The Minnesota Ignition Interlock Program: How to Drive Again After a DWI

What is an ignition interlock device?

An ignition interlock is a breath-alcohol testing device wired into a vehicle’s ignition. You blow into it before the car will start, and again at random intervals while driving. If your alcohol concentration is 0.02 or higher, the vehicle won’t start. The device records results (and typically takes a photo of the driver), which are reported to the state. Anyone driving the vehicle must use the device.

Who has to enroll in ignition interlock?

Interlock comes into play after a DWI-related license revocation, cancellation, or denial. Minnesota changed the thresholds for offenses on or after July 1, 2025, so the date of your incident matters:

• Incidents before July 1, 2025: enrollment is required if your privileges are revoked for a second alcohol or drug offense within 10 years (or a third on record, with one or two offenses more than 10 years old).
• Incidents on or after July 1, 2025: enrollment is required for a second (and any subsequent) alcohol or drug offense within 20 years — a significantly wider window.
• Inimical-to-public-safety (IPS) cancellation: drivers canceled/denied as IPS (generally three or more offenses) must enroll for a minimum of three to six years to regain full driving privileges.
• First-time offenders: if your license is revoked for a first offense, interlock is usually optional — a way to drive sooner instead of waiting out the revocation or relying on a limited license.

If you did not own or lease a vehicle at the time of the offense (or during the revocation), you may be exempt from installing a device and can instead wait out the period and apply for reinstatement. Because these timelines depend on your exact record and the offense date, confirm your specific requirement with DPS or an attorney — the official DPS program page (linked below) is kept current.

The work-vehicle (employment) exemption

This is one of the most common and important questions: if I’m on interlock, can I drive my work vehicle that doesn’t have a device installed? The answer is yes — with approval. Under Minn. Stat. § 171.306, subd. 4(b) and Minn. R. 7503.1775, a program participant may drive an employer-owned vehicle that is not equipped with an interlock device, but only:

• In the normal course and scope of employment duties — for work, not personal use.
• With the employer’s written consent — the employer must sign off, acknowledging your restricted status.
• After being granted an employment-exception variance by the Commissioner — you apply in writing with a notarized employer letter describing your job duties and need for the vehicle.

Important limits on this exemption:

• You cannot be self-employed, and you cannot own or partially own the business that owns the vehicle. The exemption is for genuine employees driving a genuine employer’s vehicle.
• It does not cover rental cars, personal use of the employer vehicle, or certain vehicles used to transport children or vulnerable adults.
• You must keep the variance with you while driving the work vehicle.
• The variance is valid for one year and must be renewed annually, and you must notify Driver and Vehicle Services in writing within 15 days if your employment changes.

In practical terms: a delivery driver, tradesperson, or anyone whose job requires driving a company vehicle can usually keep working while on interlock — but only after the paperwork is properly filed and approved. Driving the work vehicle before the variance is granted, or using it for personal trips, can be a program violation.

What does interlock cost?

Interlock is a private, out-of-pocket program. You choose a certified vendor and pay for installation, monthly monitoring/calibration, and removal. Costs add up over the months or years of participation, and there is an indigency provision in some counties for those who qualify. The state does not require you to pay the full reinstatement fee and surcharge before issuing the restricted license, but full reinstatement of driving privileges does require paying them.

How interlock gets you driving — the restricted license

Once you’re approved, choose a vendor, and have the device installed, the manufacturer confirms installation to the state, which then issues a restricted (Class D) license. That license carries a restriction prohibiting you from driving any vehicle not equipped with a functioning interlock — except an approved employer vehicle under the work exemption above. The restriction lets you drive normally (for work, family, errands) as long as it’s in an interlock-equipped vehicle.

How to get an interlock device: the process

The general process for getting on the program looks like this:

• Confirm you qualify and submit the program application to Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS), along with the required documents (including proof of insurance).
• Receive authorization from DVS to install a device.
• Choose a certified vendor from the official list of approved Minnesota manufacturers and schedule installation. The state does not endorse a particular vendor — you pick from the certified list.
• Have the device installed and get trained on how to use it. Anyone who will drive the vehicle should attend.
• Installation is confirmed to the state, which then enrolls you and issues your restricted license.

The official Minnesota DPS program pages have the current forms, guidelines, application, certified-manufacturer list, and reinstatement instructions — and they are kept up to date as the program changes:

• DPS Ignition Interlock Device Program (main page)
• Program application
• Forms (including the employment-exemption form)
• Program guidelines
• Certified device manufacturers (the official vendor list)
• Request for reinstatement

Program violations — and a serious 2025 change

Violating the program has real consequences. Tampering with, circumventing, or bypassing the device, or driving a non-equipped vehicle outside a valid exemption, can extend your revocation and interlock period — and the Commissioner can terminate your participation. As of August 1, 2025, it is also a gross misdemeanor for someone with a § 171.306 restricted license to drive a vehicle that is not equipped with a functioning certified interlock device (outside a valid exemption). The same 2025 law extended participation periods for some offenses, now requires all participants to complete a treatment or rehabilitation program before full reinstatement, and made certain criminal vehicular operation offenders eligible for the program.

Is interlock always the right choice?

Interlock is a powerful tool to keep working and living a normal life during a revocation — but it is expensive and intrusive, and enrolling generally accepts the revocation rather than fighting it. In some cases, the smarter move is to challenge the underlying revocation (through the implied-consent process) so that interlock isn’t needed at all. Whether to fight the revocation or enroll in interlock is a strategic decision that depends on the strength of the case, and it’s worth getting advice before deciding.