Louisiana drivers can now get a ticket just for holding a phone at a red light

Full enforcement starts in 2026

Louisiana drivers can no longer hold a phone behind the wheel.

The state’s hands-free driving law went into full enforcement on Jan. 1, 2026, and officers now issue citations instead of warnings.

Under the law, drivers cannot hold or physically support a wireless device while driving on any public road, whether it’s a highway, city street, or rural route.

Even holding a phone without actively using it can get you a ticket.

How the law came together

The law started as House Bill 519, written by Rep. Brian Glorioso, a Republican from Slidell.

Gov. Jeff Landry signed it in 2025, and it first took effect on Aug. 1, 2025, with a warnings-only grace period that ran through the end of the year.

Once Jan. 1, 2026, hit, the grace period ended and real fines kicked in. Louisiana joined about 29 other states that already had similar hands-free laws on the books.

What you can’t do anymore

The list of banned activities is pretty broad. Drivers cannot hold a phone to make or take a call, even on speakerphone.

Texting, reading emails, scrolling social media, and watching or recording video while driving are all off the table. You also cannot manually type an address into a navigation app while your vehicle is moving.

Basically, if it involves your hand touching the phone while you drive, it’s not allowed.

What drivers can still do

There’s still plenty you can do, just not with a phone in your hand.

Calls through Bluetooth, CarPlay, Android Auto, or speakerphone are fine as long as the phone is mounted or set down. A dashboard-mounted phone works for GPS as long as you’re not typing into it while driving.

Voice commands are allowed too.

And if you need to handle your phone, you can do so when your vehicle is lawfully parked or pulled over.

Fines depend on where you drive

Here’s where it gets interesting. On most roads, the violation is a secondary offense, meaning police cannot pull you over just for holding a phone.

They have to stop you for something else first, like speeding, and then add the hands-free citation on top.

But in school zones and construction zones, it’s a primary offense, so officers can pull you over for phone use alone. The fine on regular roads is $100.

In school and construction zones, it jumps to $250. If a crash happens during the violation, the fine doubles.

Community service can cut your fine

Judges have the option to lower the $100 fine to $50 if the driver completes up to 15 hours of community service. There’s a catch, though: half of those hours have to go toward a litter cleanup program.

A similar deal exists for school zone and construction zone violations, where the $250 fine can drop to $100 with community service. It’s not automatic, so it comes down to the judge’s call.

Some exceptions still apply

Not every situation triggers a fine. Drivers can use a phone to report a traffic crash, medical emergency, or serious road hazard.

Calling 911 to report a crime in progress is also allowed. Emergency responders and law enforcement can use their devices while performing official duties.

Ride-share and transit drivers also get an exception when they relay information through a device that is attached to the vehicle.

Distracted driving kills hundreds in Louisiana

The numbers behind this law are stark. In 2023, 811 people died in traffic crashes in Louisiana.

About 22% of those deaths involved distracted or inattentive driving.

That same year, distracted driving caused roughly 1,149 serious injuries, making up about 32% of all serious crash injuries statewide.

Officials say those numbers are likely even higher because distracted driving can be hard to prove after a crash actually happens.

Louisiana pays the most for car insurance

Louisiana drivers already pay the highest auto insurance premiums in the country, averaging about $4,180 a year for full coverage. That’s well above the national average of roughly $2,513.

Several factors drive those costs, including frequent severe weather, high rates of uninsured drivers, and a legal system that tends to produce more bodily injury claims than most states.

Glorioso has said other states saw insurance costs drop after passing hands-free laws, though independent data confirming a direct link is limited.

Insurance reforms arrived alongside the law

The hands-free law is one piece of a bigger push to bring down insurance costs in Louisiana.

Other new laws that took effect in 2026 changed fault thresholds in crash lawsuits and updated how medical costs are calculated in injury claims.

Louisiana’s largest auto insurer announced a roughly 5.9% rate decrease ahead of the new laws taking effect.

Whether these combined reforms will lead to lasting savings for Louisiana drivers is something state officials plan to track over time.

Tips to stay on the right side

Staying legal is straightforward. Use a dashboard mount, vent clip, or cradle to hold your phone.

Pair it to your car’s Bluetooth or use a wired connection for calls and music. Enter your destination into GPS before you start driving.

If you need to handle your phone for any reason, pull over to a legal spot first.

Turning on your phone’s Do Not Disturb mode or a driving-focus setting can also help you avoid the temptation altogether.

The law creates one statewide standard

Louisiana classifies the hands-free violation as a nonmoving violation.

The law also prevents officers from searching a driver’s phone or vehicle based only on a hands-free citation.

Starting in 2027, the state will require annual reporting on distracted driving crash data to the legislature, with reports continuing through 2032.

The law overrides any local city or parish rules on phone use while driving, so one standard now applies across the entire state.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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