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What the road rule actually says
The national rule covering phones is the Australian road rule, and every state and territory has adopted a version of it. It doesn’t only ban phone calls— it bans "using" a hand-held phone, and the rule defines "use" broadly: holding the phone in your hand (except to pass it to a passenger), touching or tapping it, entering text, scrolling, taking a photo, or even looking at a message. If the vehicle is moving, or stationary but not parked— the classic example being stopped at a red light— a driver must not do any of those things with a phone in their hand. The offence is about the device being hand-held and operated by a driver in control of a vehicle, whether the engine is running or off. That’s why the rule feels stricter than people expect: it isn’t "don’t call and drive," it’s "don’t hold or handle your phone while you’re the driver." Once you understand that "use" means almost any interaction, the rest of the rules make sense— everything that is legal below is built around one idea: not touching a hand-held phone while you’re driving.
Full licence: cradle, hands-free, and what you still can’t do
If you hold a full (unrestricted) licence, the road rule lets you use a phone for three things while driving: making or receiving a phone call, playing audio (music, podcasts, radio), and using it as a driver’s aid such as navigation. But there’s a strict condition. The phone must either be secured in a commercially designed mounting (cradle) fixed to the vehicle— which you’re allowed to touch briefly, for example a single tap to answer a call— or be operated completely hands-free through voice command or Bluetooth without touching it at all. Either way it must not be resting on any part of your body, including your lap, and the cradle must not obscure your view of the road. Crucially, some functions are off-limits to everyone while driving, no matter how the phone is set up: texting, emailing, using social media, browsing the internet, taking photos or video, and video calls. A mounted phone does not make texting legal. The safest habit is to set your destination in the GPS and choose your playlist before you start driving, then leave the phone alone until you’ve arrived or parked.
Learners and P-platers: no phone, full stop
The rules are tighter for learner and provisional drivers, because the crash risk from distraction is highest for the least experienced. In most states and territories, learner (L) and P1 drivers must not use a mobile phone in any way while driving— not hand-held, not hands-free, not on loudspeaker, not even in a cradle. That includes making calls and following navigation. Several jurisdictions extend the same total ban to P2 drivers, and some tie it to the driver’s age. Because the detail genuinely varies, confirm the exact rule for your licence class with your state road authority before you rely on it. The stakes are high: for a provisional driver, a single mobile phone offence carries enough demerit points that it can suspend or cancel a P-plate licence outright, especially during a double-demerit period. If you’re on your Ls or Ps, treat the phone as something you only touch when you are safely and legally parked. Put it out of reach— in the glovebox or a bag— so the temptation isn’t sitting right there in the console.
’Stopped’ is not ’parked’— the trap that catches most people
This is the single biggest misunderstanding, and it’s where most fines are issued. You may pick up and freely use your phone— including texting— only when your vehicle is lawfully parked. In the Road Rules, "parked" means you have stopped and are staying in a place where stopping is legal, out of the line of moving traffic. Being stopped at a red light, held in a queue, or crawling in stop-start congestion is NOT parked— you are still "driving," and the hand-held ban still applies. The same catches people in fast-food drive-throughs: if you’re in the queue and not parked, using your phone to pay or scroll can be an offence in several states. To use your phone legally you have to actually pull over somewhere you’re allowed to stop, out of the traffic lane. A good mental test: if a car behind you would expect you to move off at any moment, you are not parked, and the phone stays down. Learners sitting the knowledge test are often asked exactly this— expect a question about using a phone at traffic lights.
How it’s enforced— cameras, police and penalties
Enforcement has stepped up sharply. New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria now run dedicated mobile phone detection cameras that automatically photograph the inside of vehicles, day and night and in all weather, looking for a phone in a driver’s hand— on top of ordinary police patrols. You don’t have to be pulled over by an officer to be fined. The penalties are deliberately heavy: illegal mobile phone use carries several demerit points plus a significant fine in every state, and the demerit points can double during declared double-demerit periods such as long weekends in some states. Because the exact fine and point figures change over time and differ by jurisdiction, check the current numbers with your state road authority rather than trusting an old figure you saw somewhere. One more thing worth knowing: there is no general exemption for holding your phone to call 000 in an emergency— the law still expects you to pull over safely or use hands-free. If you need to make or take a call and can’t do it hands-free, the correct and legal move is always the same: find a safe place, park, then use your phone.
Common mistakes learners make
- Checking a text or scrolling while stopped at a red light or stuck in traffic— you’re not parked, so it’s still illegal.
- Learner or P-plate drivers assuming hands-free or loudspeaker is allowed for them— in most states any phone use is banned on Ls and P1.
- Holding the phone in your hand to follow GPS directions— navigation is only legal from a phone fixed in a cradle you don’t need to touch.
- Resting the phone on your lap or the seat to use it on speaker— that still counts as hand-held ’use’; it must be secured in a mounting.
- Believing a mounted phone lets you do anything— texting, social media, photos and video are banned even when the phone is in a cradle.
- Using your phone to pay at a drive-through while still in the queue and not parked.
Check the official source before you rely on this
Rules and pass requirements are set by each state and territory road authority and can change. Always confirm the current details with the official source for your state — Transport for NSW, VicRoads (Victoria), Queensland Transport, or the equivalent authority where you live. This page is a free study guide, not a substitute for the official handbook.
Last verified 4 September 2026 against the Australian Road Rules and your state road authority. Rules, fees and figures change. Always confirm current details with your state road authority before you rely on them.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I use my phone at a red light or while stuck in traffic?
- No. You can only handle a hand-held phone when your vehicle is lawfully parked and out of the line of traffic. Being stopped at a red light or crawling in a queue still counts as driving, so picking up your phone there is an offence that detection cameras and police actively look for.
- Can learner and P1 drivers use a phone hands-free or in a cradle?
- In most states and territories, no. Learner and P1 drivers are banned from all phone use while driving, including hands-free, loudspeaker and a phone in a cradle. The detail varies by licence class, so confirm your exact conditions with your state road authority such as Transport for NSW or VicRoads.
- If I have a full licence, can I touch my phone in a cradle to answer a call or follow GPS?
- Yes, if it is secured in a fixed, commercially designed cradle that does not obscure your view, you may give it a brief touch such as a single tap to answer a call, and use it for calls, audio or navigation. You still cannot pick it up, and texting, social media, browsing, photos and video calls stay illegal even when the phone is mounted.