Jacksonville Criminal Lawyer Blog
Drunk driving in Jacksonville may now result in a relatively new device being installed in your car to detect your breath alcohol content before your car will start. If you have been arrested and then convicted for driving under the influence (DUI) in Jacksonville or anywhere else in Florida, you may be required to have an Ignition Interlock Device installed in your vehicle. An Ignition Interlock Device will prevent the vehicle from starting if the driver provides a breath sample with an alcohol content over 0.05. The devices are also equipped with retest capability for random testing while the vehicle is running. The results of the device testing is available via web-based reporting 24/7.
After a DUI conviction in Florida, a person may be required to have the Ignition Interlock Device installed if his or her driving privileges are reinstated pursuant to a permanent or restricted license or a limited driver’s license for work/business purposes. The driver’s license will be designated with a “P” restriction indicating that that the Ignition Interlock Device is required.
Those people convicted of DUI in Florida who are eligible to have their driver’s license reinstated but are required to have the Ignition Interlock Device installed must pay for the device. The costs for the device are listed here on the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles website. If the person is unable to afford the cost of the device, he or she may attempt to have the fine associated with the DUI conviction reduced to help pay for the device.
Florida DUI law provides that a person convicted of DUI for the first time will only have to have the device installed if required by the court. However, if the defendant’s blood or breath alcohol level was 0.20 or higher or if a minor was in the vehicle during that first DUI, the device is required for at least 6 months. For a second DUI conviction, the device is required for at least one year or at least two years if the blood or breath alcohol content was 0.20 or greater or a minor was in the vehicle during the DUI. For a third DUI conviction, the device is required for at least two years.