D.C. Code § 50-1731.04 – Restricted use of mobile telephone and other electronic devices.

(a) No person shall, while operating a motor vehicle in the District:
1. (1) Use, or attempt to use, a mobile telephone or other personal wireless communications device without using a hands-free accessory; or
2. (2) Hold, or attempt to hold, a mobile telephone or other personal wireless communications device.
(b) The provisions of subsection (a) of this section shall not apply to the following:
1. (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. (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;
3. (3) Initiating or terminating a telephone call, or turning the telephone on or off; or
4. (4) The operation of a vehicle that has stopped on the side of, or off, an active roadway in a location where it can safely remain stationary.
(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)

Dec. 6, 2025, D.C. Law 26-55, § 6052(b)

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