Drivers who are arrested for a DWI in which there was a high BAC (breath alcohol concentration) of twice the legal limit (.16 or higher) or have multiple DWIs on their record are subject to plate impoundment and W or Whiskey Series license plates. Not only is the driver required to have W Series plates, but also any vehicle that the DWI offender owns or is on title with. This requirement could mean that spouses, children, other family members, and business entities might have to have W Series plates as well.
Fortunately, recent law changes have provided a way out of the W Plates by entering the Ignition Interlock Program.
To avoid the W Plate obligation, the driver must first be approved for and enter the Ignition Interlock Program. “Entry” to the Program means that the driver has taken all the steps to qualify for it, installed a Smart Start MN Ignition Interlock Device, and had their driver’s license reinstated by Driver and Vehicle Services.
A driver can only get Regular License Plates once they are fully reinstated under the terms of the Ignition Interlock Program. That means that many people will only be able to gain entry to the Ignition Interlock Program after their temporary license plate expires.
In that case, it would be necessary to obtain the W Series Plates temporarily until all of the requirements of the Ignition Interlock Program have been met. To get the W Series plates, a driver will have to go to a local License Plate Services location, which can be found at DVS License Plate Services –>Search For Office Locations –> and search “Service” for “License Plate Services.” You will pay a $50.00 fee for the W Series plates there.
Important Reminder: Only a valid driver can obtain the W Series plates. If the driver is still in their 7-day Temporary License period, they can personally get the W Series Plates. If they are beyond that 7-day Temporary License period, they must bring a valid driver.
Once approved as a participant in the Ignition Interlock Program, they can return to the same License Plate Service Center and pay another $50.00 to get new regular series license plates.
While it is certainly possible to go from impounded plates to new standard license plates without the intermediate step of getting the W Series plates, it isn’t easy. To do so, it would involve someone immediately beginning the approval process for the Interlock Program almost as soon as they are arrested. While all drivers get a seven-day Temporary license, revoked drivers have far fewer requirements than canceled drivers and have a better chance of being approved into the Interlock Program without needing to obtain W Series Plates. It is an infrequent circumstance where a canceled driver could be approved before they needed to get W Series plates, as canceled drivers must, in addition to the other requirements of the Interlock Program, have a Chemical Dependency Evaluation that will determine what level of education and treatment that a DWI offender must have, the CD evaluation must be provided to the State, and then recorded by them before the driver could be eligible to enter the Ignition Interlock Program.
The plate impoundment unit may be contacted at (651) 297-5034.
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