SCDPS Releases Hands-Free Citation Data After First 30 Days of Enforcement

For Immediate Release
March 30, 2026
Contact: Your local SC Highway Patrol Community Relations Officer, 803-896-8144

COLUMBIA – After a six-month warning period, law enforcement across South Carolina began issuing citations for the state’s Hands-Free and Distracted Driving Law on February 28, 2026.

The total number of citations issued by SCDPS (SC Highway Patrol, SC State Transport Police, and the SC Bureau of Protective Services) for hands-free violations from February 28, 2026 – March 29, 2026 is 1,994.

The total number of hands-free citations issued by other law enforcement agencies* for hands-free violations for the same reporting period is 1,501, bringing the statewide total of hands-free citations to 3,495.

*It is to be noted that law enforcement agencies have until the 10th of each month to report their numbers, which may impact the statistics provided below.  

Hands-free law citations by county – Feb 28 – March 29, 2026

South Carolina’s Hands-Free Law prohibits drivers from holding or supporting a mobile device with any part of their body to read or send texts or emails, use websites, browse/post on social media, watch movies, or take calls and video calls.

Exceptions to the law include using a mobile electronic device while legally parked or stopped, using the device in hands-free mode, and listening to audio content as long as drivers are not holding the device while doing so. Law enforcement and first responders are also exempt while performing official duties. Learn more here.

The South Carolina Department of Public Safety includes the Highway Patrol, State Transport Police, Bureau of Protective Services, Office of Highway Safety and Justice Programs, and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Officers Hall of Fame. Our mission is to ensure public safety by protecting and serving the people of South Carolina and its visitors.