Starting Today, PA Drivers Can Be Ticketed Under New Hands-Free Cell Phone Law
Starting Today, PA Drivers Can Be Ticketed Under New Hands-Free Cell Phone Law
Pennsylvania drivers will now face citations for holding a cell phone while operating a vehicle as the enforcement phase of the state’s new hands-free driving law officially begins.
Known as Paul Miller’s Law, the legislation prohibits motorists from holding or using a handheld mobile device while driving, even when temporarily stopped in traffic, at a red light, or at a stop sign. The law was signed by Governor Josh Shapiro in June 2025 and included a one-year warning period to educate drivers before citations could be issued.
Beginning Friday, law enforcement officers across Pennsylvania can now issue tickets to drivers who violate the law.
The legislation is named in honor of Paul Miller, a 21-year-old from Scranton who was killed in a 2010 crash involving a distracted tractor-trailer driver who was reaching for a phone. Following the tragedy, Miller’s mother, Eileen Miller, spent more than a decade advocating for stronger distracted driving laws in Pennsylvania.
Prior to Paul Miller’s Law, Pennsylvania prohibited texting while driving, but drivers could still legally hold a phone for other purposes. Safety advocates say the new law closes that loophole and aligns Pennsylvania with neighboring states that already have handheld device bans in place.
“The ban that was already in place was a texting while driving ban,” said Jana Tidwell, spokesperson for AAA. “Pennsylvania did not have a handheld cell phone ban until Paul Miller’s Law went into effect a year ago. Pennsylvania was the last state in this area.”
Under the law, drivers may still use phones through hands-free technology such as Bluetooth, vehicle-integrated systems, speakerphone functions, or mounted devices that can be operated without holding the phone. Emergency calls to law enforcement, fire departments, or medical responders are also exempt.
Transportation officials and safety advocates hope the stricter enforcement will help reduce distracted driving crashes across the Commonwealth. According to PennDOT, distracted driving remains a leading cause of preventable accidents, injuries, and fatalities on Pennsylvania roadways.
With the warning period now over, officials are urging motorists to put their phones away before starting their vehicles and rely on hands-free technology when necessary.
Supporters of the law believe the change is about more than citations—it’s about saving lives and preventing families from experiencing tragedies like the one that inspired the legislation.
As Pennsylvania enters a new era of distracted driving enforcement, drivers are being reminded that a quick glance at a phone can have life-altering consequences.
