What an ignition interlock costs in Virginia
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Virginia publishes its own figures rather than leaving it all to vendors: up to $65 to fit the device and up to $95 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 Virginia lets a provider charge
| Charge | Maximum allowed | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Installation | $65 | standard install; $130 for hybrid or push-button start, $75 to move the device to another vehicle |
| Monthly | $95 | plus applicable taxes; includes the fees the provider owes the commission |
| Removal | No charge | removal is capped at $0 — a Virginia provider may not charge you to take the device out |
State-capped maximum — a provider may not charge more · 24VAC35-60-50. Fees — Virginia Administrative Code · 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 Virginia quote turns expensive.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Monthly administrative fee paid by the provider to the commission | $20 (already inside the $95 cap) |
- The commission may raise the install and calibration caps by up to 25% if the state mandates new device capabilities.
What decides the total in Virginia
The monthly fee matters less than how long you pay it, and that is set by the requirement rather than the provider. In Virginia a first offense carries not less than 12 consecutive months without an alcohol-related violation of the interlock requirements, and no longer than the period of suspension and restriction The programme is run by A local Alcohol Safety Action Program (ASAP), overseen by the Commission on VASAP, 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 Virginia rules and centers →
Who operates in Virginia, and why it changes the price
3 approved networks run in Virginia: RoadGuard Interlock (31), Smart Start (27), LifeSafer (21). 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 Virginia
73 certified points in our index. The busiest cities:
Cost questions in Virginia
How much does an ignition interlock cost in Virginia?
Virginia publishes its own figures rather than leaving it all to vendors: up to $65 to fit the device and up to $95 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 Virginia cap what a provider can charge?
Yes. Virginia 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 Virginia charge on top of the device?
Beyond what the provider bills, the state has its own charges: Monthly administrative fee paid by the provider to the commission $20 (already inside the $95 cap). These are the lines people are surprised by, because the vendor quote does not include them.
Where can I have an interlock fitted in Virginia?
We index 73 certified installation points across 40 Virginia 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.