Is an ignition interlock mandatory after a first DUI in Kentucky?

Not as a condition of every sentence. KRS 189A.340(1)(a) makes an ignition interlock license the sole license available while a DUI suspension under KRS 189A.010(1)(a), (b), (e) or (f) is in effect. KRS 189A.070(1)(a) sets a 6-month suspension for a first offense, reduced to 4 months for a person who holds an ignition interlock license and completes 90 consecutive violation-free days within the first 4 months.

How does the Kentucky Ignition Interlock Program (KIIP) shorten a suspension?

Under KRS 189A.340(5), time holding a valid ignition interlock license counts day-for-day toward the suspension period. The Transportation Cabinet's DUI page shows a first offense suspension of 6 months without an IID versus 4 months with 90 days of violation-free KIIP participation, and a second offense of 18 months versus 12 months with 120 violation-free days.

What can an ignition interlock provider charge in Kentucky?

KRS 189A.340(7)(a) caps provider fees: installation not to exceed $100 ($130 for alternative-fuel or push-button-start vehicles), a monthly fee not to exceed $100, removal not to exceed $30, reset not to exceed $50, and a missed-appointment fee not to exceed $35. KRS 189A.340(7)(c) reduces fees to 75%, 50% or 25% based on income relative to federal poverty guidelines.

What is Kentucky's license reinstatement fee after a DUI suspension?

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet's DUI page lists a $40 reinstatement fee, payable at a Driver Licensing Regional Office when the restricted (ignition interlock) license is issued; its License Reinstatement page states a $40.00 reinstatement/re-licensing fee may be required any time driving privileges are suspended.

Who certifies ignition interlock providers in Kentucky?

601 KAR 2:233 provides that the Transportation Cabinet certifies ignition interlock device providers for two years through a request for qualifications under KRS Chapter 45A, and that applicants select a certified provider from the list on the Cabinet's website. The Cabinet's DUI page lists the certified providers.

KYVerified against primary sources · August 28, 2026

Kentucky ignition interlock & DUI requirements

Ignition interlock device rules, approved vendors, SR-22 insurance filing, and license reinstatement in Kentucky, cited to the statute and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, Division of Driver Licensing.

IID on first offense: At the court's discretion
Minimum IID period (first): 4 months minimum
SR-22 filing: No
Reinstatement fee: $40

What Kentucky law requires

Kentucky'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: KRS 189A.340

Ignition interlock requirement

Ignition interlock requirements in Kentucky by offense
Item	Kentucky rule
IID on first offense	At the court's discretion
Minimum IID period, first offense	4 months minimum (first offense: ignition interlock license with 90 consecutive violation-free days within the first 4 months; otherwise until the 90-day requirement is met or 6 months, whichever is shorter)
Minimum IID period, repeat offense	12 months minimum (second offense within 10 years: 120 consecutive violation-free days within the first 12 months; otherwise until met or 18 months, whichever is shorter)

Kentucky's program is incentive-based rather than mandatory. Under KRS 189A.340(1)(a), when a license is suspended for a DUI under KRS 189A.010(1)(a), (b), (e) or (f), 'the sole license the person shall be eligible for is an ignition interlock license'; a person who does not obtain one serves the full suspension (6 months for a first offense under KRS 189A.070(1)(a)2.a.iii). A first offender who obtains an ignition interlock license and completes 90 consecutive violation-free days within the first 4 months has the suspension reduced to 4 months.

Approved interlock providers

Vendors listed here appear on the Kentucky 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: Kentucky agency vendor list

Approved interlock vendors in Kentucky
Vendor	Website	Location finder
Alcohol Detection Systems	Alcohol Detection Systems website	Find a location
Guardian Interlock	Guardian Interlock website	Find a location
Intoxalock	Intoxalock website	Find a location
LifeSafer	LifeSafer website	Find a location
LowCost Interlock	LowCost Interlock 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 Kentucky does, the sources below say so.

