Possible questions to ask when looking for an IID company following a DUI arrest

If you have been arrested for a DUI then chances are at some point you may face an ignition interlock device requirement. Either through the Court as a condition of release, through the Department of Licensing following a license suspension, or due to the mandatory requirement following a DUI conviction. With all the different ignition interlock companies throughout the Greater Seattle area, how do you find the best place to get one of these things installed. Seattle DUI Lawyer Matthew Leyba discusses possible questions to ask when doing your research.

The first question to ask is where is the location of the installation. Typically if you’re facing an ignition interlock requirement the Court will give you a sheet with several 1-800 numbers on it for big national companies. Unfortunately they don’t have a local address on it. My advice with the location of installation is choose a place that is close to either your place of residence or work.

The second question I would ask is about the cost. For example how much is the installation fee? Are there any hidden fees? Sometimes ignition interlock companies charge additional fees to recalibrate the IID after it detects alcohol, sometimes there is a download fee when software becomes out of date. Probably the best thing to do is just get an idea of how much this thing will cost per month?

The last question I would ask is how they bill and whether they can offer any discounts for payment in full. For example lets say you know you will have the ignition interlock device for 1 year. If you pay the full year in advance can they reduce a couple monthly payments, or waive the installation and removal fees. Everything can be negotiated and I have had several clients tell me they were able to get pretty good deals doing this tactic.

Remember if you have been arrested for a DUI in Seattle, or anywhere in Washington State. Then an ignition interlock device requirement can happen unless the DUI criminal charge gets reduced to a lesser offense, and the DOL hearing is dismissed.

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About the author: Matthew Leyba is a DUI lawyer in Seattle. He has been recognized as a Rising Star in the area of DUI Defense by the Seattle Met Magazine, an honor only 2.5% of all Lawyers receive. Additionally he is rated a perfect 10 out of 10 by Avvo.com and listed as a Superb Seattle DUI Lawyer