Can I use my phone while driving?
No — unless it is hands-free. Holding a mobile phone while driving breaches the Road Traffic Act, and the fine is now BGN 100 (≈€51) — double the previous BGN 50 — plus 8 penalty points. The rule is not limited to cars: the same sanction reaches motorcyclists, cyclists and riders of e-scooters. Use is permitted only through a hands-free system — speaker, headset or built-in integration. The ban covers any holding of the phone in your hand: texting, dialling, changing a track or checking navigation — not just talking. And a recent addition: pedestrians are now fined too, up to BGN 100, for using a phone while crossing.
📋 The rules
- Holding the phone while driving is prohibited
- Fine: BGN 100 (≈€51) plus 8 penalty points
- Applies to motorcycles, bicycles and e-scooters too
- Permitted only through a hands-free system
- A third offence within a year: the fine is tripled
🔓 Exceptions
- Hands-free via speaker, headset or built-in integration is allowed
- The ban covers texting, dialling and setting navigation, not just calls
- Pedestrians face a fine of up to BGN 100 for crossing with a phone in hand
⚠️ Penalties & fines
The fine is BGN 100 (≈€51) and 8 penalty points — and the points are what matter: the starting allowance is 39, so five such offences wipe out your licence. For a persistent offender — a third offence within a single year — the fine is tripled. Penalty points come back slowly and only on a clean record, and once they are exhausted your entitlement is withdrawn and you must sit the test again. Separately, in a crash, proven phone use is powerful evidence of fault: it leads to reduced or refused payment on a comprehensive policy and to a recourse claim from the insurer. Distraction is among the leading causes of accidents — and the only one entirely within your control.
📎 Official sources
- lex.bg · Road Traffic Act →
- Ministry of the Interior · Traffic police →
- State Agency for Road Safety →
❓ Frequently asked
What is the fine for using a phone while driving?
BGN 100 (≈€51) and 8 penalty points. The fine was doubled from the previous BGN 50, and on a third offence within a single year the sanction is tripled.
Can I use hands-free?
Yes. Calls through a speaker, a headset or built-in integration are permitted. What is prohibited is holding the phone in your hand, whatever you are doing with it.
What about texting at a red light?
Still an offence. The ban covers any holding of the phone while driving — texting, dialling, changing a track, setting the navigation — not just having a conversation.
Does it apply to bicycles and e-scooters?
Yes. The same sanction reaches riders of motorcycles, bicycles and electric scooters. The rule is not confined to cars.
How many penalty points do I lose?
Eight of the initial 39. Five such offences exhaust the allowance, and once the points are gone the entitlement is withdrawn and you must sit the test again.
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