{"id":1602,"date":"2026-06-22T14:15:11","date_gmt":"2026-06-22T14:15:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.southernharvestinsurance.com\/blog\/?p=1602"},"modified":"2026-06-22T14:22:20","modified_gmt":"2026-06-22T14:22:20","slug":"what-is-georgias-hands-free-law","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.southernharvestinsurance.com\/blog\/auto-insurance\/what-is-georgias-hands-free-law\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is Georgia\u2019s Hands-Free Law? Distracted Driving Laws Explained\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"
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If your driver\u2019s ed course\u00a0wasn\u2019t\u00a0too far in the past, you might remember learning to keep your hands on the steering wheel at ten o\u2019clock and two o\u2019clock or maybe at nine o\u2019clock and three. Regardless of the exact clock positions you learned, the key lesson was always to keep both hands on the wheel while driving.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s\u00a0still good advice today. In the Peach State, a police officer can pull you over and give you a costly ticket if you have one or both hands occupied with a phone or are watching a video while driving. And one or more of those tickets could, in turn, raise your\u00a0<\/span>auto insurance rates<\/span><\/b><\/a>\u00a0\u2014 or even cancel your coverage.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s\u00a0why it pays to know about and respect the Georgia hands-free law, also sometimes known as the Georgia cell phone law or the distracted driving law of Georgia.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What Is Georgia\u2019s Hands-Free Law?\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Distracted drivers cause accidents, and as of 2022, distracted driving was involved in approximately 53% of all car accidents in Georgia. Few things in modern life are more distracting than\u00a0a cell phone\u00a0or electronic communication devices.\u00a0That\u2019s\u00a0the core reason behind the Hands-Free Georgia Act, also known as the Georgia Hands-Free Act (HB 673), which took effect on July 1, 2018, after being signed into law by Governor Nathan Deal.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

According to Georgia\u2019s\u00a0hands free\u00a0law, the legal description appears in Georgia Code Title 40 6, specifically the section that bars drivers from holding or supporting any wireless telecommunications device or\u00a0stand alone\u00a0electronic device with any part of their body while\u00a0operating\u00a0a motor vehicle. This prohibition includes texting, chatting, or browsing the web, even when stopped at a red light or in traffic.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

There are limited exceptions for reporting emergencies such as traffic accidents, medical emergencies, fires, hazardous road conditions that pose an immediate safety risk, a potential criminal matter, or a delinquent act. Certain professionals, including\u00a0a firefighter\u00a0and public safety officials, are exempt while performing official duties.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The law aims to reduce crash risk caused by distracted driving. Since its implementation, distraction-related traffic deaths have declined from 5.3% in 2017 to 3.1% by 2021, reflecting a response to increases in distraction-related harm and a positive impact on road safety and safer operation of motor vehicles across Georgia.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For more info on Georgias auto laws check out:\u00a0<\/span>What You Should Know About Georgia\u2019s Auto Laws<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Georgia Hands-Free Law Rules: What Drivers Can and Cannot Do\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

The Georgia hands-free law means you can\u2019t manually use your cellular telephone, portable telephone, or other handheld electronic devices to talk, send texts, surf the web, or perform any other functions while driving, and you also cannot hold or support a phone, other device, or such device while operating a vehicle.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

However, you can make hands-free phone calls through Bluetooth, speakerphone, voice-based communication technology, or by using an earpiece or headphone device. Watching a video or a movie while driving is prohibited, but it is legal to glance quickly at a global positioning system receiver mounted on your dashboard, provided you do not touch it.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Drivers may also use in-vehicle systems for navigation or remote diagnostics, including a remote diagnostics system, when used as intended. This also means no reading or sending an instant message or an\u00a0email, using an app for other internet data, or recording video data files while driving. Drivers may only use these devices when legally parked.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Drivers should program music streaming apps before starting to drive to\u00a0comply with\u00a0the law, and any app should be set before driving and only used manually when legally parked.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Allowed actions include:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n