D.C. Code § 50-1731.04: Restricted use of mobile telephone and other electronic devices.
Where this section sits in the code
- Title 50. Motor and Non-Motor Vehicles and Traffic.
- Chapter 17A. Distracted Driving Prevention.
(a)
No person shall, while operating a motor vehicle in the District:
(1)
Use, or attempt to use, a mobile telephone or other personal wireless communications device without using a hands-free accessory; or
(2)
Hold, or attempt to hold, a mobile telephone or other personal wireless communications device.
(b)
The provisions of subsection (a) of this section shall not apply to the following:
(1)
Emergency use of a mobile telephone, including calls to 911 or 311, a hospital, an ambulance service provider, a fire department, a law enforcement agency, or a first-aid squad;
(2)
Use of a mobile telephone by law enforcement and emergency personnel or by a driver of an authorized emergency vehicle, acting within the scope of official duties;
(3)
Initiating or terminating a telephone call, or turning the telephone on or off; or
(4)
The operation of a vehicle that has stopped on the side of, or off, an active roadway in a location where it can safely remain stationary.
(c)
No person shall use headphones that cover both ears or earbuds in both ears while operating a motor vehicle in the District, except if the headphones or earbuds are being used to assist a hearing-impaired driver.
Collected 2026-08-29T05:44:07Z. Source file · JSON