Can You Get A Ticket For Using Your Phone's Map App While Driving?

A 2024 survey conducted by United Tires found that 61% of American drivers use GPS at least once per week. Google Maps was the most popular app choice, used by 63% of drivers, followed by Apple Maps, with 14% relying on it. 

The survey also found that 29% of respondents could go less than a week without GPS, while 23% said they would last less than a month. This suggests that millions of Americans are using their phones while driving. That is a problem, given that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported 3,275 deaths due to distracted driving in 2023 alone. 

Now, you don't have to actively use your smartphone to follow GPS directions, so this is where it gets murky. Some states, like Louisiana, are implementing "no touch" laws that prohibit drivers from interacting with their phones at all while behind the wheel. How does this work, though? Can you get fined for just passively using your phone's navigation app while driving? 

Technology evolves quickly, but laws often struggle to keep up. There were some notable cases over the years that demonstrate just how messy it can get when smartphones, map apps, and driving laws collide.

In 2014, a California man named Steven Spriggs received a $165 ticket for looking at a navigation app on his phone. As the Los Angeles Times reported, Springs fought the ticket in traffic court and then in Superior Court, claiming that the law only prohibited talking on the phone, not using it to follow a map. Judges on the appellate court actually sided with Springs, noting that phones were only used for conversation when the law was enacted.

Across the border in Canada, drivers have run into similar issues. In 2019, a man in British Columbia received a distracted driving ticket because his phone was sitting in the passenger seat. He lost in traffic court, but on appeal, the Supreme Court threw out the ticket, saying that simply having a phone in view isn't enough for a conviction.

As you might expect, regulations around phone and GPS use vary depending on the state. For example, per North Carolina's hands-free law, which prohibits drivers from using their phones while driving, "the use of factory-installed or aftermarket global positioning systems" is specifically allowed. In practice, this means you would get fined if you interact with your phone, but not if it is placed in a phone holder on the dashboard with Google Maps on.

In July 2025, a California appeals court ruled that drivers are not permitted to touch their phones while operating their vehicles. Holding the phone, manipulating it, or otherwise touching it for any reason is strictly forbidden. However, drivers are allowed to use hands-free features, such as voice commands, or operate the phone with a single tap or swipe, provided the device is properly mounted.

No matter where you're located, your best bet is to mount your phone before getting on the road and not touch it at all while actually driving. It's also a good idea to read up on the specific laws in your state, or any state you're driving through, before you get behind the wheel.