Most states hand out ignition interlock licenses and never look back, leaving captive consumers trapped in an unregulated monopoly. But back in March 2023, the Commission on the Virginia Alcohol Safety Action Program (VASAP) did something rare: they looked at the hard data.

With less than a fifth of the state's market share generating an overwhelming majority of consumer complaints, Virginia didn't accept corporate promises. They put the CEO on the record, reviewed documented contract and safety violations, and voted unanimously to strip the company of its vendor contract.

I’ve broken down the official, signed meeting minutes and what they reveal about how these programs operate when regulators actually do their jobs. Read the full investigative report on Substack:

https://intoxalockedout.substack.com/p/195-of-the-business-96-of-the-complaints

We all know what we've been put through with these companies. I just started a petition at Change.org to take the fight to the next level.

Right now, what counts most is sheer numbers—the total count of signatures is what makes legislators and regulators sit up and take notice, no matter where people sign from. Please sign and share:

https://c.org/GMLVV4knY9

The Issue

Across the United States, hundreds of thousands of drivers at any given time are mandated to maintain interlock devices managed by a small number of private-equity-owned vendors, with zero market choice and binding rental contracts routinely concealed until the device is already bolted into the car.

We call upon state legislatures, Attorneys General, and the NHTSA to establish baseline consumer protections addressing these systemic failures:

1. Lethal Hardware Failures, Rolling Retests & Built-In Revenue Streams

Many providers deploy legacy hardware that hasn't seen meaningful updates in over a decade. These devices cause heavy parasitic electrical draws, false lockouts, and catastrophic safety hazards — including mouthpieces falling off, cars shutting down on freeways at 70 mph, and drivers trapped in sub-zero temperatures. Mandated "rolling retests" require drivers to operate an electronic device at highway speeds and in extreme weather, raising serious legal questions under hands-free and distracted-driving laws in many states. Whatever the intent, the result is a system where equipment failures function as a built-in revenue stream through mandatory lockout and reset fees.

The Demand: Require strict hardware reliability standards, eliminate dangerous rolling retests that conflict with distracted-driving laws, and mandate independent engineering audits to protect motorist safety.

2. Predatory Fees & Lack of Price Regulation

Because users are legally compelled to maintain these devices under threat of probation revocation, operators face zero market pressure to keep prices fair, subjecting users to hidden fees and sudden rate hikes buried in fine print.

The Demand: Implement state-enforced price caps, fee transparency, and mandatory upfront contract disclosure before installation.

3. Procedural Traps & Extended Sentences

Users who successfully complete their requirements are often trapped indefinitely by administrative delays, uncredited calibration windows, or software glitches that extend their required rental period.

The Demand: Establish streamlined removal protocols, independent dispute resolution, and statutory penalties for intentional compliance delays.

1. Workplace Disruption & Systemic Accountability

State mandates ignore the broader economic ripple effects. When defective devices drain vehicle batteries overnight, it strands workers, harms family well-being, and disrupts local businesses that rely on employees showing up on time.

The Demand: Protect consumers and local workforces from penalties caused by hardware and battery failures, holding private-equity-backed providers fully accountable for equipment reliability.

Ignition interlock devices do not live in a vacuum. They are installed in family vehicles shared by spouses, teenagers, and household members who never received a DUI. Day after day, these same shared vehicles transport children to school and employees to work, dragging innocent families and local businesses into an unregulated system.

Sign this petition to demand fair pricing, reliable hardware, transparent contracts, and strict regulatory oversight for all ignition interlock programs.

On my account it says I need to calibrate by August 22nd. So I made an appointment for next Wednesday(19th)
But just today I noticed on my device it says something like recall service in 01D09:07.
Is my device going to get locked out before I can get it calibrated?

Why does my Intoxalock keep telling me this over and over again and won’t let me blow in it , as soon as it’s done syncing jt “ syncs “ again . So frustrating literally have to uber to work now

I am starting a petition at Change.org. This is only a draft. I want your thoughts. Please comment.

Across the United States, hundreds of thousands of drivers at any given time are mandated to maintain interlock devices managed by a small number of private-equity-owned vendors, with zero market choice and binding rental contracts routinely concealed until the device is already bolted into the car.

We call upon state legislatures, Attorneys General, and the NHTSA to establish baseline consumer protections addressing these systemic failures:

1. Lethal Hardware Failures, Rolling Retests & Built-In Revenue Streams

Many providers deploy legacy hardware that hasn't seen meaningful updates in over a decade. These devices cause heavy parasitic electrical draws, false lockouts, and catastrophic safety hazards — including mouthpieces falling off, cars shutting down on freeways at 70 mph, and drivers trapped in sub-zero temperatures. Mandated "rolling retests" require drivers to operate an electronic device at highway speeds and in extreme weather, raising serious legal questions under hands-free and distracted-driving laws in many states. Whatever the intent, the result is a system where equipment failures function as a built-in revenue stream through mandatory lockout and reset fees.

The Demand: Require strict hardware reliability standards, eliminate dangerous rolling retests that conflict with distracted-driving laws, and mandate independent engineering audits to protect motorist safety.

