Ontario’s distracted driving law is stricter than many people think. Simply holding your phone is enough, even at a red light. For a G1 or G2 driver, one conviction means a licence suspension. Here’s what’s allowed, what isn’t, and what it costs.
What’s against the law
While you’re driving, you can’t:
- Hold a phone or other hand-held device, or use one to text, dial, browse or play anything. Just holding it is an offence.
- Use a hand-held entertainment device, like a gaming console or music player.
- Have a screen in view that has nothing to do with driving, like a video.
- Type into a GPS, unless you do it by voice.
The rule
Stopped still counts
Waiting at a red light or sitting in traffic is still driving. The ban only stops applying once you’re off the road or lawfully parked, not moving, and not blocking traffic.
What’s allowed
- Hands-free calls through Bluetooth, an earpiece or the car’s system, touching the device only to turn it on or off.
- A mounted phone, pressing a button only to make, answer or end a call. The mount must hold it securely, where you can see it at a glance and reach it without changing your driving position.
- GPS that’s built in or securely mounted, used for navigation. Set your destination before you leave, or by voice.
- Calling 911. It’s exempt, though ontario.ca suggests pulling off somewhere safe first if you can.
Penalties for fully licensed drivers
| Conviction | Fine | Also |
|---|---|---|
| First | $615 to $1,000 | 3 demerit points and a 3-day suspension |
| Second | Up to $2,000 | 6 demerit points and a 7-day suspension |
| Third or later | Up to $3,000 | 6 demerit points and a 30-day suspension |
The $615 is what you pay for a first ticket if you don’t go to court; a court can set the fine as high as $1,000. A conviction only counts as a repeat if it comes within five years of the last one, and every suspension also means a $281 reinstatement fee.
Penalties for G1 and G2 drivers
New drivers pay the same fines but get no demerit points. Instead, the licence is suspended:
| Conviction | What happens |
|---|---|
| First | 30-day licence suspension |
| Second | 90-day licence suspension |
| Third | Licence cancelled: you start graduated licensing again from G1 |
The rule
One text can cost a month
A G2 driver caught holding a phone at a red light can lose their licence for 30 days. A third conviction within five years means going back to a G1, with the waiting time starting over.
Want to build phone-free habits from your first lesson? Call or text Mrs. Akbar.
It’s not only phones
Eating, drinking, grooming, reading or reaching for something aren’t covered by the phone law, but if they take your attention off the road, police can charge you with careless driving instead:
- Careless driving: 6 demerit points, a fine of $400 to $2,000, up to six months in jail, and a licence suspension of up to two years.
- Careless driving causing injury or death: a fine of $2,000 to $50,000, up to two years in jail, and a suspension of up to five years.
Careless driving charges apply in parking lots too. And in June 2026, Ontario passed a law that will raise careless driving fines and add roadside suspensions once it takes effect; it wasn’t in force when we last checked.
Why it matters
- Ontario says someone is killed or injured in a collision involving a distracted driver every hour.
- In 2022, more than 30,000 collisions in Ontario involved distracted or inattentive drivers, causing nearly 11,000 injuries and about 100 deaths.
- The Driver’s Handbook says drivers aged 16 to 25 are the most likely to drive distracted, and that drivers who were texting or changing music travelled about 28 m further before reacting to a hazard. That’s about half a hockey rink.
Habits that make it easy
- Turn on your phone’s driving or do-not-disturb mode before you start the car.
- Set your GPS and music before you pull away.
- Mount your phone if you use it for directions, or keep it out of reach if you don’t.
- Let a passenger handle it, or pull over somewhere safe and park first.
On your road test, phones and other recording devices must be turned off, so it’s worth practising without one anyway.
Sources
- Distracted driving (ontario.ca) (opens in a new tab)
- Driver’s Handbook: dealing with particular situations (ontario.ca) (opens in a new tab)
- Highway Traffic Act (ontario.ca/laws) (opens in a new tab)
- O. Reg. 366/09, Display Screens and Hand-Held Devices (ontario.ca/laws) (opens in a new tab)
- Set fines, Highway Traffic Act, Schedule 43 (ontariocourts.ca) (opens in a new tab)
- Reinstate a suspended driver’s licence (ontario.ca) (opens in a new tab)
- Speeding and aggressive driving (ontario.ca) (opens in a new tab)
Quick answers
Can I use my phone at a red light in Ontario?
No. Stopped in traffic or at a red light still counts as driving. You can only use a hand-held phone once you’re off the road or lawfully parked and not blocking traffic.
Is it illegal to just hold your phone while driving in Ontario?
Yes. Holding a phone or other hand-held device while driving is an offence, even if you aren’t using it.
Can I use Google Maps while driving in Ontario?
Yes, if the phone is securely mounted and you set the destination before you leave or by voice. Holding the phone or typing on it while driving isn’t allowed.
Can I touch my phone if it’s mounted?
Only to press a button to make, answer or end a call. The mount must hold it securely, visible at a glance and within easy reach.
How much is a distracted driving ticket in Ontario?
$615 for a first conviction if you pay without going to court, or up to $1,000 if a court sets it, plus 3 demerit points and a 3-day suspension for fully licensed drivers.
What happens if a G2 driver gets a distracted driving ticket?
If convicted, a G2 driver pays the same fine and has their licence suspended for 30 days. A second conviction means 90 days, and a third means starting again from G1.
Is eating while driving illegal in Ontario?
It isn’t covered by the phone law, but if it takes your attention off the road, you can be charged with careless driving.
Can I call 911 while driving?
Yes. Calls to 911 are exempt, though it’s safer to pull off the road first if you can.
put it into practice
Good habits start early
Lessons are a good time to build phone-free driving habits. Call or text to book.
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