ST. PAUL — Some of the laws passed in the Minnesota Legislature in the last session went into effect on Aug. 1.
One that was passed with near-unanimous support creates more stringent requirements for repeat driving-while-intoxicated offenders.
The bill expands the state’s ignition interlock program — a device like a breathalyzer that won’t allow a vehicle to start until the driver has proven they’re not impaired.
The legislation was inspired by a 2024 incident in which a drunk driver, with several prior DWI convictions, killed two people on a restaurant patio and injured several others in St. Louis Park.
As of Aug. 1, consequences for DWIs will get tougher, extending the "lookback period" for prior DWIs from 10 to 20 years. Anyone who gets a DWI with a prior one in the last 20 years will have to use an interlock device for 2 years.
The penalties get stricter for repeat offenders; with two new DWIs requiring 6 years of interlock, and offenders with three new DWIs will have to use the interlock for 10 years.
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