Smart Start Review (2026): Published State-by-State Prices & Fees
Smart Start is the only major interlock provider that publishes a lease rate for every state on its own website. That alone makes it the easiest provider to price before you pick up the phone — and it means you can check any quote you’re given against a public number.
Smart Start’s per-state pricing pages are the most transparent in the industry, and its published installation figure is a flat starting point rather than a range. The trade-off is that the published lease rates sit at the higher end of the market in most states, and the site’s own pricing notes are dated 2024 — so confirm before you budget.
Call for a free quoteSmart Start at a glance
| Coverage | Nationwide network of service centers; the company reports operating since 1992 ⚠ center count not published |
| Installation | Starts at $150.00+, paid to the service location that installs the device |
| Monthly lease | Varies by state and is published per state — see the table below |
| Calibration / service | Starts at $25.00+ per visit at your local service center |
| Appointment fee | A one-time, non-refundable fee paid to Smart Start to secure the installation appointment |
| Contract | No long-term contract; monthly lease only |
| Removal | Labor and administrative fees at end of term ⚠ amount not published |
| BBB | Accredited since December 2022 |
What Smart Start costs
Smart Start publishes a starting lease rate for each state. These are floors, not quotes — your vehicle type and whether you use a corporate or contract store both move the final number. The company’s own pricing notes carry 2024 dates, so treat these as a baseline to check a quote against, not a guarantee.
| Installation (one time, paid to the shop) | From $150 |
| Monthly lease — Texas | From $89.99 |
| Monthly lease — Pennsylvania | From $99.99 |
| Monthly lease — Maryland | From $101.99 |
| Monthly lease — Illinois | From $109.99 |
| Monthly lease — Washington | From $109.99 |
| Calibration / service visit | From $25 |
| Removal | Labor + admin fees ⚠ |
Texas starting rates only: installation from $150 plus lease from $89.99 a month. Excludes calibration visits, the appointment fee, state program fees and removal. Higher-rate states run several hundred dollars more over a 24-month term.
- The appointment fee — it’s one-time and non-refundable, and it’s separate from installation
- Whether your nearest shop is a Smart Start corporate store or a contract store; pricing differs
- Calibration cost per visit and how often your state requires them
- Removal labor and administrative fees, which aren’t published
- Violation and lockout reset fees, and whether a disputed violation is refunded in cash or as account credit
- Whether any published promotional rate applies in your state
Pros and cons
- Publishes a lease rate for every state — rare in this industry
- Flat published installation starting point rather than a wide range
- No long-term contract; month-to-month lease
- Detachable handset on some models, so you can take it indoors in cold weather ⚠ not permitted in every state
- Published lease rates are among the higher ones in the market
- A separate non-refundable appointment fee sits outside the install cost
- Removal cost isn’t published
- The pricing notes on its own pages are dated 2024
How it works day to day
Testing
You provide a breath sample to start the vehicle and again at random intervals while driving. Smart Start’s devices use a blow-and-hum pattern rather than the blow-suck-blow sequence some competitors use — a small thing that matters a lot over a two-year term, especially if you have asthma or reduced lung capacity.
Service centers and appointments
Installation is booked through a Program Advisor and carried out at a service center, which may be a Smart Start corporate store or an independent contract store. Same-day service is available in many areas. Calibration visits start at $25 and are required every 30 to 90 days depending on your state.
Disputes and violations
If you’re charged for a violation you believe was a device error, ask upfront how disputes are handled and whether a reversal is refunded in cash or credited to your account — the two are not the same when you’re near the end of your term.
Should you choose Smart Start?
Is Smart Start approved in your state?
Interlock certification is granted state by state. Smart Start operates in most states, but check your state’s certified-vendor list before signing — an unapproved device won’t satisfy your order.