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Phone use at wheel can now lead to licence suspension across France
The measure was previously introduced by individual prefectures
Mobile phone use while driving can now lead to a temporary driving licence suspension anywhere in France.
The measure was previously introduced by individual prefectures, with more than a dozen departments adopting tougher rules during 2026.
The government has now instructed all prefects to apply the existing administrative suspension procedure.
The instruction was sent on September 29 by Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez and delegate Citizenship Minister Marie-Pierre Vedrenne.
How will the suspension work?
Drivers can have their licence suspended for using a hand-held phone while driving, even if no other offence was committed.
The suspension will be decided by the prefecture rather than imposed directly by police or gendarmes at the roadside.
According to Ms Vedrenne, suspensions in departments already using the measure generally last 15 days. They can also last one month and, in some cases, up to six months.
The standard penalties for using a hand-held phone remain in place: a €135 fine and three points deducted from the driving licence.
Ms Vedrenne said the measure was intended to ensure the rules were applied consistently across France.
"The use of the phone is no less dangerous depending on where you are," she told Le Figaro. "For a rule to be accepted, it must be clear, understandable and applied everywhere."
Rules had varied between departments
Landes was the first department to introduce licence suspensions for phone use alone, in November 2025.
Other departments subsequently followed, including Corrèze, where repeat offenders have faced three-week suspensions since September, and Drôme, where a first offence can result in a one-month suspension.
The rules previously varied considerably, with some departments targeting first offences and others applying suspensions only to repeat offenders.
The nationwide measure means drivers can now face a suspension for phone use alone regardless of where in France the offence occurs.
Can you still use your phone as a GPS?
Yes, provided it is securely mounted and is not handled while the vehicle is moving.
A phone fixed to a suitable holder can be used for navigation. Drivers should not pick it up to change a destination, read a message or adjust the route while driving.
They should instead stop somewhere safe before handling the device. On a motorway, this means stopping at a service area.
The government cited the continued prevalence of phone use as one reason for the tougher approach.
In 2025, 695,360 offences for using a phone or earphones while driving were recorded, up 6.7% on 2024, according to France’s road safety observatory (Observatoire national interministériel de la sécurité routière ONISR).
The ONISR says using a phone while driving triples the risk of an accident, while reading a message increases the risk 23-fold.
There were 3,515 road deaths in France in 2025.
