📱 Can I use my phone while driving?

With conditions

Quick answer

With a hands-free kit yes — without one it costs CHF 80. The on-the-spot fine for «using a telephone without a hands-free device while driving» is CHF 80 (OBV item 311) — not CHF 100, which is the Swiss figure. The more dangerous misconception is a different one: «only calling is banned, typing is not regulated». Wrong. Item 311 mentions only the telephone, but VRV Art. 3 requires your full attention on the road and forbids letting go of the steering wheel. So typing and scrolling fall outside the CHF 80 tariff — which means into criminal referral territory. The person typing is worse off than the person talking.

📋 The rules

CHF 80: «using a telephone without a hands-free device while driving» — OBV item 311. The amount has been unchanged since 2021.
The driver must give attention to the road and to traffic and may not perform any activity that makes operating the vehicle harder (VRV Art. 3 para. 1).
He must ensure his attention is not impaired in particular by audio equipment and communication or information systems (VRV Art. 3 para. 1) — that covers the navigation screen, the display and streaming, not just the phone.
Drivers of motor vehicles and bicycles may not let go of the steering device (VRV Art. 3 para. 3). Typing and scrolling fail on this rule alone, quite apart from item 311.
The CHF 80 is an on-the-spot fine: no procedural costs, no criminal record — as long as it stays at the bare offence.

🔓 Exceptions

Hands-free kit: not caught by item 311. But the duty of attention under VRV Art. 3 para. 1 still applies — even hands-free, the call must not pull you away from the traffic.
Parking assistance (VRV Art. 3a): when using a parking assistance system the driver may let go of the steering device during the manoeuvre, and may even leave the vehicle if the system provides for it. He must supervise the manoeuvre and abort it if necessary.
Coaches: their drivers may not use a hand-held microphone in dense traffic or on difficult roads (VRV Art. 3 para. 2) — a separate and stricter rule.

⚠️ Penalties & fines

An on-the-spot fine of CHF 80: paid, closed, nothing on the record. The second cost block opens where the distraction becomes a danger to traffic — then it is no longer a fixed fine but a referral, with licence withdrawal under SVG Art. 15 para. 2. Where important traffic rules are grossly breached, the police take the licence on the spot, and the seizure already has the effect of a withdrawal (SVG Art. 50 paras. 4 and 5). CHF 80 turns into a licence withdrawal — and that is exactly where texting leads, because the fine catalogue does not cover it at all.

📎 Official sources

Last verified: 2026-07-12

❓ Frequently asked

What does calling without a hands-free kit cost?

CHF 80 under OBV item 311. The CHF 100 circulating in blogs is the Swiss amount and does not apply here — despite the shared currency, Liechtenstein runs its own fine ordinance.

Can I type a message while driving?

No. Item 311 names only the telephone, but VRV Art. 3 demands full attention and forbids letting go of the steering device. Typing therefore falls outside the tariff — in referral territory.

Is hands-free completely safe?

From the fine catalogue, yes; from the duty of attention, no. VRV Art. 3 para. 1 still applies, so if the call distracts you enough to endanger traffic, the hands-free kit will not save you.

What about the navigation screen?

VRV Art. 3 para. 1 expressly names audio equipment and communication and information systems. Operating them while driving must not impair your attention — the rule is far broader than the phone.

Can I lose my licence over a phone?

Yes, as soon as the distraction endangers traffic. SVG Art. 15 para. 2 then applies, and where important traffic rules are grossly breached the police seize the licence on the spot.

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