Police to Enforce Hands-Free Phone Law in Friday Operation

Pasadena police will conduct an enforcement operation Friday, Aug. 28, focused on drivers suspected of violating the hands-free cell phone law, the department said in a news release Tuesday.

Under current law, drivers are not allowed to hold a phone or electronic communications device while operating a vehicle, including talking, texting or using an app, the department said.

Using a handheld cell phone while driving is punishable by a fine, and violating the hands-free law a second time within 36 months of a prior conviction for the same offense will result in a point being added to a driver’s record.

“A driver’s focus should be on the road, not their phone,” Lt. Mathew Campeau said. “That text, phone call, email or social media post is not worth the risk to yourself and other people on the road.”

Drivers who have an important call to make or need to program directions should pull over to a safe parking spot, Campeau said. Before driving, drivers should silence the phone or put it somewhere they cannot reach.

The prohibition reaches past talking and texting. In People v. Porter, decided in June 2025, the Sixth Appellate District of the California Court of Appeal held that holding a phone for any purpose while driving, including to view a navigation app without touching the screen, violates the law.

Funding for the program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.