Drivers who use cell phones will be forced to put them down when they’re behind the wheel in Iowa beginning today.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed the bill into law in early April. It bans drivers from using cellphones behind the wheel outside of hands-free or voice-activated modes.

“The goal of the new hands free law in Iowa is safety,” said Hamilton County Sheriff Alex Pruismann. “The legislation realizes that electronics will be used within a motor vehicle in some fashion but with today’s technology we are able to do all of that hands free and this law will help ensure that.”

The measure is an expansion from Iowa’s law banning texting while driving.

Beginning today, law enforcement officers will give warnings for violations from July through the rest of 2025.

Beginning January 1, 2026, using handheld personal electronic devices while driving will result in a fine of $100. If the incident results in an injury, the fine is raised to $500, and incidents that cause death will raise the fine to $1,000.

“If you spoke to any deputies, police officers or state troopers, one of the top reasons for accidents of any nature is distracted driving,” Pruismann said. “This law is an attempt to try and curb that in the face of safety.”

Last spring the governor said that Iowa has become the 31st state in the country to have a “hands free” law on the books, and that neighboring states like Minnesota and Illinois have seen major decreases in car crashes since enacting similar laws.

“I’m grateful, because this legislation will save lives,” Reynolds said at the April signing. “According to a recent study, a 10% reduction in distracted driving in Iowa will prevent over 1,200 crashes, 700 injuries and six deaths, as well as over $50 million in economic damages.”

The measure had received support from Reynolds at the beginning of the session, when she mentioned the proposal in her January Condition of the State address. Part of the governor’s push came in part after meeting the family of Roland Taylor of Terril — a victim of a distracted driving crash in 2023. The governor said she signed the measure into law, nearly two years to the day of the crash “in his memory, and we’d do the same for every Iowan killed due to distracted driving.”

Pruismann said, “To think we will get away from electronics within motor vehicles is wishful thinking. Having the hands-free law allows for the use of electronics as long as your hands are free to do the necessary driving.”