A cybersecurity event has disrupted calibration systems at Des Moines, Iowa-based Intoxalock since March 14, leaving some court-ordered ignition-interlock customers unable to complete required service visits and risking compliance penalties, the company said. Intoxalock said it is investigating and posting rolling updates on its public status page.
Ignition interlock devices are typically mandated by courts after DWI convictions and require drivers to provide a clean breath test before a vehicle will start. The devices also must be serviced and calibrated on a set schedule, and missed appointments can trigger program consequences in some states.
Intoxalock said the interlock devices themselves remain operational, but calibrations and related service-center transactions have been disrupted. To reduce missed-service lockouts, the company said service centers can apply a 10-day extension for many customers while systems are being restored.
Intoxalock’s status page says the 10-day extension “does not include or apply to” Arkansas, Massachusetts, Michigan and Washington. The company also warned that the extension process does not support newer “2001A” devices (black) currently used by some customers in Pennsylvania. Intoxalock has not said why those jurisdictions and device models are excluded, but ignition-interlock requirements and reporting rules vary by state and can limit what temporary relief a vendor can apply during a system outage.
Intoxalock has not published a state-by-state list of affected jurisdictions, but its status page describes systemwide downtime affecting calibration services. An Oklahoma ignition-interlock oversight board advisory described a “nationwide outage,” and media coverage in Maine also characterized the disruption as nationwide.
Customers posting on Facebook described being unable to get calibrations completed at service centers and feared impending lockouts as countdown timers ran out. One customer wrote that their car would be “turned off” by a lockout device until at least March 20 and alleged the company could later charge lockout-related fees. Intoxalock’s public updates have not addressed those specific claims.
The outage also raises a potential compliance problem in states where ignition-interlock rules are written as strict deadlines and required service events, with little obvious allowance for vendor technical failures. If a driver cannot complete a required calibration, data download, inspection, or lockout reset because the vendor’s systems or service-center tools are down, the missed appointment can still appear as noncompliance unless a court, supervising agency, or state program issues guidance, grants relief, or accepts documentation showing the outage prevented timely service.
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The company has not described the precise nature of the incident or named an actor, and there have been no public claims of responsibility. Intoxalock did not respond to an email from DysruptionHub seeking comment.
For customers who miss calibrations during the disruption, Intoxalock said it will cover costs that are a direct result of the temporary system pause and advised customers to document towing expenses for potential reimbursement once systems are restored. The company also directed customers to use its dedicated text line for service inquiries and support.
Intoxalock also said future installations were paused through March 20 “at this time.”
Some state oversight programs have begun issuing compliance guidance. In Oklahoma, the Board of Tests for Alcohol and Drug Influence posted an advisory directing affected participants to contact the vendor and document device messages and communications, while noting the state would assess compliance based on applicable law and circumstances. The disruption was first reported by CEoutlook.
Cyber incidents can have wide-reaching impacts when they hit seemingly small companies that sit at key choke points for everyday transactions and compliance. Last month, Florida payment gateway BridgePay said ransomware caused a nationwide outage that left merchants and some city and utility payment portals unable to process card transactions. Earlier this month, a cyberattack on Utah-based Peak Software Systems disrupted its Sportsman recreation-registration platform, forcing some cities to pause online signups, facility rentals and, in some cases, payments. And in late 2025, Crisis24 constrained access to its CodeRED emergency alert platform during a security review, prompting agencies in multiple states to rely on backup notification methods.
Intoxalock, also known as Consumer Safety Technology LLC, says it provides ignition interlock services through a nationwide service-center network.
Intoxalock said it will continue posting updates as it reviews the incident; customers with near-term calibration deadlines may need to seek extensions at service centers where available, keep records of contacts and costs, and monitor any state program instructions.
