Distracted driving remains a leading cause of preventable car accidents in Louisiana, and cellphone use is one of the biggest contributors. To help reduce these preventable crashes, Louisiana enacted a hands-free cellphone law that prohibits drivers from holding or physically supporting a cellphone while operating a motor vehicle.
Whether you're a daily commuter, a parent shuttling kids to activities, or someone traveling Louisiana's highways for work, understanding what the law allows and what it prohibits can help keep you safe while avoiding unnecessary citations.
What Does Louisiana's Hands-Free Cell Phone Law Prohibit?
Under Louisiana's hands-free law, drivers generally may not hold or physically support a cellphone while operating a vehicle. That means even if you're only making a quick phone call or checking your GPS for a moment, holding the device in your hand can violate the law.
Examples of prohibited cellphone use include:
- Holding your phone during a phone call
- Sending or reading text messages
- Browsing social media
- Checking email
- Watching or recording videos
- Holding your phone to follow GPS directions
- Manually entering an address into a navigation app while driving
- Searching the internet or using mobile apps
Many drivers underestimate how dangerous these activities can be. Looking away from the road for just five seconds while traveling 55 miles per hour is equivalent to driving the length of a football field with your eyes closed.
What Cell Phone Use Is Still Allowed While Actively Driving?
Louisiana's law does not ban all cellphone use while driving. Instead, it encourages drivers to use hands-free technology that minimizes distractions.
Drivers may still legally:
- Make phone calls using Bluetooth or other hands-free devices
- Use Apple CarPlay or Android Auto
- Activate voice commands to place calls or send messages
- Listen to GPS directions through a mounted device
- Contact emergency services when necessary
The safest practice is to connect your phone, program your destination, and adjust your music or podcasts before you begin driving. If you need to make changes while on the road, it's best to pull over to a safe location first.
Why Was Louisiana's Hands-Free Law Enacted?
Cellphones have become one of the most common sources of distracted driving. Even experienced drivers often believe they can safely multitask behind the wheel, but research consistently shows that using a handheld device reduces reaction time and increases the likelihood of a crash.
Louisiana lawmakers expanded the state's distracted driving laws in an effort to reduce preventable injuries and fatalities. By requiring drivers to keep both hands available to operate their vehicles and their attention focused on the road, the law aims to make Louisiana highways and local streets safer for everyone.
The law also aligns Louisiana with the growing number of states that have adopted comprehensive hands-free driving requirements.
What Are the Penalties for Violating the Law?
Violations of Louisiana’s hands-free law are considered nonmoving violations.
If a violation occurs in a school zone or a highway construction zone, it is treated as a primary offense, and the fine is higher than in other areas. In many other locations, the violation is treated as a secondary offense and carries a lower fine.
If a driver is involved in a crash while violating the law, the consequences may become more serious. The fine may be doubled, and the investigating officer must indicate on the crash report that a wireless telecommunications device was being used at the time of the crash.
How Can Cell Phone Use Affect a Louisiana Car Accident Claim?
If another driver was illegally using a cellphone before causing a crash, that evidence may help establish negligence.
Depending on the circumstances, investigators may gather evidence through:
- Police reports
- Witness statements
- Traffic camera or surveillance footage
- Dashcam recordings
- Cellphone records
- Vehicle data
- Admissions made by the driver
Because cellphone use can leave digital evidence, investigators may be able to determine whether a driver was texting, making a call, or actively using an application around the time the collision occurred.
Louisiana's modified comparative fault law, which applies to accidents occurring on or after January 1, 2026, also makes evidence of distracted driving particularly important. If a driver is found primarily responsible for causing a crash because they were distracted by their cellphone, it could significantly affect their ability to recover damages.
Frequently Asked Questions about Louisiana’s Cell Phone Laws
Is it illegal to use your phone while driving in Louisiana?
Louisiana law generally prohibits drivers from using or holding a wireless telecommunications device while operating a motor vehicle unless the vehicle is lawfully stationary or another exception applies.
What is considered an emergency exception to the cell phone law?
Exceptions include using a handheld device to report a traffic collision, medical emergency, serious road hazard, crime in progress, or a situation where someone may be in danger of serious injury or death.
Is Louisiana’s cell phone law a secondary offense?
In most locations outside school zones and highway construction zones, a hands-free law violation is generally a secondary offense. In school zones and highway construction zones, it is a primary offense.
What Is the Difference Between a Primary and Secondary Traffic Offense?
A primary offense means police can stop a driver for that violation alone.
A secondary offense means police generally need another reason to stop the driver first, such as speeding, running a stop sign, or making an unsafe lane change.
Why Are Cell Phone Violations That Occur in School Zones Treated as a Primary Offense?
School zones are areas where drivers should expect children, crossing guards, buses, pedestrians, and sudden stops. Because of that, Louisiana law treats phone use in school zones more seriously than phone use in many other locations.
Injured by a Distracted Driver in Baton Rouge?
If you or someone you love has been injured because another driver was distracted by a cellphone, the attorneys at MGM Injury Attorneys can help you understand your legal rights. Our team can investigate the circumstances surrounding the crash, gather evidence, and fight for the compensation you deserve. Contact MGM Injury Attorneys today for a free consultation.
