Mobile Phones and Driving in Singapore: Current Rules and a Major 2026 Change
Our Rules and Regulations category covers a wide mix of legal requirements, and few of them are changing as fast as this one right now. Mobile phone use behind the wheel is already tightly regulated in Singapore, and a Bill introduced in Parliament in July 2026 would tighten it even further. Here is exactly where the law stands today, and what may be coming.
The Current Law: Section 65B of the Road Traffic Act
Right now, an offence under Section 65B requires three things to all be true at once:
- You are holding a mobile communication device in your hand.
- You are operating one of its functions, such as calling, texting, scrolling, or checking a notification.
- Your vehicle is in motion.
If all three apply, you can face a fine of up to $1,000, up to 6 months in jail, or both, for a first offence. Repeat offenders face steeper penalties: a fine of up to $2,000, up to 12 months in jail, or both, along with demerit points and a real risk of disqualification.
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What Is Still Allowed
The law has never banned phones from a moving vehicle entirely. Using a phone that is properly mounted on a dashboard or windscreen holder, for hands free navigation, remains permitted. The issue has always been holding the device while actively using its functions, not the presence of a phone in the car.
The Proposed Change: Holding Alone May Become Enough
On 7 July 2026, the Ministry of Home Affairs introduced the Road Traffic (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill in Parliament. One of its central changes targets exactly the weak point in the current law: proving active use.
Right now, Traffic Police officers need to observe and establish that a driver was genuinely doing something on the phone, texting, calling, or browsing, not just holding it. This makes enforcement harder in practice, since a driver can often claim they were about to put the phone down, or were not actually using any function.
Under the proposed amendment, that requirement would be removed entirely. Simply holding a mobile communication device in your hand while the vehicle is moving would be enough to constitute an offence, regardless of whether you were calling, texting, checking a notification, or doing nothing at all with it. The government's stated reasoning is straightforward: holding a phone reduces the likelihood that a driver is fully focused on the road, so removing the need to prove active use makes the law both safer and easier to enforce.
What the Penalties Would Look Like
Reports on the proposed Bill describe this new, simpler "holding" offence as carrying 12 demerit points, with a composition fine of $400 for light vehicles and $500 for heavy vehicles. This sits alongside the existing, more serious penalties for active use, which remain a matter for court prosecution with fines up to $1,000 or $2,000 and possible jail time, depending on whether it is a first or repeat offence.
What Stays the Same
Even under the proposed changes, phones mounted on a proper holder for hands free navigation would remain permitted. The target of this amendment is handling the device, not having one in the vehicle at all.
Where Things Stand Right Now
As of this article, the Bill has only had its First Reading in Parliament. It is a proposed change, not yet law. If you are studying for the BTT or FTT now, the current Section 65B rules (all three conditions required) are what you will be tested on, but it is worth keeping an eye on this one, since it is likely to become one of the more talked about legal changes for Singapore drivers this year.
The Safest Habit, Regardless of Which Version of the Law Applies
Whichever way this Bill ultimately lands, the practical takeaway is the same either way: treat your phone as something you do not touch at all once your vehicle is moving. Mount it before you set off if you need navigation, and leave it there. A habit built around the strictest possible version of the rule never puts you at risk, no matter which version of the law is in force when you are actually on the road.
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