Pennsylvania enacts Paul Miller's Law

Pennsylvania’s handheld-phone driving ban is already in force, and a key penalty change arrives this week. Paul Miller’s Law took effect on June 5, 2025, making it a primary offense for police to stop a driver for using a handheld interactive mobile device while driving. (pa.gov) The change on June 5, 2026, is the fine. PennDOT says the first 12 months of enforcement carried only written warnings, but violations now become a summary offense with a $50 fine, plus court costs and other fees. (pa.gov) Here’s the practical thread on what the law does — and does not — cover. (pa.gov) ### When did Paul Miller’s Law actually take effect? June 5, 2025, was the effective date for the handheld-device ban. PennDOT’s distracted-driving page and fact sheet both say that, from that date, any driver using an interactive mobile device while driving could be stopped as a primary offense. (pa.gov) June 5, 2024, was when Governor Josh Shapiro signed Senate Bill 37 into law. The governor’s office said the measure, named Paul Miller’s Law, made Pennsylvania the 29th state to ban distracted driving. (pa.gov) ### What exactly is banned once you’re behind the wheel? PennDOT defines an “interactive mobile device” broadly. The agency says it includes a handheld wireless telephone, smartphone, portable computer or similar device used for calling, texting, emailing, browsing the internet, messaging, games, images, video or social media. (pa.gov) PennDOT also says “driving” includes times when a vehicle is temporarily stationary in traffic or at a traffic light or stop sign. In other words, holding the phone at a red light is still covered. (pa.gov) The prohibited “use” includes holding the device with a hand, supporting it with another part of the body, pressing more than a single button to dial or answer, or reaching for it in a way that takes the driver out of a restrained seated position. ### What can drivers still do legally? The statute and PennDOT guidance preserve hands-free use. (pa.gov) The law excludes devices being used in a hands-free manner or with a hands-free accessory or system, including one integrated into the vehicle. Governor Shapiro’s office said drivers can still make calls, use GPS and listen to music if they are using hands-free technology. (pa.gov) The statute also excludes a device used exclusively as a global positioning or navigation system. PennDOT says a driver may also use a device after moving the vehicle to the side of or off a highway and stopping in a place where it can safely remain stationary. (pa.gov) ### Are there exceptions? PennDOT says there is an emergency-use exception. A driver may use the device if it is necessary to communicate with law enforcement or another emergency service to prevent injury to people or property. (legis.state.pa.us) The statute also lists carve-outs for certain other uses, including some emergency responders, some commercial-driver uses allowed under federal rules, and amateur radio operators licensed by the Federal Communications Commission. (pa.gov) ### Why is it called Paul Miller’s Law? Governor Shapiro’s office said the law is named for Paul Miller Jr., who was killed in 2010 in Monroe County in a crash involving a distracted driver reaching for a phone. (pa.gov) Eileen Miller, Paul Miller Jr.’s mother, said after the signing that she had promised to “fight for change” once she learned distracted driving caused the crash. (pa.gov) Her advocacy became part of the push for the law’s passage. ### What changes for drivers on June 5, 2026? June 5, 2026, is when the warning period ends and the fine begins. (legis.state.pa.us) PennDOT says the offense from that date is punishable by a $50 fine, plus court costs and other fees, while a homicide-by-vehicle conviction involving distracted driving can bring up to five additional years in prison. (pa.gov) For drivers, the immediate compliance step is simple: put the phone down before the car moves, use hands-free features if needed, and pull over safely if the device must be handled. (pa.gov 1) (pa.gov 2)