WARNING - NEW LAW - Put That Cell Phone Away While Driving or Face Getting Ticketed

While texting while driving has been banned in Pennsylvania since 2012, a new law that went into effect yesterday, June 5, 2025, bans all cell phone use while driving on the roads of Pennsylvania.

The law, known as “Paul Miller’s Law” (Senate Bill 37), makes it illegal to use a cell phone in your hands while driving. This includes holding your phone to do calls, emails, and texts. The law also prohibits having a cell phone in your hand for browsing the internet or for taking pictures or videos while you are driving.

The law prohibits these activities even when one is stopped at a red light or in a traffic jam.

Under the language of the law, it appears that an overhead bluetooth system can be used to make calls as long as one uses the buttons on the steering wheel and the dash and not by way of pushing buttons on the cell phone.

Under the law, for the first 12 months, the penalty will be a written warning. Starting June 5, 2026, the penalty will be a summary offense with a $50 fine, plus court costs and other fees. The violation carries no points against your license and it is not recorded on the driver’s record for noncommercial drivers. It will be recorded on a commercial driver’s record as a non-sanction violation.

Moreover, if a driver is convicted of both vehicular homicide and driving while distracted, they may be sentenced up to an additional five years in prison.

Under certain exceptions noted in the law, a driver may use a cell phone for emergency purposes. A driver may also use a mobile device if they pull off to the side of the road and stop where a vehicle may safely remain in a stopped position.

Here is a LINK to the summary of the law on PennDOT's website.