Iowa’s hands-free law went into effect July 1st, with an initial warning period through December 31st, 2025.
The hands-free law prohibits drivers from using electronic devices while driving unless the device is in a hands-free setting. This means drivers cannot hold their phone in any way; like for streaming video or making calls unless voice activated.
“Yeah, at first I kind of thought even, you know, in my personal life, it’s like, ‘was this too much?’ And thinking about it, I didn’t really like the repercussions of it. You know, it’s kind of convenient to drive down the road and make a lot of phone calls. And I know a lot of people do, but I think for the name of safety and with the stats that we’ve seen from distracting driving, this is the next step to just put that phone completely down. It’s pretty remarkable the number of people that we still encounter that are texting and driving and really distracted by a phone. And like I said, this just takes it to the next step and requires you to not have a hold of it at all.”
That’s Franklin County Sheriff Aaron Dodd. The Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau says there are multiple ways to stay hands-free like the use of an auxiliary cable, Bluetooth devices, like speakers, and turning on your speakerphone. With the implementation of hands-free driving, law enforcement agencies will focus on both education and enforcement during the six-month warning period. Dodd says this is a good time for drivers to get acquainted with the new law.
“So between now and the first of the year, it is warnings only, but it is a reason, you know, now that you can be stopped if you are holding your hand up to your ear and making a phone call. So something to keep in mind as far as training for us. No, we’re just going to observe. I think we’ll use this warning period to educate people the best we can, you know, and that’s a good thing that it doesn’t go directly into a fine. So I kind of appreciate the way, you know, that was passed down to us.”
Violations of the law after the warning period will carry a $100 fine plus court costs and surcharges. You can learn more about hands-free driving at drivesmartiowa.com.
