Using a handheld mobile phone in South Australia: Demerit Points & Fine (2026-27)

Mobile phone offences cover using a handheld phone while driving, which generally includes holding or resting it, making or taking calls, texting, and interacting with apps or social media. The rules also apply while stopped in traffic, since the vehicle is still regarded as being in use on the road. What a fully licensed driver may do hands-free is often more restricted for learner and provisional drivers, who are typically barred from using a phone at all while driving.

Detection increasingly relies on dedicated phone-detection cameras that photograph the cabin and flag likely phone use, alongside police observation at the roadside. Because the camera captures the vehicle, the notice is usually issued to the registered operator. Some jurisdictions separate phone offences into tiers, treating simple handling less seriously than texting or scrolling social media, which draws a heavier penalty.

Penalties are set at a high level because taking your eyes off the road to use a phone is strongly associated with crashes, and the offence is a frequent trigger for the holiday or repeat-offence loadings that some states apply. The specific points and fines vary by jurisdiction and are set out in the schedules above.