Interlock providers, side by side
Every national provider fits a device that does the same job. What differs is where they have centers, what the full term costs, and how they handle a failed test.
| Provider | Centers | States | Published pricing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intoxalock | 5,927 | 48 | Quote by state | Details |
| Smart Start | 2,604 | 49 | Quote by state | Details |
| LifeSafer | 2,203 | 49 | Quote by state | Details |
| Low Cost Interlock | 1,250 | 31 | Quote by state | Details |
| RoadGuard Interlock | 799 | 35 | Quote by state | Details |
| ADS Interlock | 502 | 28 | Quote by state | Details |
| Guardian Interlock | 207 | 10 | Quote by state | Details |
Head to head
These are the three comparisons people actually search for. All the numbers come from our own index of installation points, not from either company’s marketing.
Intoxalock vs LifeSafer
| Intoxalock | LifeSafer | |
|---|---|---|
| Service centers we index | 5,928 | 2,230 |
| States present in | 48 | 49 |
| Towns and cities covered | 3,836 | 1,741 |
| Cities where it is the only option | 1,938 | 450 |
| Addresses shared with a competitor | 22% | 40% |
| Entries in the public record | 4 | 2 |
On raw reach it is 5,928 points against 2,230, but the number that decides your term is towns covered: 3,836 against 1,741. You will make that drive every 30 to 60 days until the device comes out.
LifeSafer shares 40% of its addresses with a competitor against 22% for Intoxalock, which matters at the end rather than the start: where two brands sit at the same shop, switching does not mean a new drive. Intoxalock is the only option in 1,938 towns, LifeSafer in 450 — in those places the comparison is over before it starts.
Smart Start vs Intoxalock
| Smart Start | Intoxalock | |
|---|---|---|
| Service centers we index | 2,604 | 5,928 |
| States present in | 49 | 48 |
| Towns and cities covered | 1,628 | 3,836 |
| Cities where it is the only option | 278 | 1,938 |
| Addresses shared with a competitor | 41% | 22% |
| Entries in the public record | 2 | 4 |
On raw reach it is 2,604 points against 5,928, but the number that decides your term is towns covered: 1,628 against 3,836. You will make that drive every 30 to 60 days until the device comes out.
Smart Start shares 41% of its addresses with a competitor against 22% for Intoxalock, which matters at the end rather than the start: where two brands sit at the same shop, switching does not mean a new drive. Intoxalock is the only option in 1,938 towns, Smart Start in 278 — in those places the comparison is over before it starts.
Smart Start vs LifeSafer
| Smart Start | LifeSafer | |
|---|---|---|
| Service centers we index | 2,604 | 2,230 |
| States present in | 49 | 49 |
| Towns and cities covered | 1,628 | 1,741 |
| Cities where it is the only option | 278 | 450 |
| Addresses shared with a competitor | 41% | 40% |
| Entries in the public record | 2 | 2 |
On raw reach it is 2,604 points against 2,230, but the number that decides your term is towns covered: 1,628 against 1,741. You will make that drive every 30 to 60 days until the device comes out.
Smart Start shares 41% of its addresses with a competitor against 40% for LifeSafer, which matters at the end rather than the start: where two brands sit at the same shop, switching does not mean a new drive. LifeSafer is the only option in 450 towns, Smart Start in 278 — in those places the comparison is over before it starts.
Intoxalock and LifeSafer are the same company
Worth knowing before you treat them as two independent quotes: both trade under Consumer Safety Technology. They run separate networks and separate price lists, so comparing them is still worth doing — but a complaint that goes nowhere with one is unlikely to go somewhere with the other.
A violation is not the same as a failed test
The words get used interchangeably and they are not. A failed test is the device refusing to start the car because it read alcohol — annoying, and on its own usually nothing more. A violation is an event the provider is required to report to your monitoring authority, and that is what extends your term or restarts the clock.
What counts as reportable is set by your state, not by the provider, so the answer is the same whichever brand you pick. Missing a calibration appointment, tampering, or a rolling retest you did not take are reportable almost everywhere; a single failed start often is not, unless the reading is high or it repeats.
Questions people ask when comparing
What is the difference between a violation and a failed test on Smart Start?
A failed test is a reading above the threshold: the car does not start, and the device logs it. A violation is what the monitoring agency decides that reading was, after it sees the whole download. Many programs ignore a single fail followed by a clean retest within five or ten minutes, and treat a pattern as the violation. The device does not make that call and neither does the provider — the agency does, from the report. Which is why the same event can be nothing in one state and added time in another.
Can I switch interlock providers mid-term?
Usually yes, and usually at your own cost. You pay a second installation, and in most states the clock does not restart — but the paperwork has to reach the agency, and any gap between removal and reinstallation is itself an event. Where your order or licence names a manufacturer, switching brands is not an option at all. The one case where switching is cheap is where both brands sit at the same shop, which is more common than people expect.
Do all interlock devices work the same way?
The blowing pattern, the warm-up and the rolling retest are set by the same federal specification, so in daily use they are close to identical. Three things differ and none is the handset: whether a camera is fitted, whether data reaches the agency over the air or only at the calibration visit, and how far you drive for that visit.
What to compare before you sign
- Distance to the nearest center. You will drive there every month or two.
- Full-term cost. Installation + monthly x months + removal, not the headline price.
- Lockout and violation policy. What counts as a violation, and what it costs you.
- Contract length. Whether you are tied in past the end of your court-ordered term.