Photo: Lasse Fuss, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Missouri’s hands-free law, the Siddens Bening Hands Free Law, bans drivers of every age from holding a phone or similar device while driving. It took effect on August 28, 2023, and law enforcement began writing citations on January 1, 2025. This guide explains what you can and cannot do, and what it means for learners and teens.
Key facts
- Law: Siddens Bening Hands Free Law, section 304.822 of the Missouri Revised Statutes.
- Effective: August 28, 2023.
- Citations: from January 1, 2025.
- Who: all drivers. It replaced Missouri’s older texting ban that applied only to drivers 21 and under.
- Enforcement: secondary. An officer must stop you for another offense first.
What you cannot do while driving in Missouri
- Hold or support a phone or other electronic communication device in your hand, lap or elsewhere on your body.
- Type, send or read texts by hand.
- Browse, scroll social media, or watch or record video.
What is allowed
- Calls and messages using voice, Bluetooth, speakerphone or the car’s built-in system.
- Navigation in hands-free mode, with the phone in a mount, and music or podcast apps.
- Voice-to-text messages, and hands-free talk through the car speaker, Bluetooth, an earbud or a headset.
- A single touch or swipe to start or end a hands-free function.
- Contacting emergency services to report a crash, crime or medical emergency.
Penalties
Fines increase for repeat offenses, and a driver who causes a crash while breaking the law can face criminal charges. Check the current fine amounts with the Missouri Department of Transportation’s highway safety pages before relying on any figure.
What it means for Missouri learners and teens
- The same rule applies on your instruction permit and intermediate license.
- Set navigation and music before you move off.
- Phone distraction is a common written test topic, so learn the rule as well as the habit.
- A citation is a traffic conviction, which can delay your move to the next GDL stage. See Missouri intermediate license rules.
Common questions
When did Missouri’s hands-free law start?
It took effect on August 28, 2023. Officers began issuing citations on January 1, 2025.
Can police pull me over just for holding my phone?
No. It is a secondary offense, so you must be stopped for something else first, such as speeding.
Can I use my phone at a red light?
The Missouri Driver Guide (revised August 2026) describes the bans as applying while the vehicle is in motion. A stop in traffic can turn into moving traffic at any second, and holding the phone then breaks the law, so the safe choice is to pick up your phone only once you are parked off the road.
Is there still a separate under-21 texting law?
The all-ages hands-free law replaced the older under-21 texting ban.
How do other states handle phones?
See hands-free and texting laws for US drivers.
Related Missouri guides
Sources
- Missouri Revisor of Statutes, “Section 304.822, RSMo” (revisor.mo.gov)
- Missouri Department of Transportation, “Hands-Free Law Takes Effect on Monday” (modot.org)
- Missouri Department of Transportation, “MoDOT and Safety Partners Promote Buckle Up Phone Down Day” (modot.org)
- Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety, “Hands-Free Law” (savemolives.com)