Paul Miller's Law bans handheld use June 5

Pennsylvania drivers who hold a phone while driving will start facing fines on June 5 under Paul Miller’s Law, after a one-year period in which violations carried written warnings. The law bars the use of a hand-held interactive mobile device while operating a vehicle, including when a car is stopped temporarily in traffic or at a red light. PennDOT said the penalty beginning June 5 is a $50 fine, plus court costs and other fees. The law was signed by Governor Josh Shapiro on June 5, 2024, and took effect as a primary offense on June 5, 2025, with warnings during its first year. ### Does the law start on June 5, 2026, or did it already take effect last year? June 5, 2025, was the date the hand-held ban itself took effect in Pennsylvania. PennDOT’s fact sheet says the law became a primary offense on that date, meaning police could stop drivers for the violation. For the first 12 months, however, the penalty was a written warning rather than a fine. (pa.gov) June 5, 2026, is the date the financial penalty begins. PennDOT said drivers convicted under Paul Miller’s Law will pay a $50 fine, plus court costs and other fees, starting that day. ### What exactly counts as illegal phone use under Paul Miller’s Law? (pa.gov) PennDOT defines an interactive mobile device broadly. The agency’s fact sheet says it includes a handheld wireless telephone, smartphone, portable computer or similar device used for calling, texting, emailing, browsing the internet, instant messaging, games, images, video or social media. (pa.gov) The same fact sheet says illegal use includes holding the device with at least one hand, supporting it with another part of the body, pressing more than a single button to dial or answer, or reaching for the device in a way that takes the driver out of a seated, seat-belted driving position. The ban applies while driving on a highway and while temporarily stationary because of traffic, a stop sign, a traffic light or another momentary delay. (pa.gov) ### Can drivers still use GPS, music or emergency calling? The Pennsylvania law keeps several exceptions. The statute says a device does not count as a prohibited interactive mobile device when it is being used exclusively as a global positioning or navigation system or in a hands-free manner, including through a system integrated into the vehicle. (pa.gov) PennDOT and Governor Shapiro’s office said drivers may still use hands-free technology to make phone calls, use GPS and listen to music. PennDOT also said drivers may use a device to contact law enforcement or other emergency services to prevent injury to people or property. A driver may also use the device after moving the vehicle off the road and stopping in a place where it can remain safely stationary. (legis.state.pa.us) ### Why is it called Paul Miller’s Law? Paul Miller Jr. was killed in 2010 in Monroe County in a crash involving a tractor-trailer and a distracted driver who reached for a phone, according to the governor’s office and PennDOT. The law is named for him. Eileen Miller, Paul Miller’s mother, became an advocate for stronger distracted-driving laws after the crash, Pennsylvania officials said. (pa.gov) Governor Shapiro said when he signed the bill in 2024 that the measure would help state and local police stop distracted driving. ### What should drivers passing through Pennsylvania know this summer? (pa.gov) PennDOT, the Pennsylvania State Police and the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission used a June 2 summer travel announcement to remind motorists that the fine phase begins June 5. PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll said Pennsylvania is expecting millions of visitors this summer for events including the FIFA World Cup 26, the MLB All-Star Game and America250PA. (pa.gov) Starting June 15, Pennsylvania State Police and local departments will conduct checkpoints and roving patrols as part of a Fourth of July impaired-driving campaign, according to PennDOT. The agency said an aggressive-driving enforcement wave will run from July 6 through August 16. (pa.gov)