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Our Multilingual Customer Care Center is available 24/7 to answer your questions.
What happens after I get my DUI?
After you get your first DUI in the state of Illinois, you’ll get a letter from the Secretary of State dictating whether or not you’re eligible for a breath alcohol Ignition Interlock Device (BAIID). If you have had more than one DUI, your Secretary of State Hearing Officer will tell you if you are required to have a BAIID.
What do I need to bring to my installation?
Once you have scheduled your breath alcohol Ignition Interlock Device (BAIID) installation with Smart Start, you will need to bring the following to your BAIID installation appointment:
- Two forms of identification, one of which needs to be a photo ID
- Proof of insurance
- Proof of residency
What should I bring back to my State authority after my device is installed?
Smart Start will provide a confirmation of the installation, which we will send directly to the Illinois Secretary of State on your behalf.
How do I know if Smart Start’s devices are compliant with my program?
Smart Start’s BAIID is compliant with all state and federal requirements, and we are certified as a BAIID provider by the Illinois Secretary of State. In addition, our breath alcohol Ignition Interlock Devices are tested and certified to meet the standards set by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
What happens if I violate?
If you violate over the course of your time with the breath alcohol Ignition Interlock Device (BAIID), the Illinois Secretary of State will send you a letter asking for an explanation of your violation. If you have a Monitoring Device Driving Permit (MDDP), a violation may extend your requirement period. If you have a Restricted Driving Permit (RDP), other consequences may be dictated by the Illinois Secretary of State (SOS), such as cancellation of your RDP or denial of another RDP.
How often does my IID need to be serviced?
For a Monitoring Device Driving Permit (MDDP), you generally need to have your breath alcohol Ignition Interlock Device (BAIID) serviced every 60 days—unless you violate, at which point you will need to service your BAIID every 30 days. For a Restricted Driving Permit (RDP), you will need to service your BAIID after the first 30 days following installation and every 60 days thereafter.
How do the consequences differ for a first and second DUI? Third? Fourth?
In Illinois, the general breath alcohol Ignition Interlock Device (BAIID) requirements for a DUI are as follows:
1st DUI: You will receive a Monitoring Device Driving Permit (MDDP), where you can drive anywhere anytime as long as the BAIID is installed.
2nd DUI and subsequent: You will receive a Restricted Driving Permit (RDP), where your driving abilities may be restricted to certain times or purposes even with the BAIID installed. If you have two DUI convictions, you will be required to drive with a BAIID for a minimum of five years before your driver’s license is fully reinstated.
What do I need for removal?
In order to remove your breath alcohol Ignition Interlock Device (BAIID) in the state of Illinois, you will need to obtain verbal permission from the Illinois Secretary of State.
What if I have a requirement, but I don’t own a vehicle?
If you have a Monitoring Device Driving Permit (MDDP) or Restricted Driving Permit (RDP) that requires a BAIID installation, but you don’t own a vehicle, you are required to install a BAIID on anything you plan to drive even if you do not own the vehicle. You may be eligible for a work exemption, which would allow you to drive some work vehicles without installing a BAIID. Contact your attorney or the Illinois Secretary of State for more information regarding work exemptions. If you are being ordered to install by the court and you do not own a vehicle, the Judge may impose other consequences. Those consequences may involve a portable alcohol-monitoring device like Smart Start’s SMARTMobile™ device.
Do I need the device on all of my vehicles?
The Illinois Secretary of State (SOS) requires you to have a breath alcohol Ignition Interlock Device (BAIID) on any vehicle that you drive, but you may eligible for exemptions on a work vehicle. If you have had two DUI convictions in ten years, you will be required to install a BAIID on every vehicle titled to you as a part of your Restricted Driving Permit (RDP).
Where can I go for service? Anywhere, or just within my state?
Illinois law states that you can service your breath alcohol Ignition Interlock Device (BAIID) at any Smart Start service center nationwide.
What constitutes a violation in my state?
In the state of Illinois, any and all of the following may constitute a violation:
- a breath alcohol reading of .05 or higher
- failure to provide to provide a passing sample ten times within a 30-day period or five times within a 24-hour period
- a skipped rolling re-test
- failure to go in for service
- obscuring the camera from taking a clear, accurate photo
- getting another DUI
- anything else specified by the Secretary of State
What do I need to do to install voluntarily?
To install a breath alcohol Ignition Interlock Device on your vehicle or a family member’s vehicle voluntarily, click the chat window below, fill out our online form, or call Smart Start at 800.831.3299 to speak with one of our customer care advocates and schedule a voluntary installation appointment. Make sure you let your customer care advocate know that you will not have a permit number or case number.
How do I know if I need a camera/GPS/etc.?
The state of Illinois requires that every breath alcohol Ignition Interlock Device (BAIID) be camera-equipped.
Where does installation fall based on my condition?
In the state of Illinois, you can only install the breath alcohol Ignition Interlock Device (BAIID) once you have received your Monitoring Device Driving Permit (MDDP) or Restricted Driving Permit (RDP). You will have 14 days from the date of the issuance of the permit in which to install the BAIID.
Does the camera watch me all the time?
No, the camera only takes a picture when you are asked to provide a breath sample. The camera does not take videos, and there is no live streaming.
How do I know who my State authority is?
In the state of Illinois, your State authority will usually be the Illinois Secretary of State (SOS). However, your attorney will let you know who your State authority will be. If you’re not sure, ask your attorney.
How do I know what my state requires in an Ignition Interlock Device?
The Illinois Secretary of State will only certify and approve breath alcohol Ignition Interlock Device (BAIID) providers that fit state requirements. Smart Start is certified and approved as a BAIID provider in Illinois.
How can I pay for calibration?
When you go into the shop for service, you can pay with a credit card. However, some shops will allow you to pay in cash or with a pre-paid Visa card.
Where do I send a record of my service appointments?
Smart Start will automatically send a record of your service appointments to the Illinois Secretary of State on your behalf at no extra charge to you. If you are court-ordered to install a BAIID, Smart Start will automatically send records to the court designee.
Does this thing hurt my vehicle?
No, but the Smart Start BAIID works most effectively if you have a healthy, working battery.
Can I get one on my motorcycle?
Motorcycle breath alcohol Ignition Interlock Device (BAIID) installation laws differ by state. Smart Start operates throughout the U.S. as a certified manufacturer and will work harder than other companies to provide you a seamless Interlock program that still follows your case requirements in the state of Illinois. Please call our Customer Care Center at 800-831-3299 if you have any questions.