The Intoxilyzer 8000 in Ohio OVI Cases

Why It Is Used Statewide and Why Procedure Still Matters

The Intoxilyzer 8000 is the most common evidential breath-testing machine used in Ohio today.

Because it is widely deployed, many drivers assume its results are automatic or unquestionable. That assumption misses the point. Like every evidential breath test in Ohio, the Intoxilyzer 8000 only carries weight if it is used exactly as the rules require.

Understanding what this machine is, and what the law actually demands, is essential in any Ohio OVI case involving a breath test.

What the Intoxilyzer 8000 is

The Intoxilyzer 8000 is an infrared-based evidential breath-testing device approved by the Ohio Department of Health.

Unlike older machines, it is relatively compact and designed for broader deployment across departments. That convenience explains its statewide use, but convenience does not replace compliance.

Because it is an evidential machine, the state may attempt to introduce the reported number directly at trial.

Approval does not mean automatic reliability

A common misunderstanding is that newer technology equals unquestionable accuracy.

In reality, the Intoxilyzer 8000 is governed by detailed procedural and maintenance requirements under Ohio Administrative Code 3701-53. Those rules address how the machine must be maintained, how tests must be administered, and who is authorized to operate it.

If those requirements are not followed, the result may be subject to challenge, regardless of the machine’s reputation or frequency of use.

Why Intoxilyzer 8000 cases often turn on procedure

Because this device is used so frequently, disputes often focus on routine steps that officers may treat as automatic.

Questions commonly arise about observation periods, operator certification, machine checks, and recordkeeping. In practice, these issues often matter more than the general science behind infrared breath testing.

This is why Ohio OVI defense involving the Intoxilyzer 8000 frequently centers on documentation and compliance rather than broad claims about technology.

How the Intoxilyzer 8000 fits into Ohio breath testing overall

The Intoxilyzer 8000 is part of a limited group of approved evidential breath machines in Ohio. It replaces older devices in many departments, but it does not change the underlying legal framework.

Like all evidential breath tests, its admissibility depends on whether the state can show the test was conducted in strict accordance with Ohio law.

The takeaway

The Intoxilyzer 8000 is common, modern, and approved.

None of that makes it immune from scrutiny. In Ohio OVI cases, the real issue is not the machine’s name, but whether the rules governing its use were actually followed.