In April, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signed Senate File 22, otherwise known as the Hands Free Bill, into law, and a representative with the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office details how it will be enforced.

Sheriff Adam Infante tells Raccoon Valley Radio that the purpose of the law is to prevent people from using their cell phones or other devices while driving. He specifies that drivers are discouraged from holding cell phones, scrolling, or dialing numbers, texting, and more. Infante recommends that people get their directions and music playlists ready before hitting the road.

“Try to get that stuff sorted out before you start driving is always your best bet, and you’re also welcome to pull over off the travel portion of the roadway and take a second to do whatever you need to do. It’s not just texting and driving, they call it ‘distracted driving’ for a reason, whether it’s putting on make up, eating, or a dog on your lap, there’s lots of different ways to look at distracted driving. Driving in general, you should be careful and focus solely on what you’re doing.”

Infante stresses that the law requires that warnings will be issued to drivers for the first six months of implementation, but as of January 1st, 2026, $100 citations can be handed out by officers. He’s hoping that this law will help cut down on distracted driving related crashes. The law went into effect on July 1st.