WITH the advent of hands-free laws prohibiting drivers from even grabbing their phone while behind the wheel, motorists’ focuses have instead shifted to how to get around these new laws.
One common approach may seem sensible enough to avoid fines up to $10,000, but this may not be the case depending on the exact circumstances.
Many states are enacting hands-free laws to keep drivers off their phones while behind the wheel[/caption]
Drivers can get around hands-free laws, but not everywhere[/caption]
As 2025 has progressed, more and more states have enacted hands-free laws, also known as touch laws, which harshly punish drivers for even grabbing their phone while on the road.
States which don’t have specific touch laws typically either have outlawed texting and driving as a catch-all term, or qualify phone usage in any way behind the wheel as distracted driving.
In any scenario, punishments for phone usage behind the wheel can reach peaks of $10,000 in fines and up to a year in jail depending on the exact circumstances of the incident.
In these states, a commonly attempted workaround is to utilize wireless headphones which offer limited device functionality while driving, such as AirPods.
However, the laws regarding headphone usage while driving vary from state to state, and each state’s law can even have certain stipulations on their usage.
For example, Colorado says it’s illegal to wear headphones in both ears due to how it can impair a driver’s ability to hear important sounds like sirens or horns from police or emergency vehicles.
The state instead permits the use of one earbud for phone calls or other specific functions since the driver can still hear what’s going on around them.
States which allow the use of a single earbud while driving for various purposes include Alaska, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Washington D.C., per Thompson Law.
Some of these states allow a single earbud for any purpose, while others restrict them to either taking phone calls, using GPS, or hearing improvement purposes.
States which explicitly forbid it save for certain drivers meeting specific prerequisites include California, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Virginia, and Washington.
The remaining states have not explicitly outlawed the use of headphones while driving in any way, shape, or form as of this writing.
For residents of states with specific usage laws or that lack any restrictive legislation, this provides a convenient and familiar workaround to these stringent new regulations.
However, the dangers of headphone usage still exist in these states which lack legislature, meaning drivers need to make sure they’re extra aware while using the devices behind the wheel.
Other workarounds to hands-free laws include legal loopholes which allow first-time offenders to dodge fines and points if they provide proof of purchasing a hands-free accessory after the fact.
New October driving laws and rules
New driving laws coming on October 1, 2025:
- Maryland drivers who go 30 mph or higher over the posted speed limit will be charged with reckless driving and hit with up to 60 days in jail and $1,000 in fines. The same law also introduces new speeding cameras and a graduated fine scale, going as high as $425 for going 40 mph or higher over the limit.
- Maryland will also begin revoking the licenses of motorists convicted of impaired driving if they fled the scene of or caused death or life-threatening injury to someone involved in the incident they were convicted for. Application for reinstatement is possible to those affected after a certain time.
- Florida drivers with certain front-facing aftermarket lighting setups who are believed to be imitating or impersonating law enforcement while driving will be hit with up to $5,000 in fines and up to five years in prison.
- Florida will also begin forcing drivers who crash into property or another vehicle and flee the scene to pay for any damage they’ve caused.
- Another new Florida law will punish drivers who lead law enforcement on car chases, raising these offenses by one classification level and increasing their jail time accordingly. Repeat offenders will also have their sentences increased by 50%.
- The final new law for Florida will seek to increase the max sentences for repeat DUI and BUI offenders to 30 years from 15 years. The law will also make refusing a urine or breath test a misdemeanor offense, with repeat offenses raising the degree.
- Connecticut will officially classify reckless driving as a traffic offense from October 1 onward, defining it as driving at speeds of 100 mph or higher. Offenders can be hit with up to $1,000 in fines, a year in prison, and may have their vehicles impounded at the arresting officer’s discretion.
- Motorcycle drivers in Connecticut also have a new law to look out for, which will raise the mandatory helmet age threshold from 18 to 21 years old. Violators will be hit with fines ranging from $90 to $250, and the law also applies to riders of e-bikes with batteries higher than 750 watts.
- Connecticut will restrict predatory towing practices, which include forcing tow companies to take credit card payments, making it more difficult for them to sell a car in their possession, and restricting what they can tow vehicles for.
- Hoboken, New Jersey, will begin implementing traffic cameras focused on sending out parking tickets to violators, doing so without giving them any immediate notification. Violations the cameras are monitoring include double parking, blocking bike lanes, stopping in bike zones, and improper use of loading zones.
Some states also have specific exceptions for phone usage behind the wheel, such as South Carolina allowing it for parked or stopped vehicles, when used to report emergencies, or for navigation and audio purposes without holding the device.
Both headphone usage laws and hands-free laws are constantly evolving, and drivers are best served keeping up to date with local laws on what is and isn’t allowed.
NEW OCTOBER LAWS NATIONWIDE
In addition to the advent of touch laws, a slew of new rules and regulations is set to hit several different states in the month of October.
Maryland is enacting a law which will both officially classify and define reckless driving as a traffic offense, and implement new speed cameras with a graduating scale for fines reaching as high as $425.
Connecticut is introducing a similar law to define reckless driving, and is also enforcing new helmet mandates for motorcycle riders. Thankfully, drivers are getting support from the state in a bill which seeks to restrict predatory towing practices.
Florida is introducing a slew of new laws, the most significant and impactful of which could see drivers with aftermarket light rigs hit with five years in prison and $5,000 in fines if believed to be driving in a certain way.
