Starting August 1, 2025, Minnesota’s ignition interlock laws are changing drastically and drivers arrested or convicted of DWI need to take notice. New legislation passed in Chapter 29 of the 2025 Minnesota Session Laws introduces the most stringent ignition interlock regulations in state history.

For anyone facing a DWI in Minnesota, understanding these changes is critical. You could face significantly longer ignition interlock requirements, a mandatory treatment or rehabilitation program, and the possibility of lifetime participation in the program, plus gross misdemeanor charges for violations.

Let’s walk you through every key change in the 2025 ignition interlock law, how it compares to prior rules, who’s impacted, and what you need to do to protect your rights and driving privileges.

What Is the Ignition Interlock Program in Minnesota?

The ignition interlock device (IID) program in Minnesota allows DWI offenders to regain limited driving privileges by installing a breathalyzer-type device in their vehicle. The device prevents the engine from starting if it detects a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.02 or higher.

Under the previous laws, drivers used the ignition interlock program as a faster path to restoring driving privileges. However, the new 2025 updates significantly increase the required time in the program and introduce mandatory treatment for reinstatement.

What’s Changing in 2025?

Major Overhaul: Expanded Timeframes, Lifetime Restrictions, and Mandatory Treatment

Effective August 1, 2025, the ignition interlock program will:

• Mandate substance use treatment for reinstatement of full privileges.
• Increase interlock periods for offenders, with a 20 year look back period.
• Impose up to lifetime requirements for those involved in fatal or severe injury crashes.
• Enforce stricter penalties for tampering, violations, and non-compliance.

These changes apply to both administrative license revocations and criminal convictions for DWI and criminal vehicular operation.

Longer Interlock Requirements: New Timeframes Explained

Previously, many ignition interlock participants could regain full driving privileges within 1–2 years. The new statute §171.178, subd. 8 imposes sharply extended timeframes based on the severity of the offense and the participant’s history:

Offense Type	Prior DWIs	Injury Severity	Interlock Period
Standard DWI	1 (in 20 years)	—	2 years
Criminal Vehicular Operation	0	Bodily harm	2 years
Criminal Vehicular Operation	1 lifetime	Bodily harm	5 years
Standard DWI	2 lifetime	—	6 years
Criminal Vehicular Operation	0	Great bodily harm	6 years
Criminal Vehicular Operation	0	Death	6 years
Criminal Vehicular Operation	2 lifetime	Bodily harm	8 years
Criminal Vehicular Operation	1 lifetime	Great bodily harm	8 years
Standard DWI	3+ lifetime	—	10 years
Criminal Vehicular Operation	3+ lifetime	Bodily harm	10 years
Criminal Vehicular Operation	2+ lifetime	Great bodily harm	10 years
Criminal Vehicular Operation	1 lifetime	Death	15 years
Criminal Vehicular Operation	2+ lifetime	Death	Life

This means if you’re convicted of DWI with priors and someone is injured or killed, you could be locked into the program for a decade or more—or indefinitely.

New Mandatory Treatment Requirement

One of the most significant changes: No full license reinstatement without treatment if you have been charged with certain offenses.

To regain full driving privileges, all participants subject to the new law must:

1. Complete a licensed substance use disorder treatment or rehabilitation program, and
2. Successfully participate in the ignition interlock program for the required duration without violations.

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS) now has full authority to deny license reinstatement if you cannot provide proof of treatment.

This applies whether your revocation was due to:

• A chemical test failure (BAC 0.08+)
• Test refusal
• A DWI conviction
• A criminal vehicular operation conviction

Lifetime Interlock: A Reality for Some Offenders

If you’re involved in a DWI-related fatality and have two or more prior DWIs, Minnesota law now requires a lifetime of ignition interlock.

This means:

• You’ll never be eligible for an unrestricted driver’s license again.
• You must maintain the device permanently—at your expense.
• Any violation (e.g., drinking, driving another vehicle, tampering) could lead to termination from the program and permanent revocation.

