An ignition interlock is a small breath-testing unit wired into your vehicle’s ignition. If you are a Saskatchewan driver about to start the SGI ignition interlock program, the hardest part is rarely the device itself. It is the stretch between the letter that says one is going in your car and the first appointment, where nobody has yet told you what the next few months look like.
The program runs on a steady rhythm once it starts. An installation appointment, a Service visit every 30 to 60 days, then a removal appointment at the end. SGI sets your dates and sends them to you in writing, and your service centre looks after the hardware.
Key points
- The device asks for a breath sample before the engine will start, then asks again at random points while you drive. Those in-drive checks are the rolling test and the rolling re-test.
- A rolling re-test that does not pass will not shut the engine off. The device records the event and sets off a warning, usually the horn or the lights, so you know to pull over somewhere safe.
- SGI notifies you in writing when the program applies to you. That notice sets your start date, how long the device stays in the vehicle, and any conditions attached.
- You return to your service centre every 30 to 60 days for Service. The technician confirms the unit is reading accurately and downloads the stored records for SGI.
- If an initial test does not pass, the engine will not turn over. Wait a few minutes, rinse your mouth with water, and give another sample.
- Costs vary with the vehicle and the length of your term, so the Saskatchewan program fees page carries the current amounts.
What an ignition interlock device does
An ignition interlock device is a breath-testing unit wired into your vehicle’s ignition. You blow into a handheld mouthpiece before the engine starts. If the reading sits below the preset limit, the vehicle starts as normal, and if it comes back above the limit, the engine will not turn over. That start check, together with the in-drive checks below, is most of how an ignition interlock device works day to day.
Rolling tests and rolling re-tests
The device keeps checking after you pull away. At random points in a drive it prompts a rolling test, and you give another breath sample while you are on the road.
A rolling re-test that does not pass will not cut your engine. The device records it and triggers a warning signal (usually the horn or the lights), which is your cue to find a safe place to stop and try again.
Image alt text: A driver’s hand holding an ignition interlock mouthpiece near the steering column of a vehicle
What the device records
Every breath sample, every start attempt and every Service visit goes into the unit’s memory with a date and a time attached. Nothing leaves the device while you drive, though; there is no live feed to SGI from your dashboard, and the record simply sits in the unit until a technician downloads it at your next Service visit and passes it on. That download is why Service happens every 30 to 60 days.
When the ignition interlock program applies to you
SGI notifies you when the program applies to you, and it does so in writing. Your notice is the document that matters. It names your start date, how long the device stays in the vehicle, and any conditions tied to your participation. If something you read anywhere else does not match your notice, follow your notice. SGI publishes the program requirements for Saskatchewan drivers alongside the forms you may be asked for.
There is also a voluntary route into the program for some drivers, if applicable. SGI will confirm whether that is open to you.
Moving to Saskatchewan while you already have an interlock in another province? Ask SGI how your term transfers before you drive here, because the dates and conditions on your file may change with the move.
Enrolling in the SGI ignition interlock program
After your SGI notice arrives
Read the whole notice, including the fine print, and keep it somewhere you will find it again; it gets asked for more than once. Then pick an approved service provider and book your installation.
Bring these to the appointment:
- Valid government-issued photo identification
- The vehicle registration or proof of ownership for the vehicle getting the device
- Your SGI program paperwork
- The vehicle itself, in working mechanical condition
Some of the paperwork has to go through an SGI office or motor licence issuer, if applicable, so check your notice for that step before you book anything.
Image alt text: A woman at a bright kitchen table reading a program letter from a paper folder, with a pen, a coffee mug and car keys beside her and snow visible through the window
Booking your installation appointment
Installation usually takes one to two hours. A technician wires the unit into the ignition, then walks you through using it: how to give a clean sample, what the prompts sound like, what the warning signal means.
Take the training part seriously. The first week is when most of the confusion happens, and every one of those questions is far easier to ask with the technician standing beside you than from a parking lot three days later, on the phone, in the cold.
The Saskatchewan install information page lists what to bring and what to expect on the day, and you can find your closest centre on the Saskatchewan locations page. Smart Start Canada operates in All Provinces, so a move later on does not mean starting over with a new provider.
Image alt text: Automotive service bay with a technician leaning into the driver’s side of a vehicle, tools neatly arranged on a nearby cart
Service every 30 to 60 days
What happens at a Service appointment
Service happens every 30 to 60 days. Three things get done at each visit. The technician confirms the unit is reading accurately, downloads the stored records and sends them to SGI, and gives the unit and its wiring a general check.
