2023 District of Columbia Code
Title 50 - Motor and Non-Motor Vehicles and Traffic
Chapter 17A - Distracted Driving Prevention
§ 50–1731.04. Restricted use of mobile telephone and other electronic devices

(a) No person shall use a mobile telephone or other electronic device while operating a moving motor vehicle in the District of Columbia unless the telephone or device is equipped with a hands-free accessory.

(b) The provisions of subsection (a) of this section shall not apply to the following:

(1) Emergency use of a mobile telephone, including calls to 911 or 311, a hospital, an ambulance service provider, a fire department, a law enforcement agency, or a first-aid squad;

(2) Use of a mobile telephone by law enforcement and emergency personnel or by a driver of an authorized emergency vehicle, acting within the scope of official duties; or

(3) Initiating or terminating a telephone call, or turning the telephone on or off.

(c) No person shall use headphones that cover both ears or earbuds in both ears while operating a motor vehicle in the District, except if the headphones or earbuds are being used to assist a hearing-impaired driver.

(Mar. 30, 2004, D.C. Law 15-124, § 4, 51 DCR 1541; Dec. 23, 2020, D.C. Law 23-158, § 6(a), 67 DCR 13057.)

This section is referenced in § 50-1731.05 and § 50-1731.06.