SB276 Summary

• Requires installation and operation of ignition interlock devices on vehicles for DUI convictions, with duration increasing based on offense severity: 1 year for first conviction (2 years if BAC 0.15 or higher), 2 years for second conviction, 3 years for third conviction, and 5 years for fourth or subsequent conviction.

• Establishes the Department of Forensic Sciences as the certifying authority for ignition interlock devices and charges a $2,000 application fee to providers seeking approval; prohibits remote calibration without technician proximity.

• Authorizes the Department of Public Safety to issue restricted driver's licenses allowing operation only with an approved interlock device and to charge fees up to $150 for issuance and $75 for reinstatement of regular licenses.

• Creates the Alabama Interlock Indigent Fund to assist indigent defendants, funded by 1.5% of payments from all interlock providers, with fund surpluses above $100,000 annually distributed to the Department of Public Safety (30%), Department of Forensic Sciences (20%), District Attorneys (30%), and Office of Prosecution Services (20%).

• Imposes penalties for violations including operating a non-equipped vehicle, tampering with devices, or requesting others to bypass the device, ranging from Class A misdemeanor to six-month jail terms with extended interlock requirements.