Miss the window and the device can go into lockout, which means the vehicle will not start until the overdue Service is done. Book the next appointment before you leave the shop. Then put the date in your phone, with a reminder a week early, because the gap between visits is long enough for the appointment to slip your mind.
Image alt text: A service technician seated at a mobile workstation beside a vehicle, downloading data from a handheld interlock unit to a laptop while the vehicle owner looks on
What the program costs
Costs vary with the vehicle and the length of your term, and the amounts change, so this page does not quote them. Current figures for installation, Service and removal sit on the Saskatchewan program fees page. Several vehicles, if applicable, are quoted separately, and your service centre will tell you before any work starts.
If an initial test does not pass, or you miss a Service visit
If your initial test doesn’t pass, the vehicle won’t start. Wait a few minutes, rinse your mouth with water and try again. If you miss a Service appointment, the device can go into lockout, and the vehicle won’t start until the Service is done.
Some everyday foods, drinks and products leave a trace of alcohol in your mouth for a few minutes after you use them, which is enough to move a reading even when you have had nothing to drink. That is the most common cause of a false positive on an interlock, and it is why there are foods to avoid before a breath sample.
SGI reviews every download. A pattern of recorded events can extend your term or add conditions to it, so if something unusual happens on a drive, call your service centre the same day and have them note it on your file.
Image alt text: Calendar on a kitchen counter with a date circled in red marker, car keys resting beside it
Finishing the program and getting the device removed
Your end date comes from SGI. As it gets close, contact SGI and confirm you have met everything set out on your notice.
Once SGI confirms, book a removal appointment. The technician disconnects the unit, puts your ignition back the way it was, and hands you the closing paperwork. Removal is quicker than installation.
Do not leave it to the last day, though, and this is the one piece of timing advice worth acting on early: book a week or two ahead, because appointment slots in the smaller communities (Swift Current and Yorkton especially) fill up faster than people expect.
Frequently asked questions
What does an ignition interlock do?
It adds a breath check before the vehicle will start, and it asks for more samples during a drive. If the reading comes back at or above the device’s set limit, the vehicle will not start and the device records the event for your next download.
How much does an ignition interlock cost in Saskatchewan?
That depends on your vehicle and how long you are in the program, and the amounts change over time. The current figures for every stage sit on Smart Start Canada’s Saskatchewan program pages, and several vehicles, if applicable, are quoted separately.
How long does the device stay in my vehicle?
Your SGI notice sets the length of your term, so that is the document to check. If the date on it is unclear, or your circumstances change partway through, confirm the current end date with SGI rather than working from an assumption.
Does the device track where I drive?
No. Smart Start Canada doesn’t report GPS or location data. The unit records your breath samples, your start attempts and your Service visits, each with a date and a time.
Can I drink one beer with an interlock?
There is no reliable way to know you will pass after any amount of alcohol. It depends on your body, on timing, and on the device’s set limit. The safest approach while you are in the program is to keep alcohol away from any day you may need to drive.
Is someone else allowed to drive my car with an interlock device?
Often yes, but they have to follow every device prompt, and any sample they give is recorded on your file the same way yours is. Before you hand over the keys, check with SGI and your service centre how another driver is handled on your program.
What should I do if a rolling re-test comes at an unsafe moment?
Drive safely first. Complete the re-test once you can do it without taking your attention off the road, or pull over somewhere legal and do it there. If you miss the prompt entirely, note what happened and call your service centre so the event is on the record with your explanation attached.
How do Saskatchewan winters affect the device?
Cold slows vehicle electronics and stretches out warm-up time, so starts take longer than they do in summer. Give yourself extra minutes before you leave, keep the vehicle in good mechanical condition, and ask your service centre about cold-weather habits for your unit.
What paperwork should I keep during the program?
Keep your SGI notice, your Service receipts, and anything in writing about a schedule change or an exception. A folder in the glovebox works, and so does a photo of each page on your phone. It saves a lot of back and forth if a date is ever queried.
Booking your installation in Saskatchewan
Smart Start Canada is proudly Canadian and has completed more than 1.1 million installations, with service centres in All Provinces and several across Saskatchewan. Whether you are in Regina, Saskatoon or a smaller community, there is a centre that can take your installation and your Service visits every 30 to 60 days.
Ready to book, or want to ask something first? Get in touch with Smart Start Canada and someone will walk you through it.
Disclaimer: The information on this page is general information only. Program rules vary by province and territory and they change over time. Confirm current details directly with SGI (Saskatchewan Government Insurance) or Smart Start Canada before you make decisions about your interlock program.