Missouri Highway Patrol urges compliance with hands-free law

JOPLIN, Mo. — The hands-free grace period is coming to an end for drivers in Missouri.

The law took effect in the Show-Me State in August of 2023, and the grace period ends on January 1.

Troopers and any law enforcement officers can issue a citation if a driver is stopped for a traffic violation, and the officer witnesses the driver using their phone - or even still holding their phone.

In fact, Corporal Sam Carpenter with the Missouri State Highway Patrol clarifies, a driver cannot touch their device in any way - they cannot even put a finger on the phone.

The first citation is a $150 fine, the second is $250, and the third is $500.

Carpenter tells us the fines are steep for a reason.

"We have a lot of fatal crashes every year that are caused by distracted driving due to cell phone usage. So, we just want to make sure everybody's aware of that. We're trying to keep everybody safe. No text, or tweet, or whatever your favorite social media avenue is, is worth your life or somebody else's," said Cpl. Sam Carpenter, Missouri State Highway Patrol.

He says a Bluetooth connection is required to avoid a ticket, like answering the phone through a button on the steering wheel or having the car read the text aloud.

If those don't exist in your car, Carpenter suggests putting your phone in "do not disturb" mode.

The hands-free law includes all electronic devices, even GPS navigation systems.