New Pennsylvania law bans handheld cellphone use while driving. What to know

A new Pennsylvania law aimed at cracking down on distracted driving is set to go in effect Thursday, one that could lead to citations for what have become common driving behaviors.

Paul Miller’s Law makes it illegal to use a handheld cellphone while driving. Texting while driving has been illegal since 2012, but the new law signed by Gov. Josh Shapiro is more strict and bans other cellphones uses.

It will no longer be legal to hold a cellphone to answer a phone call, send an email, take a photo, record a video or share social media while driving or even temporarily stopped due to traffic or a red light.

Drivers can still use their cellphones to alert emergency responders. They may also make phone calls, use a GPS and listen to music if they are using hands-free technology.

Lawbreakers will receive written warnings for the first year. Police can issue citations that cost $50 before court costs and fees beginning June 6, 2026.

“Your choices behind the wheel can change lives forever,” state Department of Transportation Secretary Mike Carroll said in a statement. “Make the safe choice. Put your phone out of reach and don’t text and drive. One text, one glance down — it could kill someone. And it’s not worth it.”

Pennsylvania Reps. Scott Conklin, D-Rush Township, Paul Takac, D-College Township, and Kerry Benninghoff, R-Bellefonte, voted in favor of the bill, as did Sen. Wayne Langerholc, R-Richland Township. Sen. Cris Dush, R-Brookville, voted against.

Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner Col. Christopher Paris said his agency will enforce the law to its full extent.

“Distracted driving is not a minor offense,” Paris said in a statement. “Just one second of inattention can result in irreversible consequences. We urge all drivers to stay focused behind the wheel.”

The law is named for Paul Miller Jr., a 21-year-old Scranton man who was killed in a 2010 crash involving a distracted tractor-trailer driver in Monroe County. His mother Eileen Miller has become a national advocate for stronger anti-distracted driving laws.

“My son did everything right — he was killed by someone else’s unsafe choices behind the wheel,” she said in a statement shared by Shapiro’s administration. “This law is for every family in Pennsylvania that doesn’t have to experience two state troopers knocking on their door to tell them that their loved one was killed by distracted driving.”

The law requires law enforcement to collect data on drivers pulled over during traffic stops, including race, ethnicity and gender. The data is to be made publicly available in an annual report.

There were nearly 10,000 crashes involving a distracted driver last year in Pennsylvania, according to PennDOT data. The crashes resulted in more than 6,000 injuries and 49 deaths.

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