You’ve been charged with an OWI in Wisconsin and receive an unexpected piece of mail offering to help you regain your driving privileges with the installation of an Ignition Interlock Device. And suddenly you become worried you don’t have a license and need an IID immediately.  This might not be true.

First of all, this is a solicitation/promotion from Intoxalock or a similar company. They have obtained your arrest information through public access and are contacting you under the guise of helping you get your license by installing their product. What you need to know, and what is not clear from this letter, without a court order for an IID, you do not need one to get a license. Further, if you install the IID without a court order, you won’t receive any credit towards an order for installation. An IID requirement only occurs upon conviction, not upon charging.

If you refused a test and demanded the Refusal Hearing, your license is still valid.

If you took the requested test, and are awaiting test results, your license is still valid.

Once you receive test result, and you have requested an Administrative Suspension Hearing, and said hearing has been held finding you are subject to an administrative suspension, you still will not need an IID to obtain an occupational license.    

The bottom line is, if you do not have a court order due toa conviction for OWI or because a Refusal was found not to be reasonable and the Court ordered an IID to be installed, you don’t need an IID. A company who makes money off of installation of IID’s cannot advise you nor lead you to believe they can help with your licensing issues. Only the Court and the Wisconsin DMV can tell you when an IID is required.

Contact an attorney immediately if you are unsure of what you are required to do at any point in the court process for an OWI. At Piel Law Office, our experience matters and we can help save you time and money by educating you on consequences at each stage of the OWI process.  And we will let you know if you need an IID and when.

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