Gross Misdemeanor for Driving Without Interlock

Now under Minn. Stat. §171.09, subdivision 1(g), it’s a gross misdemeanor to operate any vehicle without an ignition interlock if your license is restricted.

This includes:

• Borrowing someone’s car.
• Driving a rental vehicle.
• Operating your employer’s vehicle without written authorization.

Convictions carry serious penalties including jail, fines, and further license sanctions.

Penalties for Violations: Extensions and Termination

The revised law outlines escalating consequences for violations of ignition interlock terms under §171.306, subd. 5:

Penalty Extensions for Violations:

Violation Count	Interlock Extension
1st Violation	180 days
2nd Violation	1 year
3rd+ Violation	545 days

Violations include:

• Tampering with or bypassing the device.
• Driving without the device.
• Registering a BAC of 0.02+.
• Failing rolling retests (i.e. retests that occur at random intervals after the initial test to start the vehicle).
• Skipping service appointments.

For repeated or serious misconduct, the DPS can terminate participation entirely. Terminated participants lose all creditfor time previously served.

New Consequences for Positive BAC Tests

If a participant who has already completed treatment registers a BAC of 0.02 or higher, the interlock period resets.

You must again show abstinence over a new, full interlock period. However, the law does allow half-credit for the time you previously completed if this is your first violation.

Repeat alcohol use, even unrelated to driving, can also trigger a reset. If you’re cited for public intoxication or alcohol-related disorderly conduct, DPS can extend your interlock period again.

Expanded Eligibility: Criminal Vehicular Operation and Homicide

The new ignition interlock law broadens the eligibility pool. Under §171.306, subd. 1(d), individuals convicted of the following offenses may now participate:

• Criminal vehicular operation causing bodily harm.
• Criminal vehicular operation causing great bodily harm.
• Criminal vehicular homicide.

This is a substantial shift. Previously, many of these individuals were ineligible for limited licenses. Now, participation is encouraged but the timeline for full reinstatement is long.

Revocations Are Now Based on a 20-Year Look back

Minnesota law now counts qualified prior impaired driving incidents over the past 20 years instead of 10 years.

This significantly increases the number of people subject to:

• Lengthy interlock requirements.
• Lifetime interlock participation.
• Mandatory treatment.

Therefore, a prior DWI or license revocation due to an alleged DWI from 2006 can now impact your 2025 revocation period and interlock eligibility.

Judicial Review for Extended Revocations

If DPS extends your revocation based on a violation of interlock program guidelines, you now have the right to a court hearing under Minn. Stat. §171.19.

• You must file within 180 days of the extension notice, or before the withdrawal period expires, whichever occurs first.
• The judge can uphold, reverse, or modify the extension.

This gives participants a small window to challenge revocation extensions tied to interlock violations.

Employer-Owned Vehicles: Limited Exception

You may operate a vehicle without an interlock only if:

• The vehicle is employer-owned;
• You’re driving it within the scope of employment; and
• Your employer provides written consent.

Personal errands, off-the-clock driving, or using someone else’s vehicle for work purposes are not exempt. Violating this restriction can lead to both criminal charges and extended interlock time.

What This Means for First-Time vs. Repeat Offenders

First-Time Offenders (No Prior DWI’s in 20 Years):

• May avoid long interlock periods if no aggravating factors exist.
• Still face revocation for test refusal or high BAC.
• Not typically subject to mandatory treatment unless recommended.

Second-Time or Repeat Offenders Prior within 20 years:

• Required to enroll in the interlock program to regain any driving privileges.
• Must complete a full treatment program before reinstatement.
• Cannot escape interlock participation by “waiting it out” reinstatement is tied to compliance.

