When Washington authorities levy a charge of driving under the influence against you and that charge leads to a conviction, you must install an ignition interlock device on your vehicle for a set period once you regain the legal right to drive. How long the device must remain there depends on the specifics of your charge and driving history. However, certain violations involving the device may result in you having it in your vehicle for an even longer duration.
According to the Washington State Patrol, you must have something called a Compliance Based Review toward the end of your restriction and ignition interlock period.
How the Compliance Based Review works
Before the ignition interlock device manufacturer may remove the device from your car, it must review your history using it to make sure you do not have violations. If certain incidents occurred while you had the device installed in your vehicle, the manufacturer may not remove it as scheduled.
What offenses extend the restriction period
You should expect to face an extended restriction period if your Compliance Based Review reveals that you attempted to start your car with a breath alcohol concentration that exceeded 0.04%. Failing to take random tests as requested by the device also constitutes a violation. So, too, does failing to pass random retests or failing to show up at the device vendor when the device needs calibration or monitoring. Having anyone other than an interlock technician remove the device, or attempting to remove the device yourself, is also a violation.
Any of the violations outlined above have the potential to extend your restricted driving period. You may need to keep the device on your car until you complete the Compliance Review Period without receiving any violations.
