If your job requires you to drive a company vehicle, an ignition-interlock requirement can create an immediate question: does the company vehicle need an ignition-interlock device too?
In some cases, the answer is no. Minnesota has an employment exception that can allow an ignition-interlock participant to drive an employer-owned vehicle without the device while performing normal job duties. However, the exception has specific requirements and does not apply to everyone.
If your driving privileges were affected by a Minnesota DWI or DUI, it is important to understand where the employment exception begins and ends before driving a company vehicle.
When Can You Drive a Company Vehicle Without an IID?
An ignition-interlock device, or IID, is a breath-testing device installed in a vehicle. A driver provides a breath sample before the vehicle can start.
Normally, someone with an ignition-interlock restriction must follow the vehicle requirements of the program. Minnesota law, however, provides an exception for certain employer-owned vehicles.
The exception can allow you to drive an employer-owned vehicle without an IID when you are driving as part of your normal job duties and meet the program requirements. Your employer must also provide the required written consent.
For example, the exception may be relevant to an employee who needs to drive a company truck or other employer-owned vehicle during the workday. It does not give the employee unrestricted permission to use that vehicle whenever they want.
The Company Vehicle Exception Is for Work Only
The employment exception has an important boundary: it applies to driving within the normal course and scope of your job.
In practical terms, an approved company vehicle cannot simply become your replacement personal vehicle. Personal use does not fall under the exception.
Before relying on the employment exception, consider these questions:
- Is the vehicle owned by your employer?
- Are you driving it as part of your normal job duties?
- Has your employer provided the required consent?
- Are you following the other ignition-interlock restrictions that apply to your license?
Rental vehicles are also not covered by the employment exception simply because you are using one for work.
What If You Own the Business?
This is an important limitation for business owners and independent workers. Minnesota’s employment exception does not apply if you are self-employed or if you wholly or partially own the business that owns the vehicle.
For example, putting a work truck in the name of your own company does not necessarily make it an employer-owned vehicle for purposes of the exception. If you own part or all of that business, the employment exception is not available on that basis.
This distinction can be especially important for contractors, tradespeople, consultants, and other Lake Elmo residents who operate their own businesses and depend on a vehicle for work.
Does the Exception Remove Your Ignition Interlock Requirement?
No. The employment exception is limited to qualifying work-related driving in an employer-owned vehicle. It does not remove the ignition-interlock restriction from your driver’s license or end your participation in Minnesota’s Ignition Interlock Device Program.
Other driving remains subject to the restrictions that apply to your license. If you use a personal vehicle, for example, you must continue to follow the applicable ignition-interlock requirements.
The same is true of the other rules of the program. Approval to use a company vehicle for work does not eliminate your remaining IID responsibilities.
Your Employer Still Has a Say
Being eligible under Minnesota’s ignition-interlock rules does not mean your employer must allow you to continue driving a company vehicle.
Your employer may have its own vehicle policies, insurance requirements, or job requirements. Those are separate from whether Minnesota allows you to use the employment exception.
That means there are really two questions to answer: whether DVS permits you to drive the employer-owned vehicle without an IID and whether your employer permits you to drive it as part of your job.
Before Driving a Company Vehicle in Lake Elmo
If your license has an ignition-interlock restriction, do not assume that driving a company vehicle automatically qualifies for the employment exception. The vehicle, your relationship to the employer, and the reason you are driving it all matter.
An attorney can review your driver’s license status and explain whether the employment exception may apply. A lawyer can also help you understand the difference between the driving allowed for your job and the restrictions that still apply outside of work.
Coodin Law Office, LLC is a Lake Elmo law office serving people in Woodbury, Washington County, and surrounding Minnesota communities. If a DWI-related ignition-interlock requirement is affecting your ability to drive for work, contact our law office to discuss the requirements that apply to your situation.