Comprehensive Arizona DUI Information
implied consent law in arizona
WILL I HAVE TO HAVE A BREATH MACHINE IN MY VEHICLE?
IMPORTANT NOTE: We do not sell or lease ignition interlock devices. If you have been convicted or (by pleading guilty or after trial) of a DUI in Arizona that requires an interlock device, it is too late for us to assist you or give you advice as to how to avoid having to have the device. If you are not a current or former client and have received an order from the MVD to have such a device in your vehicle, please do NOT contact us. Instead, please address your concerns to the MVD, to the attorney who represented you prior to your conviction, or to the Court where you were convicted.
An ignition interlock device is a breath test machine
that is wired into the ignition of your vehicle. In order to start your
car, you must provide a breath sample that is free of alcohol. Once your
vehicle is running, you will be periodically prompted to give another
sample.
If you are convicted of Extreme DUI or have a second or subsequent DUI
conviction, the court will order an ignition interlock device (IID)
installed on your vehicle. In most cases, you will not be able to get
around the requirement by simply not driving for the term for which the
IID was ordered, as them MVD will want to see proof that you had the
device installed for the entire term before they will remove the
restriction from your license.
For many clients, especially those with children and those who drive
clients in their cars, ignition interlock devices are unthinkably
embarrassing. Imagine being a real-estate salesperson who has to blow
into a beeping machine every time you get into the car! Needless to say,
it would be career altering, if not career ending.
Many ignition interlock devices are set to be tone specific. This means
that you must hum into them in order for them to register. If somebody
other than you blows, the machine may not work. It is a crime in Arizona
to blow into an IID for somebody else.
If the machine registers alcohol on your breath, its function is to
disable your vehicle, flash your lights and honk your horn to draw the
attention of law-enforcement. Many machines give false positives. A
common complaint is that spicy food triggers the machine's alcohol
sensors. We advise all clients who have IIDs in their vehicles to always
carry a bottle of water. After eating anything spicy, swish and spit
before blowing.
One major problem with IIDs is the reality of "endogenous ethanol." This
is a scientifically documented phenomena where the human body actually
manufactures alcohol despite the fact that the person hasn't had a drop
of alcohol to drink.
Consult a DUI attorney to learn if you will need to have an IID in your
case, and to find out what can be done to avoid one. (NOTE: If you have
already been convicted and have been ordered to have an IID, it is too
late for us to help you avoid one.)
Ignition Interlock Device FAQs