in Alabama?

Under Ala. Code § 32-5A-191(e), a first conviction carries a 90-day license suspension that is stayed if the offender elects to install an approved ignition interlock device for 90 days. The device is mandatory for one year if the offender's BAC was 0.15 or higher, the chemical test was refused, a child under 14 was a passenger, or another person was injured.

How long is the ignition interlock period for a second DUI conviction?

Under Ala. Code § 32-5A-191(f), on a second conviction the license is revoked for one year and the offender is required to have an ignition interlock device installed for two years from the date an ignition-interlock restricted license is issued. After a minimum of 45 days of revocation, the IID period starts and the remaining revocation is stayed.

What does Alabama charge to reinstate a license after an alcohol-related suspension or revocation?

According to the ALEA Driver License Division reinstatement fee page, the reinstatement fee for alcohol/drug-related offenses is $275 (suspended or revoked), with an additional $25 drug-related fee where applicable, and a $150 interlock issuance fee for the ignition-interlock restricted license.

Who approves ignition interlock devices in Alabama?

Under Ala. Code § 32-5A-191.4(c), the Department of Forensic Sciences promulgates rules for approval, installation, and use of ignition interlock devices and maintains the public list of approved devices. ALEA enforces those rules (§ 32-5A-191.4(g)). The ADFS approved-device page currently lists Draeger, Inc.; Smart Start of Alabama, LLC; Sens-O-Lock of America; and LifeSafer, Inc.

What counts as an ignition interlock violation in Alabama?

ALEA's Ignition Interlock Laws page lists: a breath sample at or above 0.02 recorded four or more times in a monthly reporting period (unless a retest within 10 minutes is below 0.02), any tampering, circumvention, or bypass attempt, and failure to comply with 30-day servicing or calibration. Under Ala. Code § 32-5A-191(u)(3), a violation extends the IID period by six months.

ALVerified against primary sources · August 28, 2026

Alabama ignition interlock & DUI requirements

Ignition interlock device rules, approved vendors, SR-22 insurance filing, and license reinstatement in Alabama, cited to the statute and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA), Department of Public Safety, Driver License Division.

IID on first offense: Required only above a high-BAC threshold
Minimum IID period (first): 90 days
SR-22 filing: Required · 3 yr
Reinstatement fee: $275

What Alabama law requires

Alabama's ignition interlock, SR-22, and reinstatement rules are set by the statute and agency rules cited below. The values in the tables on this page are taken from those sources and are not interpretations of how they apply to any particular case.

Primary source: Ala. Code § 32-5A-191.4

Ignition interlock requirement

Ignition interlock requirements in Alabama by offense
Item	Alabama rule
IID on first offense	Required only above a high-BAC threshold
Minimum IID period, first offense	90 days (elective, stays the 90-day suspension); 1 year mandatory if BAC 0.15 or higher, refusal, child under 14 passenger, or injury
Minimum IID period, repeat offense	2 years

Under Ala. Code § 32-5A-191(e), on a first conviction the 90-day suspension is stayed if the offender elects to install an approved IID for 90 days. The IID becomes mandatory for one year if the offender had a BAC of 0.15 or higher, refused the chemical test, had a passenger under 14, or someone else was injured.

Approved interlock providers

Vendors listed here appear on the Alabama licensing agency's approved-device list. Listing order is alphabetical and is not a ranking or endorsement. Installation locations are on each vendor's own locator.

Official approved-vendor list: Alabama agency vendor list

Approved interlock vendors in Alabama
Vendor	Website	Location finder
Draeger, Inc.	Draeger, Inc. website	Find a location
LifeSafer	LifeSafer website	Find a location
Sens-O-Lock of America	Sens-O-Lock of America website	Find a location
Smart Start	Smart Start website	Find a location

SR-22 requirement

An SR-22 is a certificate an insurer files with the state to confirm that a driver carries the liability coverage the state requires. Some states use an FR-44 or a different form for alcohol-related offenses; where Alabama does, the sources below say so.

