State Interlock Programs

If you have committed a drink driving offence, you may lose your licence and be disqualified from driving for a specified period of time. After this disqualification period, you will be required by the Road Traffic Authority or courts to participate in an offender alcohol interlock program as mandated by your state authority, to demonstrate that you can drive responsibly without the influence of alcohol.

As part of your offender alcohol interlock program, you will be given a new licence with an interlock condition, meaning you cannot legally drive any vehicle without an ignition interlock device fitted. If you own multiple vehicles and wish to drive them, you must have an alcohol interlock fitted to each vehicle.

Offender driving behaviour will be monitored for the duration of the program. To complete the program, you must demonstrate the ability to separate drinking and driving over a specified period. However, significant or repeated violations, such as attempting to drink and drive, missed or failed retests or tampering with the alcohol interlock, may lead to extended time on the program and additional penalties.

No. Guardian also has interlock systems for private employers and individuals. Please refer to our Private Interlocks section for more information.

The exact criteria for drink driving offences vary from state to state. But as a general reference, such offences could include; recording breath alcohol (BAC) exceeding the legal limit or a high BAC, obtaining multiple drink driving offences within a certain period, and refusing to provide a breath sample to a police officer. Please see your state’s interlock program information page for more information.

Heavy penalties apply for driving while disqualified.

The minimum and maximum interlock programs will vary depending on the offence and the state. Offenders will only complete the program when they have demonstrated sufficient and prolonged responsible driving behaviour. Any violations of the program can extend the period of participation. Please check your state’s alcohol interlock program information page for specific guidance.

In most cases, the alcohol interlock program is a mandatory requirement for individuals to regain a full licence after a period of disqualification from driving. If you choose not to participate, you may face an extended period of disqualification or other penalties, depending on your home state. Please see your state’s interlock program information page for more information.

The cost of an alcohol interlock program is determined by the state, concession status, and vehicle of the participant. Please see your state’s interlock program information page for more information. A list of our fees can also be found on this website.

Concession eligibility requirements vary from state to state. Participants authorise Guardian to confirm card validity and rate, by a submitted e-Services Form. Click here to find an online form to complete and submit.

The best plan is to have the interlock removed until you are able to afford it. Removal and reinstall charges will apply but the lease costs continue and can end up costing you more than the removal/install. In most states an early termination fee also applies but is refunded if you return within 6 months.

It is a good idea to contact Guardian for advice if you are having difficulties to avoid unwanted additional fees and your account being escalated. We will do our best to work with you to assist in difficult situations.

If the interlock detects alcohol in your breath sample, it will register a ‘fail’, and the ignition will be locked (a ‘lockout’). You will be able to do another breath test after a short period of time, but please note that after a certain number of lockouts, the vehicle will be immobilised. The information is sent to the Road Traffic Authority in your State and could extend your program participation period.

Always take a retest when requested, even if you are about to turn the vehicle off. Missed retests are considered a violation, and may require you to return to the service centre for an unscheduled service, and can cause the alarms to sound if not taken.

If your interlock enters SVCLCK or VIOLOCK you will need a code to be able to start the vehicle. In this case, you will need to pay for a code to enable you to return your vehicle to the service centre. You will need the call code from the head unit to complete your purchase. This can be obtained by pressing #5 on your head unit while the ignition is on. “UNLOCK xxhr” will display and countdown once the code is entered. Ensure you return to the service centre prior to 0 hours or you will need to purchase another code. The code period provided is detailed on code SMS.

Alcohol interlocks are fitted with a number of anti-tamper systems. There is a specific technique used to provide a sample, a certain volume of breath is needed, and further samples will be requested at random points in the journey. Tampering with the device will cause recalls and you may incur additional penalties, as tampering is reported to your state authorities.

There could be a number of reasons for this – certain foods or mouthwash containing alcohol for example, we recommend that you do not eat or drink for 5-15 minutes prior to taking a test and that you rinse your mouth with water first. If you think this may be the reason for your test failure, wait a few minutes and try again. Your user manual provides you with advice on this. If you continue to have problems with your interlock device, please contact Guardian or your nearest service centre for advice.

The interlock will stop you starting your car if it is in lockout but it will never stop your car while the engine is running. If you miss or fail a retest and don’t take a subsequent test in the countdown period the alarms will sound and indicator lights will flash but the vehicle will not turn off unless you turn the ignition off yourself. Turning the ignition off will turn the alarms off.