If you’ve been convicted of impaired driving, you’ll need to participate in the Ignition Interlock Program, which is mandatory in Alberta. As part of the program, you must install an appropriate interlock device on your vehicle and demonstrate that you can separate your consumption of alcohol from your driving.
You will be allowed to get your unrestricted driver’s licence back after you successfully complete the program.
Applying to the Ignition Interlock Program (IIP)
You can’t apply to the program until you have completed your reinstatement conditions, although you don’t need to have paid your reinstatement fee or participated in the road test. A first-time offender must have completed the Planning Ahead Driver Program before applying to the program. A repeat offender, by contrast, must take the IMPACT Driver Program before applying.
After having served your minimum Order of Driving Prohibition Against an Offender, you should complete an application and submit it to Driver Fitness and Monitoring (DFM) along with a copy of the court-ordered driving prohibition. Make sure to submit only original documents, not copies.
Once you are approved for the program, you’ll schedule an appointment to have an alcohol-sensing interlock device installed on your car. Because the IIP program is mandatory, you can’t get out of it by even if you don’t have a vehicle. In that situation, you can rent or borrow someone’s car and have the device installed on it with the owner’s permission. It currently costs $145.00 to install the device and $95.00 a month to rent the device. You will also need to contact an Alberta Registry Agent to receive your Restricted Driver’s Licence.
How the Ignition Interlock Device Works
Before you can start the vehicle, you’ll need to blow into the interlock device. If the device registers that you have too much alcohol in your system, you won’t be able to start or drive your car. All activity is monitored, so you can expect the government to know if you tried to start your car after having been drinking. You might receive a warning letter in the mail if you tried to drive while intoxicated. Any attempt to get around the ignition interlock device can get you kicked out of the program and result in having your restricted driver’s licence suspended.
Once you finish the program, you’ll need to pay $50.00 to have the device removed. Your final report will be sent by your service provider to DFM to review. DFM will use these reports to determine if you have satisfied all the IIP program requirements. If approved, you will be able to obtain an unrestricted licence.
Reach out to an Alberta DUI Lawyer Today
Impaired driving convictions can throw a wrench into your plans, leaving you without any way to get to school or work. The most favourable resolution is often to have the charges dismissed. At Bourdon Defence, we work tirelessly to help our clients begin to put their lives back together after an impaired driving arrest. Contact us today for a free consultation at 403-474-4143 or fill out our online contact form.