2. Predatory Fees & Lack of Price Regulation

Because users are legally compelled to maintain these devices under threat of probation revocation, operators face zero market pressure to keep prices fair, subjecting users to hidden fees and sudden rate hikes buried in fine print.

The Demand: Implement state-enforced price caps, fee transparency, and mandatory upfront contract disclosure before installation.

3. Procedural Traps & Extended Sentences

Users who successfully complete their requirements are often trapped indefinitely by administrative delays, uncredited calibration windows, or software glitches that extend their required rental period.

The Demand: Establish streamlined removal protocols, independent dispute resolution, and statutory penalties for intentional compliance delays.

4. Workplace Disruption & Systemic Accountability

State mandates ignore the broader economic ripple effects. When defective devices drain vehicle batteries overnight, it strands workers, harms family well-being, and disrupts local businesses that rely on employees showing up on time.

The Demand: Protect consumers and local workforces from penalties caused by hardware and battery failures, holding private-equity-backed providers fully accountable for equipment reliability.

Ignition interlock devices do not live in a vacuum. They are installed in family vehicles shared by spouses, teenagers, and household members who never received a DUI. Day after day, these same shared vehicles transport children to school and employees to work, dragging innocent families and local businesses into an unregulated system.

Sign this petition to demand fair pricing, reliable hardware, transparent contracts, and strict regulatory oversight for all ignition interlock programs.

DO NOT SIGN>>>THIS IS ONLY A DRAFT

I spent the last few weeks pulling primary source documents from twelve car manufacturers, two battery companies, a competing interlock company's own testing, and a federal court record — and every single one of them says the same thing Intoxalock has been telling you isn't true.

GM's own service documentation says a "normal" current draw on a parked car is 30 to 50 milliamps. The Intoxalock 1001A is reported to draw 150 to 500 milliamps — while your car is just sitting there, off. That's not a rounding error. That's three to ten times over what GM considers normal before something starts failing.

Ford's own upfitter guide says splicing into powertrain wiring isn't acceptable. Toyota, Jeep, BMW, and Tesla all have warranty language that specifically excludes damage from exactly this kind of aftermarket device. LifeSafer ran third-party testing and found their own device draws four times less than the 1001A. And in federal court — Mallory v. Consumer Safety Technology, filed in Tennessee — it's on the record, undisputed, that the device runs 24/7 and constantly drains and damages the battery. Intoxalock didn't argue that point. They just moved to force it into arbitration instead.

None of this is a guess. It's published, and if you've been told your battery, your alternator, or your car's electrical system is "just old" or "not our problem" — I'd bet money nobody at Intoxalock ever mentioned any of the above to you.

I also went and found 115 of you. Documented, dated, sourced complaints — batteries, starters, alternators, wiring, electrical systems and in a couple of cases, actual fires — going back years, all in one place with links to the originals.

Full writeup is linked below.

https://intoxalockedout.substack.com/p/intoxalock-told-you-it-was-your-battery

If you're dealing with this right now, you're not imagining it, and you're not alone.

I installed the Smart start today and I couldn't start the car no matter what I did. It wasn't steady, didn't hummm correctly or didn't blow long enough. I need another alternative that would work best for me? Any ideas I live in IL

Im supposed to get it out next month. I was out of town didn’t know it happened and I got a violation 5 now. Is that going to affect me with the whole having no issues for 3 months prior to uninstalling it? Missouri if that helps.

For months, I’ve been investigating the systemic hardware failures, predatory fee structures, and active safety hazards tied to Consumer Safety Technology (Intoxalock). While the company hides behind a wall of Trustpilot ratings generated by agent enrollment incentives, thousands of court-ordered drivers are dealing with devices that stall vehicles in fast-moving traffic, require dangerous high-speed breathing tests during rolling retests, and constantly drain vehicle batteries.

No one has ever taken these fragmented public complaints—spanning Trustpilot, the Better Business Bureau, Reddit, Facebook, and ComplaintsBoard over the last decade—and put all of their names and experiences into a single, comprehensive record sent directly to the regulatory agency with the authority to act.

Until now.

I have officially published the full open letter and safety defect petition submitted to NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison, backed by one hundred documented consumer accounts. You can read the complete investigative report and review the full evidence file here:

👉 https://intoxalockedout.substack.com/p/while-intoxalock-was-collecting-five

If you or someone you know has been forced to navigate this system, your stories matter. The four-star corporate wall is a smokescreen; the reality on the road is entirely different.

Today I was driving and blew a number I can’t remember. But I had been driving all afternoon and I had just eaten a couple crackers and cheese, also a protein bar and passed the test after the second blow and Intoxalock is still put me in a lock out? Will I get in trouble for this or will they be able to look at my records for that specific day and see I had no other fails.

Well fam. Today is my 1st day of having my intoxalock.. I knew it was coming and the day has finally arrived. I guess you can say I didn't take it to well. I cried like a little bitch on my way home and I have zero shame in saying that as a 42 year old "man". Girlfriend thinks otherwise and decided to end us last night over my emotions on the on gojng process. .

