France is getting much tougher on phones at the wheel. The Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez and the Minister of State for the Interior Marie-Pierre Vedrenne have told authorities across the country to suspend the licences of drivers caught using a handheld mobile phone while driving.
What changes
Since 2025, a pilot scheme in some areas has allowed an immediate, short-term licence suspension for using a phone at the wheel. That approach is now being applied nationwide.
- The préfecture decides the length of the suspension, from 15 days to six months, depending on the circumstances and your driving record.
- It is an administrative suspension, so you do not have to retake a test to get your licence back at the end.
- The usual penalties still apply: a 135 euro fine and three points off your licence.
The law itself has not changed. Using a handheld phone while driving was already illegal. What changes is how hard the sanction lands.
What counts as using your phone
Any use of a phone held in your hand: making or taking a call, messaging, browsing, taking photos or filming. A hands-free system that plays the call through the car's own speakers is allowed. If in doubt, put the phone away before you start the engine.
Why now
The government says driver distraction is a growing cause of crashes. According to the road safety agency, Sécurité routière, reading a message while driving multiplies the risk of an accident by 23, because your eyes leave the road for about five seconds on average. In 2024, inattention was involved in 24 percent of injury accidents and nearly 419 deaths.
The pilot ran in Pas-de-Calais, Lot-et-Garonne, Landes and Charente-Maritime. In the Landes, where it started in November 2025, around 300 licences were suspended in the first three months, and phone use at the wheel fell by 12 percent, according to the minister.
If you drive on a foreign licence
The rules apply to everyone driving in France. With a foreign licence, the préfecture can bar you from driving in France for the same period. A suspension can also cause problems with your employer if you drive for work, and with your car insurance. A message is never worth it.