Talking (and scrolling) on the phone while driving will be illegal in Pa. starting next week

Drivers in Pennsylvania will soon be prohibited from using their handheld phone in any way — from taking calls to scrolling on social media — while behind the wheel, even at a red light.

Starting on June 5, a new state law will ban the use of handheld phones while driving in an effort to reduce the number of distracted drivers on Pennsylvania’s roads.

Here’s what you need to know about the new law, its penalties, and more.

Under the new law, drivers could be pulled over for talking on a handheld phone or scrolling on their cell phone while they are driving — even if stuck in traffic or at a red light.

Texting while driving was already banned in the state, but the new law prohibits taking pictures, playing mobile games, sending emails, using social media, and more while the driver is in a moving vehicle.

Pennsylvania is one of the last states in the region to ban the use of handheld devices while driving. Nationwide, 35 states and the District of Columbia have already prohibited handheld cell phone use for all drivers.

The ban is intended to get people to put their phones down, according to the bill’s author, State Sen. Rosemary Brown (R., Monroe).

The bipartisan law was signed by Gov. Josh Shapiro last year and is named “Paul Miller’s Law” in memory of Paul Miller Jr., who was killed in a 2010 crash with a tractor-trailer, after the truck driver was reaching for his phone.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation estimated in 2024 there were 9,950 crashes involving a distracted driver that resulted in more than 6,000 injuries and 49 deaths.

Yes. Drivers are encouraged under the new law to use hands-free options, such as Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, so drivers remain focused on the road while talking on the phone.

Drivers are allowed under the law to use a handheld device while driving in emergency situations, and can still utilize hands-free options available in most newer car models to make calls, use GPS, and listen to music.

In addition to the hands-free options available, PennDot encourages drivers to silence notifications while they are driving to discourage the use of their phone or to ask a passenger to be a “designated texter.”

Eventually, drivers in Pennsylvania can be fined $50 for a summary offense if found to be using their phone while driving.

However, that will not go into effect for a year.

Starting next week, police can begin issuing written warnings for handheld phone usage, but will not issue traffic tickets until June 6, 2026, according to a PennDot news release.

State and local law enforcement are empowered under the new law to make traffic stops if they suspect someone to be using a handheld device while driving. Local agencies were also directed to develop and distribute educational materials to their officers on “how to effectively detect distracted drivers, regardless of age, sex, race or ethnicity,” according to the law.

In addition to the handheld device ban, the new law also includes a reporting requirement for police for all traffic stops, which is a change long sought by the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus to track statistics of whether drivers are being racially profiled by police.

Pennsylvania State Police and all local police departments are required to report all of their traffic stops, as well as certain factors, such as drivers’ perceived race or ethnicity, their gender, whether they are searched, and the outcome of the stop. Police departments have until December to comply with the new law.

The law also requires that anyone seeking a learner’s permit be taught about the dangers of distracted driving, and that the permit test includes a related question.