No more warnings in Iowa. If you’re caught holding a cell phone while driving, get your wallet ready. Starting January 1, the grace period ends. The new fines under the Hands-Free Law will leave no one indifferent. In some cases, paying the fine will cost you more than your iPhone itself.
The trial period is over. Real fines are coming
Can a government educate citizens sensibly without resorting to fines? In Iowa, at least, they have tried. Over the past six months, drivers have experienced a transition period. If an officer saw a driver using their cell phone while driving, the problem was settled with a simple warning. In some cases, officers handed out informational brochures to raise awareness of the dangers of this act.
But this act of “goodwill” is coming to an end. This measure, which was promoted by Governor Kim Reynolds and ratified in April 2025, will come into full effect on January 1, 2026. Iowa will become the 31st US state to formally declare war on cell phone use while driving.
And no, this is not a simple bureaucratic adjustment. The measure comes in response to a very significant increase in traffic accidents caused by distractions while driving.
The fine print of the law
You have to be careful with what the Hands-Free Law considers “use of a cell phone.” If you were thinking that using your phone means driving down the highway while watching TikTok, or driving down an avenue while typing a WhatsApp message, pay attention, because the law is somewhat controversial.
These new measures, which come into force at the beginning of January, consider using a cell phone to be equivalent to any type of interaction with the device. Until now, previous laws already established fines for people who drove while texting or using headphones.
But the new law goes a step further. Now, interacting with the device is completely prohibited. To give a few examples, touching the screen of your phone to skip a song on Spotify is punishable. Setting the GPS route while holding the phone in your hand is also punishable. The only exception allowed is to use the phone via voice commands. In other words, to avoid being fined, you will have to use Siri, Google Assistant, or the service integrated into your vehicle.
According to the authorities themselves, the only legal way to hold a phone in your hand without being fined is while the vehicle is parked in a legal parking space or off the public road. If you can read between the lines, you will have noticed that touching your phone while waiting at a red light will also be grounds for a fine.
These will be the new penalties in Iowa
Starting January 1, holding your cell phone while driving will cost you $100. That is the standard fine under this law. Don’t argue with the officer, as there will be no distinction between using GPS, instant messaging, or simply holding the device.
On the other hand, if the driver is involved in an accident and it is proven that they were using a mobile device, the fine increases. You will have to pay $500 if the accident causes injury to a third party.
Finally, there is the most severe penalty. When the accident has a fatal consequence, that is, if a person dies because of the distraction, a penalty of $1,000 will be applied. Although, in this case, it cannot be said that this is a very high amount, as it will be added to the possible charges for reckless homicide and the obvious immediate suspension of the driver’s license.
The laws have become stricter in Iowa, but it is not the exception. Mobile phones have become a new pandemic. It seems unbelievable that it has taken us more than a decade to realize that a distracted driver is as dangerous as a drunk driver.