Ignition Interlock · Violations
An Interlock Violation Can Cost You Months. Many Are False.
A failed test, a missed rolling retest, or a lockout gets logged automatically and reported to Arizona MVD — and a confirmed violation can reset your clock. But a large share of “violations” are false positives you can dispute. What you do in the first hour matters.
Got a notice of violation? You generally have 15 days to request a hearing — and the interlock stays on the whole time.
Why the Device Punishes the Innocent
The device does not know why you registered alcohol. It records the reading and uploads it every night to Arizona’s ADOT servers, so a flagged event reaches MVD automatically — there is no “wait and see.” Coffee, mouthwash, a breath mint, illness, acid reflux, certain foods, or a mechanic disconnecting the unit can all trigger a positive that has nothing to do with drinking — and if no one explains it, it can be treated as a real violation.
What Counts as a Violation in Arizona
Failed startup test
A reading at or above the device's set point when you try to start the car. The vehicle will not start, and the event is logged automatically.
Missed or refused rolling retest
The device prompts you to re-test while you are driving. Missing the prompt, refusing it, or a failed rolling retest is logged and can trigger a lockout. This is a major violation.
Lockout
Too many failed tests, or missing a required calibration appointment, locks the device and the vehicle until it is serviced by the provider.
Tampering or circumvention
Disconnecting, bypassing, or having someone else blow for you is a serious major violation — and an unexpected one if a mechanic disconnects the unit during a repair.
Not all violations are equal — the “major” ones carry a six-month penalty
In Arizona, a major violation is a missed rolling retest, a circumvention, or a blow above 0.08. Every two major violations adds another six months to your interlock — on top of a $90 to $175 fee for each one. Two missed retests in your own driveway can cost you half a year. That is exactly why catching and clearing the false ones matters so much.
The Traps That Catch Good People
Most extensions do not come from drinking — they come from these. Knowing them is how you avoid them.
The 2-minute rolling-retest window
After you shut off the car, the device stays live for about two minutes — by design, so a stall (say, on a train track) lets you restart without a full test. The trap: turn the car off, walk into your house, and the unit may demand a rolling retest while you are inside. That is a missed retest. Stay near the vehicle until the window closes.
Anyone who drives must blow
If you let someone else drive your car, they have to provide the breath samples — and if they blow positive or miss a retest, the violation is yours. Be very careful who you hand the keys to.
The shop, car wash, and valet
A mechanic, detailer, or valet who tries to start your car — with alcohol on their breath, by jump-starting, or by working around the unit — can trigger a circumvention violation. These are major: more time and more money. Always warn them, and get a dated receipt for any service.
Arizona heat and cold
Extreme temperatures affect the handset's readings. Keep the handset with you — not baking in a parked car — when you are not driving.
The False Positives That Aren’t Your Fault
This is the part most providers will not go out of their way to fix — but it is where cases are won. Common, legitimate causes of a positive reading that are not drinking:
Mouth alcohol — Mouthwash, breath spray, cough drops, hand sanitizer fumes, or certain breath mints.
Food and drink — Bread and other fermenting foods, energy drinks, kombucha, or even a sip of regular coffee right before a test.
Illness and medical — Acid reflux or GERD, diabetes (ketones), or simply being ill can throw a false reading.
The shop — A mechanic or detailer disconnecting, jump-starting, or working on the unit shows up as tampering or a power loss.
Timing — Testing too soon after eating or using a product, instead of waiting and rinsing with water.
The fix is fast re-testing plus documentation. If you blow clean a few minutes later (after rinsing with water), that pattern is strong evidence the first reading was mouth alcohol — if someone captures and explains it before the report is finalized.
What to Do the Moment It Happens
Do not panic and do not keep blowing randomly. Wait, rinse your mouth with water, and re-test calmly.
Write down exactly what happened — the time, what you ate, drank, or used, whether you were ill, or whether a shop touched the car.
Re-test clean and note it. A clean reading minutes later is your best evidence.
If a mechanic disconnected it, get a dated repair receipt showing the work and the date and time.
Report it to AES immediately so it can be logged and raised with the provider before it hardens into a confirmed violation.
Do not ignore it. Silence is the worst move — an unexplained event is the one most likely to be counted against you and extend your term.
You May Have Only 15 Days to Fight It
If MVD sends you a notice of action on an interlock violation, the deadline to request a hearing is generally 15 days from the date on the notice (add three days if you mail it). Miss that window and the violation typically stands — and you keep the interlock installed the entire time, even while you wait for the hearing. The moment a notice arrives, act.
Here is what the device companies will not tell you: most of them profit when you get violations. They lease you the device by the month, so a longer term means more revenue — they have little incentive to help you clear a false flag. That is the entire reason to have an independent advocate who does not make money off your device.
Call AES — Not the Installer
AES monitors your interlock data logs and works with the certified provider to catch and reverse false violations — the mouth-alcohol blow that drops to 0.00 minutes later, the calibration error, the shop visit. A reading of 0.09 that falls to 0.00 in minutes is physically impossible for real alcohol (your body burns only about 0.02 per hour), so it is mouth alcohol — not a true violation. The device companies will not do this, because your violations are their revenue.
Violation FAQs
Can a false positive on an interlock be removed in Arizona?
Often, yes. Mouth alcohol from food, mouthwash, breath spray, illness, or fermentation can trigger a positive that is not from drinking. If you re-test clean within minutes and document what happened immediately, the event can frequently be explained and disputed with the certified provider before it counts against your term.
What happens if I miss a rolling retest in Arizona?
A missed or refused rolling retest is logged as a major violation and can extend your interlock period and trigger a lockout. If you missed it because you safely pulled over or did not hear the prompt, document the circumstances right away — it may be explainable.
Does an interlock violation extend my time in Arizona?
A confirmed violation can reset or extend the required interlock period, commonly by adding months, and can cost you early-removal eligibility. In Arizona, every two major violations adds another six months to your term, on top of a $90 to $175 fee for each one. That is why disputing false violations quickly matters so much.
How long do I have to dispute an interlock violation?
If MVD sends a notice of action on an interlock violation, the deadline to request a hearing is generally 15 days from the date on the notice (add three days if you mail the request). Miss that window and the violation typically stands — and the interlock stays installed the entire time, even while you wait for the hearing. Act the moment a notice arrives.
A mechanic disconnected my interlock — is that a violation?
It can be logged as tampering or a power interruption. Get a dated repair receipt showing the work, report it immediately, and have the event presented to the provider so it is not treated as circumvention.
Keep Reading: Ignition Interlock Guide
Worried the violation could mean a new charge? Understand your full DUI timeline on the first 24 hours page. DUIINFO is an educational resource — not a law firm.