Costs and Financial Implications

The ignition interlock program is not free. Participants typically pay:

• $90–$150 installation fee
• $70–$125 per month for monitoring
• Additional charges for:
  • Missed service appointments
  • Positive BAC lockouts (i.e. device “locks” vehicle from starting if the driver blows a BAC of 0.02 or higher to start the vehicle)
  • Recalibrations

Participants must also maintain high-risk insurance (SR-22 or non-cancelable coverage) and may face higher premiums for years.

Providers must offer discounted rates to indigent participants under Minn. Stat. §171.306, subd. 2.

Key Takeaways for Drivers Facing DWI Charges

• Plan for the long haul. Interlock periods have doubled, or more, in most cases.
• Get treatment early. Even if not court-ordered, you will need it for reinstatement.
• Strict abstinence is crucial. A single drink can reset your timeline or lead to termination.
• Understand the risks. Driving without an ignition interlock device can cost you everything.
• Legal help is more important than ever. These laws are complex and unforgiving.

How an Attorney Can Help You Navigate the New Interlock Laws

A skilled Minnesota DWI defense attorney can:

• Challenge the license revocation through implied consent hearings.
• Advise on eligibility for treatment court or alternative programs.
• Help prevent or reduce extended interlock periods.
• Assist in applying for judicial review if you’re penalized unfairly.
• Negotiate with the Department of Public Safety on your behalf.

Don’t try to face Minnesota’s new DWI laws alone. The consequences have never been higher.

Ready to Defend Your License? Let Us Fight for You

Minnesota’s ignition interlock laws are no longer just a technical process—they are a high-stakes legal maze with serious consequences. Whether you’re facing a license revocation, considering treatment options, or worried about a violation resetting your progress, you need more than advice—you need an advocate.

At Kohlmeyer Hagen Law Office, we’ve helped hundreds of Minnesotans protect their rights and regain their driving privileges. Our DWI defense attorneys know the law, know the Department of Public Safety’s procedures, and know how to fight for the best outcome. From Mankato to Rochester and beyond, we’re the go-to firm for smart, aggressive, and effective DWI defense.

Don’t let one mistake define your future. Call us today for a free consultation, 507-625-5000. Let’s get you back on the road—legally, safely, and as quickly as possible.

FAQ: Minnesota’s 2025 Ignition Interlock Law

Q: What’s new about the ignition interlock program in Minnesota for 2025?

As of August 1, 2025, all ignition interlock participants must complete licensed substance use treatment to qualify for full license reinstatement. Revocation and interlock periods are longer, and some offenders may face lifetime participation.

Q: Who needs to use an ignition interlock device under the new law?

Anyone with a DWI conviction and one or more prior offenses in the past 20 years, or those involved in a crash causing injury or death, will likely need to use the device. Participation is also mandatory for test refusals and high-BAC results.

Q: What are the penalties for driving without an interlock device?

It’s now a gross misdemeanor to drive without the device if your license is restricted. This can lead to jail time, fines, and license extension or cancellation.

Q: How long will I have to use the ignition interlock device?

Depending on your history and offense, the required time ranges from 2 years to lifetime. For example, someone with two DWIs and a serious crash might need the device for 8–10 years or longer.

Q: What happens if I blow a 0.02 or higher on the device?

A BAC reading of 0.02 or above—even if you’re not driving drunk—resets your interlock timeline, and you’ll need to prove abstinence for the full term again (with half-credit for your previous participation if it’s a first-time violation).

Q: Can I challenge an interlock violation or license extension?

Yes. As of 2025, you have the right to petition the court for judicial review of an ignition interlock-related extension. This allows you to dispute violations, challenge DPS findings, and potentially shorten or eliminate added time.

Q: Do I have to do treatment even if I finished interlock time?

Yes. Under the 2025 rules, completion of a licensed substance use disorder treatment program is required for full reinstatement—even if you’ve successfully completed the interlock period.

Q: What should I do if I’m charged or my license is revoked?

Contact an experienced DWI attorney immediately. With strict deadlines and high stakes, professional legal help is essential to navigate the new system, protect your rights, and restore your ability to drive.