LAFAYETTE PARISH (DUSON) — Drivers across Louisiana will face fines in 2026 if they hold a cellphone while driving, as the state begins full enforcement of its hands-free law aimed at reducing distracted driving.
The law, which took effect in August, prohibits drivers from holding a phone for any reason while operating a vehicle. Beginning Jan. 1, officers can issue citations to violators, with fines of up to $200.
“We don’t want your money—we want your safety and everyone else’s safety,” said Duson Assistant Police Chief James Hodges.
Under the law, drivers may still use hands-free devices such as Bluetooth or earpieces, but must keep their phones out of their hands while the vehicle is in motion.
Law enforcement officials say the rule is designed to curb distractions caused by texting, calling or scrolling behind the wheel.
Hodges said compliance is simple.
“Don’t text, and you won’t have to pay a fine,” he said, adding that drivers should pull over safely if they need to use their phones.
Residents in Acadiana said distracted driving is a concern they see every day.
Priscilla Green is a grandmother from Lafayette, and said whenever she sees drivers on their phones on the road, she immediately thinks of her children and grandchildren.
“I think having your hands on the phone, looking down--you see a lotta people maybe creating a video while they’re in the car. So, I believe that it’s not safe, and having that law go into effect—I think is gonna help a lot of people.”
Maglin Ollison is a Breaux Bridge mother of four who said she already uses a hands-free earpiece and believes the law will make driving safer for families.
“I think it’s a good thing, I mean, just to get rid of some of those distractions. You see a lot of accidents that have come as a result of being on your phone. A lot of the time you see people driving on their phone and that’s when accidents tend to happen."
As Louisiana moves into full enforcement of the hands-free law in 2026, officials and families alike are urging drivers to change their habits, emphasizing that no text or call is worth a life.