SR-22 requirement in Alabama
SR-22 filing required after a DUI	Yes
Filing period	3 years

Ala. Code § 32-7-18 (Motor Vehicle Safety-Responsibility Act) provides that whenever the director suspends or revokes a license 'upon receiving record of a conviction,' no license shall thereafter be issued 'unless and until he or she shall give and thereafter maintain proof of financial responsibility'; a DUI conviction under § 32-5A-191 results in such a suspension/revocation. Under § 32-7-31(a)(1) the director may cancel the proof after three years from the date it was required if no further qualifying conviction is recorded. ALEA's Request for Reinstatement Requirements form (DI-46A) calls the filing 'SR22 Insurance', and ALEA's hardship-license rule refers to 'SR-22 insurance ... required ... under applicable law'. Caveat: no ALEA page fetched states the SR-22 requirement specifically for DUI; the statute applies generally to conviction-based suspensions and revocations.

Program costs

Fees set by the state are cited to the fee schedule. Vendor charges vary by vendor and are shown as published ranges with the month they were checked.

Post-DUI program costs in Alabama
Item	Amount	As of
License reinstatement fee	$275	2026-08-28
Court ignition interlock fee (Ala. Code § 32-5A-191(r))	$200 paid to the court following conviction (may be paid in installments); 17% to the Alabama Interlock Indigent Fund	2026-08
Ignition interlock restricted driver license issuance fee	$150 (ALEA); statute caps it at not more than $150 (Ala. Code § 32-5A-191(u))	2026-08
Fee to reissue regular license at end of IID period (Ala. Code § 32-5A-191(u))	Not more than $75	2026-08
Monthly fee for defendants who do not own a vehicle (Ala. Code § 32-5A-191.4(i)(6))	$75 per month for the entire IID period unless found indigent	2026-08
Indigent program (Ala. Code § 32-5A-191.4(i)(4)-(5))	Indigent offenders are not required to pay installation/maintenance costs; each approved manufacturer must serve indigent defendants equal to 5% of prior-year installations at no cost	2026-08
Reinstatement fees (ALEA)	Alcohol/drug-related suspended or revoked: $275; additional drug-related fee: $25; non-alcohol suspended/cancelled: $100; revoked: $175; failure to surrender license within 30 days: $50	2026-08
Provider device application fee (Ala. Code § 32-5A-191.4(f))	$2,000 paid by the ignition interlock provider to the Department of Forensic Sciences to evaluate the instrument	2026-08

Frequently asked questions

Is an ignition interlock device required after a first DUI conviction in Alabama?: Under Ala. Code § 32-5A-191(e), a first conviction carries a 90-day license suspension that is stayed if the offender elects to install an approved ignition interlock device for 90 days. The device is mandatory for one year if the offender's BAC was 0.15 or higher, the chemical test was refused, a child under 14 was a passenger, or another person was injured.
How long is the ignition interlock period for a second DUI conviction?: Under Ala. Code § 32-5A-191(f), on a second conviction the license is revoked for one year and the offender is required to have an ignition interlock device installed for two years from the date an ignition-interlock restricted license is issued. After a minimum of 45 days of revocation, the IID period starts and the remaining revocation is stayed.
What does Alabama charge to reinstate a license after an alcohol-related suspension or revocation?: According to the ALEA Driver License Division reinstatement fee page, the reinstatement fee for alcohol/drug-related offenses is $275 (suspended or revoked), with an additional $25 drug-related fee where applicable, and a $150 interlock issuance fee for the ignition-interlock restricted license.
Who approves ignition interlock devices in Alabama?: Under Ala. Code § 32-5A-191.4(c), the Department of Forensic Sciences promulgates rules for approval, installation, and use of ignition interlock devices and maintains the public list of approved devices. ALEA enforces those rules (§ 32-5A-191.4(g)). The ADFS approved-device page currently lists Draeger, Inc.; Smart Start of Alabama, LLC; Sens-O-Lock of America; and LifeSafer, Inc.
What counts as an ignition interlock violation in Alabama?: ALEA's Ignition Interlock Laws page lists: a breath sample at or above 0.02 recorded four or more times in a monthly reporting period (unless a retest within 10 minutes is below 0.02), any tampering, circumvention, or bypass attempt, and failure to comply with 30-day servicing or calibration. Under Ala. Code § 32-5A-191(u)(3), a violation extends the IID period by six months.