Connecticut § 14-227k - Avoidance of, tampering with or failure to install ignition interlock device.

§ 14-227k. Avoidance of, tampering with or failure to install ignition interlock device.

Sec. 14-227k. Avoidance of, tampering with or failure to install ignition interlock device. (a) No person whose right to operate a motor vehicle has been restricted pursuant to an order of the court under subsection (b) of section 14-227j, by the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles or by any provision of law that requires the use of an ignition interlock device, shall (1) request or solicit another person to blow into an ignition interlock device or to start a motor vehicle equipped with an ignition interlock device for the purpose of providing such person with an operable motor vehicle, or (2) operate any motor vehicle not equipped with a functioning ignition interlock device or any motor vehicle that a court has ordered such person not to operate.

(b) No person shall tamper with, alter or bypass the operation of an ignition interlock device for the purpose of providing an operable motor vehicle to a person whose right to operate a motor vehicle has been restricted pursuant to an order of the court under subsection (b) of section 14-227j, by the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles or by any provision of law that requires the use of an ignition interlock device.

(c) Any person who completes the terms of a license suspension and is eligible for reinstatement of such person's motor vehicle operator's license or nonresident operating privilege, provided such person installs and uses a functioning, approved ignition interlock device, but who fails to install such ignition interlock device, is prohibited from operating any motor vehicle until such person installs an ignition interlock device and such person's motor vehicle operator's license or nonresident operating privilege is reinstated by the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles.

(d) (1) Any person who violates any provision of subdivision (1) of subsection (a) or subsection (b) of this section shall be guilty of a class C misdemeanor.

(2) Any person who violates any provision of subdivision (2) of subsection (a) of this section or subsection (c) of this section shall be subject to the penalties set forth in subsection (c) of section 14-215.

(e) Each court shall report each conviction under subsection (a), (b) or (c) of this section to the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles, in accordance with the provisions of section 14-141. The commissioner shall suspend the motor vehicle operator's license or nonresident operating privilege of the person reported as convicted for a period of one year.

(P.A. 03-265, S. 3; P.A. 04-199, S. 33; P.A. 11-48, S. 55; 11-51, S. 220; P.A. 12-178, S. 4; P.A. 17-79, S. 13; P.A. 19-119, S. 8.)

History: P.A. 04-199 amended Subsecs. (a) and (b) to make provisions applicable to a person whose right to operate a motor vehicle has been restricted by the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles pursuant to Sec. 14-227a(i) and amended Subsec. (b) to delete reference to an immobilization device; P.A. 11-48 amended Subsec. (c) to designate existing provision as Subdiv. (1) and amend same to make applicable to person who violates “subdivision (1) of subsection (a) or subsection (b) of this section”, rather than “subsection (a) or (b) of this section”, and to add Subdiv. (2) subjecting person who violates Subsec. (a)(2) to penalties of Sec. 14-215(c), effective January 1, 2012; P.A. 11-51 made identical changes as P.A. 11-48, effective January 1, 2012; P.A. 12-178 amended Subsecs. (a) and (b) to add reference to Sec. 14-111(i) re restriction on person's right to operate motor vehicle, effective July 1, 2012; P.A. 17-79 amended Subsecs. (a) and (b) by replacing references to Secs. 14-227a(i) and 14-111(i) with provisions re use of ignition interlock device, effective July 1, 2017; P.A. 19-119 added new Subsec. (c) re failure to install ignition interlock device, redesignated existing Subsecs. (c) and (d) as Subsecs. (d) and (e), and amended redesignated Subsecs. (d)(2) and (e) to add reference to new Subsec. (c).