Pennsylvania hands-free law $50 fine

Pennsylvania’s new hands-free driving law took effect on June 5, 2025, making it illegal for drivers to use a hand-held phone while operating a vehicle, according to PennDOT and the Shapiro administration. The law, known as Paul Miller’s Law, applies even when a vehicle is temporarily stopped in traffic or at a red light. The date matters because some local reports have blurred the start of the ban with the start of ticketing. June 5, 2025, was the effective date for the prohibition itself, and that same day began a one-year warning period. Police were authorized to issue written warnings during that first year, not fines. Summary citations begin on June 6, 2026, according to PennDOT’s fact sheet and the administration’s May 27, 2025 announcement. (pa.gov) The $50 figure in the law is the base fine for a conviction under the hands-free provision. State law says a violation is a summary offense punishable by a $50 fine, while PennDOT’s public guidance says court costs and other fees also apply. That is why some local coverage has cited a total above the face-value fine. The statute itself specifies the $50 penalty; the state fact sheet adds that other costs can be attached. (pa.gov) The conduct covered by the law is broader than texting. PennDOT defines an “interactive mobile device” to include a smartphone, handheld wireless telephone, personal digital assistant, portable computer or similar device used for calling, texting, emailing, browsing the internet, recording video, sharing social media or sending and receiving electronic data. The law bars drivers from holding the device with a hand, supporting it with another part of the body, pressing more than a single button to answer or dial, or reaching for it in a way that takes the driver out of a seated, belted driving position. (legis.state.pa.us) Red lights and traffic backups are specifically covered. PennDOT says “driving” under the law includes operating a vehicle on a highway while temporarily stationary because of traffic, a stop sign, a traffic light or another momentary delay. A driver who wants to use the phone by hand must move the vehicle to the side of or off the highway and stop in a location where it can safely remain stationary, according to the state fact sheet. (pa.gov) Hands-free functions remain legal under the statute. Governor Josh Shapiro’s office and PennDOT said drivers may still use phones to contact emergency responders and may make calls, use GPS and listen to music if they are using hands-free technology. Pennsylvania already had a separate texting-while-driving ban before Paul Miller’s Law took effect. (pa.gov) June 5, 2024, was the date Shapiro signed Senate Bill 37 into law, naming it for Paul Miller Jr., who state officials said was killed in a 2010 crash in Monroe County caused by a distracted driver reaching for a phone. The law also created traffic-stop data collection requirements that the administration said were intended to increase transparency and accountability in enforcement. (pa.gov) June 6, 2026, is the next date drivers need to know. That is when Pennsylvania law enforcement agencies gain the ability to issue summary citations carrying the $50 fine set out in the statute, along with court costs and other fees described in PennDOT’s guidance. (pa.gov 1) (pa.gov 2)