Ohio’s cell phone law, Senate Bill 288, took effect on April 4, 2023, and makes it illegal to hold or physically support an electronic device with any part of your body while driving on a public road.1Ohio Legislature. Senate Bill 288 Officers began writing tickets in October of that year, after a six-month warning period. The rule is a primary offense, meaning an officer can pull you over for the phone alone.
What Counts as a Violation
Under Ohio Revised Code 4511.204, you cannot use, hold, or physically support a wireless device while operating a vehicle on a public road.2Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Code 4511.204 – Driving While Texting Resting the phone on your lap counts. Propping it between your shoulder and ear while you scroll counts. Typing a text, browsing the web, watching video, or manually dialing a number all fall inside the ban.
What You Can Still Do
The statute carves out several exceptions, and some are more permissive than drivers expect.
Voice Calls, Even Phone-to-Ear
You can pick up the phone and hold it to your ear for a conversation. The one condition is that you cannot manually enter letters, numbers, or symbols during the call. Answering an incoming call is fine. Using voice commands to place one is fine. Punching in a ten-digit number by hand is not. Speakerphone works too, but only if the phone is not resting on any part of your body.
A Single Tap or Swipe
One motion to accept a call, end a call, skip a song, or dismiss a notification is allowed, provided you are not holding the device and you do not type anything. One finger, one motion, phone in the mount. Scrolling through a playlist or typing an address crosses the line.
Navigation and Hands-Free Systems
GPS is permitted so long as you do not hold the phone or key in an address while driving. The statute does not explicitly require a mount, but since you cannot support the phone with any part of your body, a dashboard or windshield mount is the practical answer. Voice-operated features, Bluetooth, and integrated systems like Apple CarPlay or Android Auto are all allowed under the same hands-free conditions.
At a Red Light
This is the exception that surprises the most drivers. The law does not apply when the vehicle is stationary at a traffic signal directing you to stop. You can check a text at a red light without violating the statute. The same goes for a parked car, a shoulder stop, or any position outside the lane of travel. Once the light turns green, the phone goes down.
Emergencies and Other Exemptions
You can call law enforcement, a fire department, a hospital, or another emergency service regardless of whether the call is hands-free. Separate exemptions cover:
- Public safety personnel (officers, paramedics, firefighters) using devices on duty
- Utility workers responding to outages, emergencies, or public safety threats
- Commercial truck operators using mobile data terminals for fleet communications
- Receiving traffic, weather, or emergency wireless alerts, provided the phone is not held
Fines and Points
Penalties escalate for repeat offenses within a rolling two-year window:
- First offense: up to $150 and two license points
- Second offense: up to $250 and three points
- Third or subsequent offense: up to $500, four points, and a possible 90-day license suspension2Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Code 4511.204 – Driving While Texting
Those are the statutory maximums. Courts add administrative costs on top, often around $100 per citation, so the actual out-of-pocket for a first offense typically lands closer to $250 than $150.
The Safety Course That Erases a First Offense
First-time offenders have a real escape valve. Complete an Ohio-approved distracted driving safety course and submit proof to the court within 90 days of the violation, and both the fine and the two license points are waived.2Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Code 4511.204 – Driving While Texting The Ohio Traffic Safety Office runs the approved program through the Department of Public Safety.3Ohio Traffic Safety Office. Distracted Driving Safety Course Court costs still apply and the conviction stays on your record, but avoiding the points is worth it, because points drive up insurance and can trigger their own license suspension. The course option is only available for the first offense in a two-year period.
Extra Exposure for CDL Drivers
Ohio’s law applies to commercial drivers just like everyone else, but CDL holders also sit under federal rules. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration bars all handheld phone use by drivers of commercial motor vehicles in interstate commerce, including reaching for, holding, dialing, texting, or reading a device.4Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Distracted Driving Federal fines reach $2,750 per violation for the driver and $11,000 for an employer that requires or allows it.5Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. New Mobile Phone Restriction Rule for Commercial Motor Vehicle Drivers Multiple violations can disqualify a CDL, and because a state distracted driving conviction counts as a serious traffic violation federally, an Ohio citation stacks toward federal consequences. Ohio’s exemption for commercial mobile data terminals does not cover personal phone use.
What It Does to Your Insurance
A distracted driving conviction usually shows up as a premium hike at your next renewal. Industry data puts the average increase around 28 percent, with individual results running anywhere from about 9 percent to over 50 percent depending on the insurer and driving history. In dollars, that is roughly $150 to $900 in added annual premium, and the surcharge typically lasts three to five years. A single $150 ticket can carry more than $1,000 in total insurance impact. Since many insurers key their surcharges to license points, taking the safety course on a first offense is one of the most effective ways to keep the increase from ever landing.