Your Phone Behind The Wheel
SDCL § 32-26-47.1 — no driving while using a mobile electronic device, apart from calls, navigation, hands-free use and emergencies
No person may operate a motor vehicle while using a mobile electronic device. A violation is a Class 2 misdemeanor.
- Use for an emergency, or to report a crash, a hazard, a crime or a dangerous driver.
- A navigation feature, though not typing into it while driving.
- Reading, selecting or entering a number or name to make or take a call, and the call itself.
- Hands-free or voice-operated use, apart from touching it to turn a feature on or off.
Those uses are outside the section, as are first responders and utility workers on duty.
A teen permit holder has a stricter rule of their own. A particular ticket is a question for a licensed South Dakota attorney.
Sources for this section (1)
- SDCL § 32-26-47.1 — Use of mobile electronic device; Prohibitions; Violation as misdemeanor; Exceptions
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed South Dakota attorney.