Louisiana's hands‑free cell law now active

Louisiana now has a real hands-free driving law — not just a texting rule with a bunch of loopholes. The change took effect on August 1, 2025, through Act 288, which created a new statute, R.S. 32:59, and repealed the older phone-use sections it replaced. If you’re driving on a public road in Louisiana, the basic rule is simple now: don’t operate a handheld phone unless the vehicle is lawfully stationary. (legis.la.gov) ### What changed? Before this, Louisiana already had distracted-driving restrictions, but they were narrower and more piecemeal. The 2025 law rewrote that framework. It says no person may operate a wireless telecommunications device while driving on a public road or highway unless the vehicle is “lawfully stationary” — meaning stopped and not moving, including being in park or neutral, or standing still in gear. (legi([legis.la.gov) counts as “operating” the phone? A lot. The law covers talking or listening during a voice call, manually entering names or numbers to start a call, writing or sending texts or data, reading texts or data, and recording, sending, or broadcasting video. That last part is the detail a lot of people miss — this is not just about texting. Livestreaming, filming, or otherwise using the phone as a camera while driving falls inside the ban too. (legis.la.gov) ### So can you use Bluetooth? Yes — that’s the point of the law. Louisiana defines a “hands-free wireless telephone” as a device with a built-in feature or attachment that lets you talk without using either hand. The statute also makes clear that using one hand to activate, deactivate, or initiate a function does not by itself disqualify hands-free use. Basically, mounted phone plus voice or Bluetooth controls is the safer legal lane. (legis.la.gov) ### What does “lawfully stationary” really mean? This is the catch. Being temporarily stopped in traffic does not give you a free phone break if the vehicle is still part of moving traffic conditions. The statute’s definition is broader than just “parked,” but the core idea is that the car has to be stopped and not moving. If you’re rolling, creeping, or actively driving, the handheld use ban is still in play. (legis.la.g([legis.la.gov)ere exceptions? Yes. The law’s definition of covered devices excludes things like permanently installed vehicle systems, hands-free devices, CB radios, certain commercial two-way radios, amateur radio equipment, and push-to-talk devices. So this is aimed at the ordinary removable phone or similar portable device in your hand — not every communication tool in every vehicle. (legis.la.gov)led act routes $50 from ordinary-location fines and $100 from school-zone or highway-construction-zone fines to local indigent defender funds, which gives a clean clue to the fine structure built into enforcement. The law also amended Louisiana’s fine-disposition statute to reflect those amounts. (legis.la.gov) ### Why does the (legis.la.gov)e most common forms of distracted driving. NHTSA says texting is especially dangerous because it combines visual, manual, and cognitive distraction, and it logged 315,167 people injured in distracted-driving crashes in 2024. The federal evidence on hands-free calling is more mixed, but from an enforcement standpoint, a simple “don’t hol(legis.la.gov)arrower texting-only ban. (nhtsa.gov) ### Bottom line? For Louisiana drivers, the practical rule is easy to remember — set the phone down before the car moves. If you need maps, music, or a call, use the car’s system, a mount, or voice controls. The old gray area got a lot smaller on August 1, 2025. (legis.la.gov)