HB425 Alabama 2018 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Arnold MooneyRepresentative

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2018

Title

Driving under the influence, ignition interlock devices, further provided, blood alcohol content (BAC) for enhancement lowered, distrib of court fees, use for bond and pretrial diversion, indigent further provided for and funded, Sec. 32-5A-191, 32-5A-191.4 am'd.

Summary

HB 425 would require ignition interlock devices for DUI offenders (including pretrial diversion and bond cases), expand indigent interlock services and funding, and adjust court fees and penalties, with a five-year sunset.

What This Bill Does

It mandates ignition interlock installation for DUI defendants, including those in pretrial diversion or released on bond, with defined timeframes and a five-year sunset. It allows judges to require interlock use as a bond condition and provides for a restricted license and probation extension to cover interlock requirements. It creates an indigent interlock program with an Indigent Interlock Fund, requiring providers to serve indigent defendants and funding this through provider contributions and court fees. It also changes fee distributions to municipal and state funds and increases penalties for repeat offenses and high blood alcohol levels, while lowering the under-21 BAC threshold and tying license actions to interlock use.

Who It Affects

• DUI defendants (including those in pretrial diversion programs or released on bond) who would be required to install and operate ignition interlock devices for specified periods
• Indigent defendants and ignition interlock providers, with a new funding structure (Indigent Interlock Fund) and state/local fee distributions, plus local governments and municipal courts affected by the fee changes

Key Provisions

• Requires ignition interlock installation for DUI offenders (including pretrial diversion participants and those released on bond) with defined durations and a five-year sunset
• Prohibits certain enhancement provisions from applying to ignition interlock requirements
• Allows a judge to require an ignition interlock as a bond condition and to issue a restricted license; extends probation to include all interlock requirements
• Creates indigent ignition interlock provisions: providers must serve indigent defendants, establishes the Alabama Ignition Interlock Indigent Fund, and outlines funding, audits, and penalties for noncompliance
• Increases or allocates funds from court fees to multiple funds (Highway Safety Fund, District Attorney's Solicitor Fund, municipalities, and other state funds) and adds mandatory fees related to ignition interlock
• Lower BAC threshold for under-21 drivers to 0.02% and imposes suspensions and penalties (including a 30-day first-offense suspension for 0.02-0.08% with limited disclosure)
• Doubling penalties and extending interlock requirements for certain offenses (e.g., BAC 0.15%+ and higher repeat-offense penalties)
• Requires proof of interlock installation for license reinstatement and allows punishment extensions for violations of interlock requirements; establishes restricted licenses upon installation
• Section 1 and 32-5A-191.4 set rules for interlock providers, enforcement, and consumer protections; includes tampering penalties and driver’s license implications
• Section 3 clarifies Amendment 621 exemptions for local-fund expenditure and Section 4 sets the act’s effective date as the first day of the third month after passage

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Crimes and Offenses