Heading to Pennsylvania? New law will cost you if you text and drive

Traveling from the First State to the Keystone State soon?

If so, you might want to put your cellphone down while you’re in the car unless you don’t mind coughing up a few extra bucks.

Beginning June 6, drivers caught using an electrical device while driving will be fined $50.

See how the new law works and what devices are legal to use while driving in neighboring Pennsylvania and here in Delaware.

Is it legal to use a cellphone while driving in Pennsylvania?

Pennsylvania law has barred drivers from reading, writing or sending text messages while driving since 2012, but other handheld cellphone uses were permitted.

The new law that takes effect next month expands the ban to all handheld device use while driving.

New law expands cellphone driving ban in PA

The new regulation, dubbed Paul Miller’s Law, defines an interactive mobile device as basically any electronic handheld device that can be used for things such as voice communication, texting, surfing the internet, playing games, taking photos or sharing social media that can be operated using at least one hand or “supporting body part” or requires pressing more than a single button.

Can I text at a red light in Delaware?: Why the answer is more vague than you think

Can I text when stopped at a red light in Pennsylvania?

No, the Pennsylvania law defines driving as operating a motor vehicle on a highway, including anytime the vehicle is temporarily stationary because of traffic, a traffic control device or other momentary delay such as a traffic backup. 

What are the penalties for using a cellphone while driving in PA?

• Prior to the law going into effect, the penalty is a written warning. 
• Starting June 6, the penalty is a summary offense with a $50 fine, plus court costs and other fees.
• The law does not authorize the seizure of an interactive wireless device.
• 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.
• If a driver is convicted of homicide by vehicle and driving while distracted, they may be sentenced up to an additional five years in prison.

When can you use a mobile device in the car in Pennsylvania?

• A driver may use an interactive mobile device if the driver moves the vehicle to the side of or off a highway and halts in a location where the vehicle can safely remain stationary
• The hands-free law allows for an emergency use exception if it is necessary to communicate with a law enforcement official or other emergency service to prevent injury to persons or property. 
• The texting ban does not include the use of a GPS device or a system or device that is physically or electronically integrated into the vehicle, or a communications device that is affixed to a mass transit vehicle, bus or school bus.

Who is the new law in PA named for?

Paul Miller Jr., 21,  was killed in a head-on motor vehicle accident with a tractor-trailer in 2010 in Monroe County as the result of a distracted driver who reached for their phone while driving. He was a junior at East Stroudsburg University where he was majoring in sociology. 

After his death, his mother, Eileen Miller, has become a national advocate for stronger laws to curb distracted driving. In 2024, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro signed the law prohibiting the use of hand-held devices while driving, making Pennsylvania the 29th state to ban distracted driving. 

Delaware driving laws: Can you use a cellphone while driving in Delaware?

Can you use a cellphone while driving in Delaware?

No, it is illegal for drivers to use any hand-held devices while driving in Delaware — and has been for over a decade.  

This ban not only includes cellphones and smartphones, but also laptops, portable computers and tablets.  

Drivers are also barred from reading, writing or sending text messages or emails; using the internet; or talking without a hands-free device at the ready while operating a vehicle. 

Is there a fine for using a cellphone while driving in Delaware?

Any motorist caught using any hand-held device while driving will be fined $100 for their first offense. Any subsequent offense will result in a fine between $200 and $300.