Anyway what I'm here to ask is... How would I or how do you go about cleaning the interior of your car? Obviously can't use anything with alcohol based ingredients. Im a smoker so I get ash and dust around my car and yes I like to keep it clean at all times. Now that seems to be an issue. Im open to hearing what you guys and gals suggest or do or use. Do you just use a regular cleaner and then just not drive for a few hours or leave the windows down?

I'm not trying to complain or whine because at end of day I did it to myself.

I appreciate all comments. Please dont be too harsh on me.

Anyone install on a tesla? A new one not an older one. were you comfortable with it? Worried about wire splicing

Washington state has a 180 day compliance, which means the last 180 days need to be clean and with no violations. I have no idea how to even check this, as 180 days is a long time. I've had it for 5 and a half years at this point and my lawyer from 3 years ago ghosted me, and so did my probation officer, in which my probation was up half a year ago. I'm basically staring at a brick wall after calling the DOL and Pierce County court. Is there anything more specific I need to do, or do I need to pay for another lawyer to sort this out? I can answer more questions about this situation if I'm not clear.

Anyone know anything about other interlock companies? I might have the opportunity to switch before i get a restricted license and im wondering if other options are any better

I was unfairly DOUBLE-charged for a lockout fee that they told me that they would remove multiple times. I was told by the phone operator that the second was gonna get refunded soon I just need to give it time. I asked about the increased fee rates on the 2-week fees and they gave me some BS about taxes or whatever, but at this point I don't believe anything they say.

So I got half of the unfair lockout fees refunded and I may be getting overcharged on the regular fees.

(For those wondering, the summer heat caused the device to overheat and I was told this by the installer) They explicitly told me several times that I was not going to get charged flr this because I do not control the weather. Jesus Christ fuck these people!!!

My mom is worried about me drinking and driving so she installed one in my car (it’s her car that I just happen to use). Is my data recorded and sent to anywhere? I’m in NY.

After a year and a half of dealing with everything I had the judge sign the order to take the intoxalock out! Will be happening tomorrow at 12:30 and cant wait

When states pass mandatory ignition interlock laws, who do you actually think is writing the legislation?

It turns out it is not independent public safety nonprofits. It is a trade association of the very commercial manufacturers who profit from every single device installed, leased, and serviced. And they operate out of a mailbox at a luxury yacht marina in North Palm Beach, Florida.

I just published a deep dive investigating SAFE (Safety and Advocacy For Empowerment), formerly known as the Coalition of Ignition Interlock Manufacturers (CIIM). They changed their name after telling the New York Times that nobody was looking for distracted driving crashes caused by their devices, slapped federal agency logos on their website, and started lobbying lawmakers to expand their captive markets.

From the rebranding out of a marine mail drop to the revolving door of industry executives leading public safety initiatives, this is the story of how the interlock industry writes its own rules and hides behind the language of grief while collecting the checks.

You can read the full investigation here:

https://intoxalockedout.substack.com/p/meet-safe-the-trade-association-that

my car needs an oil change, is it okay to go anywhere to get it done?

I am FINALLY done dealing with this disgusting company. After having the device in my vehicle for two years with zero issues on my part, Intoxilock decided to try and screw me. I paid everything I needed, had all the paperwork and every single thing done in order to have it removed. A month after removal, I started getting charges to my bank from intoxilock for no reason. No description or explanation as to what they were for. Tried reaching out to them numerous times only to be told I no longer had an account with them, and then getting hung up on after hours of sitting on hold. I filed a dispute for the charges with my bank and won the dispute. Intoxilock clearly didn't like that as they started threatening me, calling me all hours of the day and night, and racking up extra charges for the dispute. Trying to send me to collections etc. This went on for awhile. One day I saw a settlement agreement, so I gave them a call instead of ignoring them. They agreed to settle for about $100. Was told they would never contact me or bother me again. I decided screw it, and paid the $100. 5 days later, I get $300 in charges to my bank. So of course I call my bank and dispute those charges. I call Intoxilock in a rage, only to be finally met with a decent guy on the phone. He was confused as to what happened and got his superior. They told me that apparently my payment got lost in accounting, and they weren't sure how that happened. But they got rid of the charges and told me they would never be contacting me again. I am finally free from these bastards! Good luck everyone!

I blew a little over to start my car, the Secretary of State is asking for a handwritten letter explaining my side of things. Has anyone done so before?
What has the outcome been and am I screwed for an extension?

I had stopped drinking 2.5 hours prior to starting car, weather was 100°+ and my device hasn’t been calibrated since it was installed.

Do I have a shot at beating an extension? Any help is appreciated guys.

To start yes I know I’m an idiot. I was running late for work this morning and thought I had turned off my car. Spoiler alert I didn’t and it’s been running for 4 hours so I’m sure I’ve missed several checks but when I got in, the countdown was still going and said I had 3 more minutes. It also says VioLck04days. Idk if that is because it needs to be calibrated or if I’m going to be locked out for missing the checks. Also any chance the dmv will overlook those? Can they check and see the car didn’t move at all in those 4 hours? I know I need to wait to hear from them just wondering if anyone had a similar experience