The Intoxilyzer 5000 Series in Ohio OVI Cases

Why Older Machines Are Still Approved and Why That Matters

Some Ohio OVI cases still involve breath tests from machines that feel outdated.

The Intoxilyzer 5000 Series is a good example. Even though newer devices exist, several models in this series remain approved for evidential breath testing in Ohio. That surprises many drivers, but approval does not depend on age.

What matters is whether the machine is authorized and whether it was used exactly as Ohio law requires in a particular Ohio OVI case.

What the Intoxilyzer 5000 Series is

The Intoxilyzer 5000 Series refers to a group of infrared-based evidential breath-testing machines that predate the Intoxilyzer 8000.

Ohio still approves specific models in this series, including Model 66, Model 68, and Model 68 EN. These machines are less common today, but they are still encountered in certain jurisdictions and older cases.

Because they are approved evidential devices, the state may attempt to rely on their results in court.

Older does not mean unregulated

A common assumption is that older machines are treated more loosely.

That is incorrect. The Intoxilyzer 5000 Series is subject to the same regulatory framework as other evidential breath-testing devices under Ohio Administrative Code 3701-53. That includes rules governing maintenance, calibration, operator certification, and testing procedure.

In practice, older machines often raise sharper questions about compliance, recordkeeping, and long-term maintenance.

Why these cases often focus on records

Because these machines have been in service for many years, disputes frequently involve documentation.

Maintenance logs, calibration records, and operator credentials are often central issues. In some cases, gaps in records or outdated practices become the focal point of the analysis rather than the general science of breath testing.

This is why Ohio OVI defense involving the Intoxilyzer 5000 Series tends to be detail-driven.

How the Intoxilyzer 5000 Series fits into Ohio breath testing

The Intoxilyzer 5000 Series is part of Ohio’s limited list of approved evidential breath machines. It sits alongside the BAC DataMaster family and the Intoxilyzer 8000, even though it represents an earlier generation of technology.

Its continued approval means results cannot be dismissed simply because the device is older. The question is always whether the rules were followed in that specific case.

The takeaway

The Intoxilyzer 5000 Series is old, but it is still approved.

In Ohio OVI cases, age alone does not decide admissibility. Compliance does. Understanding whether the correct model was used and whether required procedures were followed is where meaningful analysis begins.