What an ignition interlock costs in Tennessee
Verified · next review
Tennessee publishes its own figures rather than leaving it all to vendors: up to $225 to fit the device and up to $125 a month while it stays on the car, and the monthly figure is a ceiling an approved provider may not exceed. Removal is billed separately at the end of the term.
Three charges make up the bill, not one: fitting the device, keeping it on the car, and taking it out at the end. Over a full term the monthly fee is the bulk of it, which is why a cheap installation on a long requirement costs more than a dearer one on a short.
What Tennessee lets a provider charge
| Charge | Maximum allowed | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Installation | $225 | billed hourly — up to $75 per hour, three hours maximum |
| Monthly | $125 | covers lease, monitoring and maintenance |
| Removal | $75 | Taking the device out at the end of your term |
State-capped maximum — a provider may not charge more · Rules of Ignition Interlock Device Program, Chapter 1340-03-06 — TN Department of Safety · effective 2020-05 · checked 2026-08-23
The fees nobody quotes you over the phone
These are charged on top of the three above, and they are where a cheap-looking Tennessee quote turns expensive.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Permanent lockout reset (after five or more violations) | up to $50 |
| Temporary lockout code | up to $25 |
| Annual administrative fee | $12.50 |
- Providers must post their fee rates visibly in the service center office.
What decides the total in Tennessee
The monthly fee matters less than how long you pay it, and that is set by the requirement rather than the provider. In Tennessee a first offense carries set by the court order for a restricted license (form ORDL signed by the judge), which the provider uses to calculate your time in the program The programme is run by The sentencing court, with the restricted license issued by TN Department of Safety, which is also who decides whether a recorded event extends it.
That is the part worth budgeting for: events add months, and months are what the bill is made of. What counts as a violation → · All Tennessee rules and centers →
Who operates in Tennessee, and why it changes the price
5 approved networks run in Tennessee: Intoxalock (119), LifeSafer (51), Smart Start (47), RoadGuard Interlock (22), ADS Interlock (14). Inside a state that publishes a figure the brand barely moves the bill, so choose on the drive to calibration rather than the quote.
Where it is fitted in Tennessee
183 certified points in our index. The busiest cities:
Cost questions in Tennessee
How much does an ignition interlock cost in Tennessee?
Tennessee publishes its own figures rather than leaving it all to vendors: up to $225 to fit the device and up to $125 a month while it stays on the car, and the monthly figure is a ceiling an approved provider may not exceed. Removal is billed separately at the end of the term.
Does Tennessee cap what a provider can charge?
Yes. Tennessee sets a ceiling by regulation, and an approved provider may not charge above it whatever the quote says. That makes the published figure more useful than any phone estimate — it is the maximum, not an average. The document behind it is linked below with the date we checked it.
What else does Tennessee charge on top of the device?
Beyond what the provider bills, the state has its own charges: Permanent lockout reset (after five or more violations) up to $50; Temporary lockout code up to $25; Annual administrative fee $12.50. These are the lines people are surprised by, because the vendor quote does not include them.
Where can I have an interlock fitted in Tennessee?
We index 183 certified installation points across 97 Tennessee cities. Book with a provider the state approves rather than the nearest pin on the map: time on an unapproved device does not count toward the term.