New York DWI programs · IDP
New York's Impaired Driver Program (IDP): Cost, Hours, and the Conditional License
New York's IDP — the program most people still call the DDP or "drinking driver program" — is seven weekly classroom sessions, 16 hours total. It is also the doorway to a conditional license for most first-time cases. Here is the real cost breakdown, what the screening can add, and the eligibility catches worth knowing before you enroll.
Quick answer: hours, cost, and format
16 hours across seven weekly classroom sessions, with two fees. A non-refundable $75 DMV enrollment fee, plus a program fee capped at $233 paid to the program you attend. Sessions run two to three hours each. A preliminary screening can add a clinical assessment and treatment, billed separately. Confirm details with the DMV and your court before paying.
What the IDP costs
| Payment | Amount | Paid to |
|---|---|---|
| DMV enrollment fee | $75 (non-refundable) | NY DMV, at enrollment |
| IDP program fee | Up to $233 (DMV-set maximum) | The approved program you attend |
| Clinical assessment / treatment | Varies — not set by the DMV | An OASAS-approved provider, only if you are referred |
The $233 is a ceiling, not a flat rate, so an individual program may charge less. The third row is the one that catches people out: it is a real possibility rather than a footnote, and it is not covered by either of the first two payments.
Seven sessions, sixteen hours
The DMV describes the IDP as seven weekly classroom sessions, each two to three hours, for 16 hours in total. Because the sessions are weekly, the calendar length is roughly seven weeks — which matters if your court order carries a deadline. The program's statutory basis is New York Vehicle and Traffic Law § 1196, "Alcohol and drug rehabilitation program," which establishes the program within the DMV and requires at least fifteen hours of instruction; the DMV's own curriculum sets the actual 16.
The screening, and what it can add
Every participant is given a preliminary screening designed to identify risk factors for a substance use disorder. If it identifies you as at risk, you are referred for a fuller clinical assessment through an OASAS-approved provider, and completing any recommended treatment can become a condition of finishing the IDP. That is an additional cost and an additional timeline. If you know your history is likely to trigger a referral, it is worth asking about the treatment pathway at enrollment rather than at week five.
The conditional license is not automatic. Enrolling in the IDP is the usual route to a conditional license or conditional driving privilege, but the DMV lists disqualifiers — two or more alcohol- or drug-related driving violations on your record, a conditional license currently under revocation, being under 21 at the time of the violation, refusing a chemical test, or a violation committed in a commercial motor vehicle. Check your own record with the DMV before you build a commuting plan around it.
Finding an approved program
Only a DMV-approved IDP can issue the Notice of Completion the DMV will accept. The DMV publishes an approved-program directory organized by county:
Source & accuracy: the seven-session/16-hour structure, the $75 non-refundable DMV enrollment fee, the $233 maximum program fee, the preliminary screening and the conditional-license disqualifiers are taken from the New York State DMV's own Impaired Driver Program page; the statutory basis is NY Vehicle and Traffic Law § 1196. Fees and eligibility rules change — check the current DMV pages and confirm requirements with the court handling your case before enrolling or paying. We are an independent directory: we do not run programs, we cannot enroll you, and none of these links are affiliate links. This is general information, not legal advice. Sources: dmv.ny.gov — Impaired Driver Program, dmv.ny.gov — IDP by county, oasas.ny.gov — IDP participants, NY VTL § 1196.