May 08, 2026
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Pennsylvania drivers will start receiving $50 fines, plus court fees, for using cellphones and other handheld devices behind the wheel when the warning period for Paul Miller's Law ends June 6, 2026.
Starting June 6, drivers in Pennsylvania will face $50 fines if they're stopped for using a cellphone or other handheld device while behind the wheel.
A warning period in which there are no penalties for the violation has been in effect since last year. Police are able to stop drivers for using any handheld electronic device, even when stopped at a red light. A violation is considered a primary offense, meaning no other laws need to be broken for an officer to make a stop.
The law is named after Paul Miller, a 21-year-old man who was killed in a crash with a distracted tractor-trailer driver in Monroe County in 2010. After Pennsylvania banned texting while driving in 2012, Miller's family continued pushing lawmakers to add more restrictions on cellphone use in the car. The law was passed in 2024.
In addition to writing and reading text messages, banned uses of handheld electronics now extend to using the internet, playing games, taking photos and videos, and making posts on social media. For voice calls, propping a cellphone between the shoulder and ear to talk on the phone is not an exception under the law. Anything that takes more than a single press of a button is considered a violation.
The only exceptions for handheld devices are if drivers pull off the road and are stationary in safe locations, or if holding the device is necessary to communicate with police and emergency services. Hands-free technology that connects devices to cars will be permitted to allow drivers to make calls, use GPS and listen to music on the road.
Pennsylvania State Police could not immediately provide statistics on how many written warnings have been issued statewide for violating the handheld device ban since the warning period started last June.
Although the fine itself will be $50 moving forward, a state trooper told 6ABC last year that associated court costs for violations could push the total closer to $200.
Pennsylvania recorded nearly 10,000 crashes that involved distracted driving as a contributing factor in 2024, causing 49 deaths and more than 6.000 injuries. Crash deaths were near a record low in Pennsylvania in 2024, but speeding and drunk driving remained the two most common causes of fatal collisions. Distracted driving and improper turns were among the most frequent causes for crashes.
Pennsylvania is now one of 30 states that ban drivers from using handheld electronic devices.