SR-22 requirement in Kentucky
SR-22 filing required after a DUI	No
Filing period	Not applicable

The KYTC DRIVE 'DUI Suspensions and Requirements' page enumerates the requirements for each DUI offense level (approved alcohol/substance abuse program, license suspension period, and optional KIIP ignition-interlock participation to shorten the suspension); an SR-22 / financial-responsibility filing is not among them. The KYTC License Reinstatement page lists the $40 reinstatement fee and testing after suspensions over one year and states that all suspension requirements must be satisfied; it does not mention an SR-22. KRS 189A.070(2) makes completion of the KRS 189A.040 program the statutory condition for reinstatement after a DUI conviction, and the active sections of KRS Chapter 187 (financial responsibility) concern unpaid judgments (KRS 187.400–187.440), not DUI. The KIIP application requires only a proof-of-insurance card. No official page affirmatively states that no SR-22 is required; the value follows from these enumerations.

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 Kentucky
Item	Amount	As of
License reinstatement fee	$40	2026-08-28
License reinstatement / re-licensing fee (KYTC)	$40	2026-08
Provider installation fee cap (KRS 189A.340(7)(a)1.)	Not to exceed $100 ($130 for an alternative fuel vehicle or push-button starter)	2026-08
Provider monthly fee cap (KRS 189A.340(7)(a)2.)	Not to exceed $100 per month	2026-08
Provider removal / reset / missed-appointment fee caps (KRS 189A.340(7)(a)3.–5.)	Removal not to exceed $30; reset not to exceed $50; missed appointment not to exceed $35	2026-08
Reduced fees by income (KRS 189A.340(7)(c); KIIP Affordability Application TC 94-188)	Income at or below 200% but above 150% of federal poverty guidelines pays 75% of fees; at or below 150% but above 100% pays 50%; at or below 100% pays 25%	2026-08
Provider certification fees paid to the Cabinet (KRS 189A.350)	Application fee not to exceed $500; annual renewal not to exceed $200; annual service inspection not to exceed $100; failed-inspection revisit not to exceed $150	2026-08

Frequently asked questions

Is an ignition interlock mandatory after a first DUI in Kentucky?: Not as a condition of every sentence. KRS 189A.340(1)(a) makes an ignition interlock license the sole license available while a DUI suspension under KRS 189A.010(1)(a), (b), (e) or (f) is in effect. KRS 189A.070(1)(a) sets a 6-month suspension for a first offense, reduced to 4 months for a person who holds an ignition interlock license and completes 90 consecutive violation-free days within the first 4 months.
How does the Kentucky Ignition Interlock Program (KIIP) shorten a suspension?: Under KRS 189A.340(5), time holding a valid ignition interlock license counts day-for-day toward the suspension period. The Transportation Cabinet's DUI page shows a first offense suspension of 6 months without an IID versus 4 months with 90 days of violation-free KIIP participation, and a second offense of 18 months versus 12 months with 120 violation-free days.
What can an ignition interlock provider charge in Kentucky?: KRS 189A.340(7)(a) caps provider fees: installation not to exceed $100 ($130 for alternative-fuel or push-button-start vehicles), a monthly fee not to exceed $100, removal not to exceed $30, reset not to exceed $50, and a missed-appointment fee not to exceed $35. KRS 189A.340(7)(c) reduces fees to 75%, 50% or 25% based on income relative to federal poverty guidelines.
What is Kentucky's license reinstatement fee after a DUI suspension?: The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet's DUI page lists a $40 reinstatement fee, payable at a Driver Licensing Regional Office when the restricted (ignition interlock) license is issued; its License Reinstatement page states a $40.00 reinstatement/re-licensing fee may be required any time driving privileges are suspended.
Who certifies ignition interlock providers in Kentucky?: 601 KAR 2:233 provides that the Transportation Cabinet certifies ignition interlock device providers for two years through a request for qualifications under KRS Chapter 45A, and that applicants select a certified provider from the list on the Cabinet's website. The Cabinet's DUI page lists the certified providers.