You could be fined for using a phone while driving in Missouri in 2025. Here’s how much
Missouri’s texting and driving ban went into effect in 2023, and you can expect to see more fines handed to drivers starting Jan. 1, 2025.
The Siddens Bening Hands-Free Law says drivers can no longer physically hold or support their cellphone with any part of their body while driving their car. This includes:
- Manually typing, writing, sending or reading text-based messages
- Recording, posting, sending or broadcasting video, including video calls and social media posts
- Watching a video or movie
The law came with a 16-month grace period where officers were encouraged not to hand out fines, but to warn drivers of what to expect when 2025 comes around.
Starting Jan. 1, the warnings will turn into fines. The more drivers are caught, the more they can expect to be fined.
First offenders will have to pay a $150 fine. A second conviction can cost you up to a $250 fine and a third conviction can lead to a $500 fine. It’s also $500 if you’re caught in an active school or work zone.
The hands-free law is a secondary offense, meaning police can only write a citation after pulling the driver over for another violation, like speeding, running a red light or weaving through lanes.
The Missouri Department of Transportation projections on statewide traffic fatalities show that the state is on target to have 987 traffic fatalities in 2024, down from 2023 and the lowest since 2020.
Distracted driving contributed to more than 100 deaths in 2023, MoDOT reports. Over half of the fatalities were someone other than the distracted driver.
Prior to Missouri Gov. Mike Parson signing the bill, Missouri state law said that drivers under 21 years old were prohibited from using any handheld wireless device to “send, read, or write a text message or electronic message,” but there were no limits for older drivers.
