Twin Falls Police Ramp Up Hands-Free Law Enforcement in Idaho Following Public Complaints
Twin Falls Police Department has dramatically increased the number of citations issued for hands-free law violations in 2026, with department figures showing 93 citations handed out through mid-May — compared to just 42 issued in all of 2024. The surge in enforcement comes in direct response to public feedback from Twin Falls residents who said they were witnessing widespread violations and wondered why officers weren’t acting.
“One of the reasons is that we got a lot of feedback from citizens that said they’ve seen violations of this law,” Lt. Steven Gassert said in remarks reported by the Times-News, “and how come the police weren’t doing anything about it.”
Because distracted driving, including cellphone use, is a leading cause of crashes on Idaho roads, officers have been encouraged to emphasize enforcement whenever their workload permits. In addition to the 93 hands-free citations, the department has also issued 67 citations for failure to obey a traffic control device this year, along with 33 written warnings.
Idaho’s Hands-Free Law and What Drivers Must Know
Idaho State Code 49-1401A requires electronic devices to be in hands-free mode while driving — including when stopped at a red light or stop sign. In other words, with few exceptions, holding a cellphone while operating a vehicle is illegal under Idaho law. A press release from Idaho State Police summarizing the law when it took effect stated plainly: “the new hands-free device law makes holding a cellphone illegal while operating a vehicle.”
The hands-free law took effect in Idaho in July 2020, with law enforcement authorized to issue citations beginning in January 2021. Drivers are permitted to activate GPS, use voice-to-text, and make or receive calls with a single touch or voice command. Handheld use is only allowed when the vehicle is stationary and not located in a public travel lane — or in the event of an emergency.
Bluetooth use remains legal, though Lt. Gassert encouraged drivers to keep their focus on the road. “If they have to take a phone call, to use Bluetooth or a hands-free system,” he said in remarks to the Times-News. Drivers who receive two distracted driving violations within three years may also see those violations factored into their insurance rates under the law.
Gassert noted that officers cannot pull over every driver they observe violating the hands-free law, as they may be responding to a more urgent call. After a traffic stop for a violation, officers can ask a driver to provide evidence they were not using their phone — but if a driver refuses, a warrant would only be sought in major incidents.
Public Hotspots and Community Concern
Kimberly resident Melodi Brown told the Times-News she agrees that too many drivers are using their phones behind the wheel. She identified the intersection of Blue Lakes Boulevard and Pole Line Road as a particularly problematic hotspot, and said she has witnessed similar behavior on Golf Course Road, where drivers struggle to maintain their lane while distracted.
The problem is not unique to Twin Falls. Nationally, more than 800,000 vehicles on American roads on any given day have a distracted driver behind the wheel, according to data cited alongside the report. In 2018 alone, distracted driving claimed more than 2,841 lives across the country.
Sometimes drivers admit on the scene that they were using their phones, Lt. Gassert noted — even in crashes that could easily have been avoided, such as rear-ending a vehicle stopped at a stop sign.
Residents concerned about reckless drivers are encouraged to call non-emergency dispatch to report the behavior. Lt. Gassert also urged people not to attempt to photograph or record an offending driver themselves, as doing so could create additional hazards.
For more on public safety and law enforcement in Magic Valley, see recent coverage including a Twin Falls woman whose bond was raised to $500,000 on a rape suspicion and a Filer man sentenced to prison for lewd conduct, reflecting Twin Falls County courts’ continued attention to serious criminal matters.
What Comes Next
The Twin Falls Police Department is expected to continue prioritizing hands-free law enforcement through the remainder of 2026 as public attention to the issue remains high. Residents with concerns about distracted driving in their neighborhoods are encouraged to contact Twin Falls Police dispatch through non-emergency channels. Drivers are reminded that Idaho law requires all electronic devices to be in hands-free mode at all times while behind the wheel — regardless of whether the vehicle is in motion.