ST. LOUIS – As of Jan. 1, police in Missouri are no longer giving warnings to drivers caught using handheld devices or cell phones; citations will now be issued.

"I pull you over for speeding and I actively see the use of that cellphone while I'm pulling you over for speeding or I see that preexisting driving behavior, like if you were actively on your cell phone, right? Let's pretend I see you at a stoplight and see you on your cell phone,” North County Police Cooperative Detective Benjamin Santoyo said. “So now I have identified you as an at-risk driver and now I see you commit a moving violation such as not utilizing your turn signal—then yes, we can take that additional force of action, but for the sole purpose? No.”

The law prohibits holding a cellphone, sending or reading text messages, and recording or streaming videos while driving. Violators face a $150 fine for the first offense, with fines rising to $500 for repeat violations.

Despite its goal to reduce distracted driving, drivers in St. Louis have mixed feelings.

"That seems like a good idea, but I do wonder about how that would work for mapping apps. You can't tell whether someone is looking at their directions or texting, but I mean, I get the principal," Nikki Zeff said.

"Inevitably, it's going to be hard to get people off of their phones completely, but I think it will help," Jason Flynn said.

"It seems like a redundant law. I mean, I'm not going to argue against safe driving because it seems weird to argue against it,” Timothy Cowin said. “I don't think it changes any amount of accidents that are going to happen.”

The Missouri Department of Transportation reported over 100 deaths linked to distracted driving in 2023. Officials hope this law will bring that number down.

It's not the only law taking effect. Missouri's minimum wage rises to $13.75 an hour, on its way to $15 by 2026, and veterans can now deduct signing bonuses from income taxes.