Florida legislation · 2026 Regular Session
Florida H1241: Hands-free Driving
Status: Failed, March 13, 2026
Prohibits person who violates careless driving provisions from operating vehicle while using wireless communications device in handheld manner; provides additional penalties for person who violates such provisions & operates vehicle while using such device in handheld manner; authorizes first-time offenders to participate in wireless communications device driving safety program in lieu of imposition of additional penalties; provides exceptions to such prohibition; requires law enforcement officer who stops vehicle for violation of such provisions & finds that operator of vehicle is also using such device in handheld manner to inform vehicle operator of his or her right to decline search of his or her wireless communications device; prohibits such officer from taking certain actions without warrant or consent from vehicle operator; provides that user's billing records for such device or testimony of or written statements from certain authorities are admissible as evidence in crashes resulting in death or serious bodily injury for certain purposes; provides additional fine for person who commits careless driving while using such device in handheld manner; requires deposit of such fine into EMS Trust Fund of DOH.
What the bill says
An act relating to hands-free driving; amending s. 316.1925, F.S.; prohibiting a person who violates careless driving provisions from operating a vehicle while using a wireless communications device in a handheld manner; providing additional penalties for a person who violates careless driving provisions and operates a vehicle while using a wireless communications device in a handheld manner; authorizing first-time offenders to participate in a wireless communications device driving safety program in lieu of the imposition of additional penalties; providing exceptions to such prohibition…
From the introduced text, February 12, 2026:
An act relating to hands-free driving; amending s. 316.1925, F.S.; prohibiting a person who violates careless driving provisions from operating a vehicle while using a wireless communications device in a handheld manner; providing additional penalties for a person who violates careless driving provisions and operates a vehicle while using a wireless communications device in a handheld manner; authorizing first-time offenders to participate in a wireless communications device driving safety program in lieu of the imposition of additional penalties; providing exceptions to such prohibition; requiring a law enforcement officer who stops a vehicle for a violation of careless driving provisions and finds that the operator of the vehicle is also using a wireless communications device in a handheld manner to inform the vehicle operator of his or her right to decline a search of his or her wireless communications device; prohibiting the law enforcement officer from taking certain actions without a warrant or consent from the vehicle operator; providing that a user's billing records for a wireless communications device or the testimony of or written statements from certain authorities are admissible as evidence in crashes CS/HB 1241 2026 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. hb1241-01-c1 Page 2 of FLORIDAHOUSEOFREPRESENTATIVES resulting in death or serious bodily injury for certain purposes; amending s. 318.18, F.S.; providing an additional fine for …