Driving Tests

Manitoba Cellphone While Driving Penalty: Suspension and $672 Fine

informational·how to guide·Published September 12, 2026

What is the penalty for using a cellphone while driving in Manitoba?

Using a hand-operated phone while you drive is illegal in Manitoba. If police believe that you broke this rule, they take your licence at the roadside and suspend it for 3 days for a first order in 10 years, or 7 days for a second order or more. On conviction, Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) says you also get a CAD 672 fine and drop five Driver Safety Rating levels.

Where this information comes from

The ban and the roadside suspension come from The Highway Traffic Act, C.C.S.M. c. H60, sections 215.1 and 265.2, and The Drivers and Vehicles Act. The CAD 672 fine and the Driver Safety Rating move come from the MPI Graduated Driver Licensing guide (26/08/2026) and the MPI complete Driver's Handbook (02/02/2026). The CAD 100 reinstatement charge comes from the Charges for Licences, Registrations, Permits and Other Services Regulation (M.R. 42/2006), in effect since August 1, 2026. Premium and DI&C details come from the MPI online Driver's Handbook. This guide is current as of 2026. Confirm the rules with Manitoba Public Insurance (mpi.mb.ca) before you drive.

Manitoba phone penalties at a glance

Manitoba phone penalties at a glance
Step	What happens	Source
At the roadside	The officer takes your Manitoba licence, gives you a temporary driving permit and serves a suspension and disqualification order	Highway Traffic Act s. 265.2(1)
First order in 10 years	3-day suspension	Highway Traffic Act s. 265.2(6)(a)
Second order or more in 10 years	7-day suspension	Highway Traffic Act s. 265.2(6)(b)
After the suspension	CAD 100 reinstatement charge	M.R. 42/2006 s. 57
On conviction	CAD 672 fine and five levels down the Driver Safety Rating scale	MPI, 2026

Which devices and roads does the Manitoba phone law cover?

Section 215.1 of the Highway Traffic Act bans the use of a hand-operated electronic device while you drive a vehicle on a highway. The term covers any cellphone. It also covers another device with a phone function, or a device that can send or receive e-mail or text messages, when you normally hold it or need your hand to operate it. In this law, a highway is any place that the public can normally use to drive, so streets and roads count. An area built and mainly used for parking, with its lanes, is not a highway.

Actions that count as "use" under section 215.1

Holding the phone in a position in which it may be used
Operating any of its functions, such as a call, a text or an app
Communicating through it with another person or device, by spoken word or otherwise
Looking at the display

Hands-free, parked and emergency use: what the law allows

Your phone is set up for hands-free use and you use it in a hands-free manner

This is allowed. The device must be a cellphone, or another device with a phone function, that is configured and equipped for hands-free use as a telephone.

You need to use the phone by hand

First drive safely off the roadway, then keep the vehicle stationary while you use the device. The same rule applies to a text that arrives while you drive.

You need to call or message police, fire or ambulance about an emergency

You may use the device by hand. Section 215.1(3) makes this an exception to the ban.

You want to use your phone for GPS maps

The phone is still a hand-operated electronic device. Holding it, operating it or looking at its display counts as use. Using GPS is also a common distraction.

What happens when an officer stops you for phone use

1
The officer forms a reasonable belief
An officer who reasonably believes that you broke section 215.1 acts for the registrar. No conviction is needed for this step.
2
You hand over your licence
The officer takes your valid Manitoba driver's licence and gives you a temporary driving permit. The licence is suspended whether or not you hand it over.
3
The order takes effect at once
The officer serves a suspension and disqualification order. It takes effect when it is served.
4
The temporary permit runs out
The permit expires at the end of the day after the day it is issued, and it carries the same conditions and restrictions as your licence. The 3 or 7 days begin the next day. If the officer issues no temporary permit, they begin on the day of service.
5
The suspension ends
Your licence must be returned without delay, unless you are not eligible for a licence for another reason. The Highway Traffic Act also says that you must pay the reinstatement charge, and the regulation sets it at CAD 100.

3 days or 7 days: how the 10-year count works

The length depends on your record. If the order is the first one served on you in the 10 years before it is served, the suspension is 3 days. If it is the second order or more in that 10-year period, the suspension is 7 days. When the officer does not have the information to count your earlier orders reliably, the registrar later confirms by letter whether your period is 3 days or 7 days.

The CAD 672 fine and the Driver Safety Rating drop

The roadside suspension starts from the officer's belief, not from a conviction. The fine comes later. On conviction, MPI states that you get a CAD 672 fine and move five levels down the Driver Safety Rating scale. Distracted driving is one of the types of high-risk driving that move you down that scale.

Does a new driver get extra consequences?

A novice driver is a driver who has not held a Full Stage licence for more than one year. This includes Learner and Intermediate stage drivers. Under the Driver Improvement and Control (DI&C) Program, traffic convictions can lead to an intervention for novice and experienced drivers, and for novice drivers the interventions begin earlier. An intervention can be a letter, a driver course, or a full driving record review with possible licence sanctions. The alcohol, drug and GDL rules are in the guide to penalties for new Manitoba drivers.

Can police remove your vehicle?

Only in one case. A peace officer may remove and store the vehicle of a person who is disqualified under section 265.2 and who gets no temporary driving permit. The vehicle must also be at a place from which, in the officer's opinion, it ought to be removed, and no person who may lawfully remove it is available. Drivers with a Manitoba licence or an out-of-province permit get a temporary permit, so this rule reaches drivers with neither. The removal and storage costs become a lien, which is a legal claim, on the vehicle.

Key takeaways

Holding, operating, talking on or looking at a handheld phone while you drive on a Manitoba street or road is against the law.
A roadside order suspends your licence for 3 days (first order in 10 years) or 7 days (second order or more), and the reinstatement charge is CAD 100.
On conviction, MPI says the penalty is a CAD 672 fine and five levels down the Driver Safety Rating scale.
A hands-free setup, a safe stop off the roadway and an emergency call to police, fire or ambulance are the exceptions in section 215.1.
Next step: practise on the free Manitoba Class 5 practice test.

Manitoba phone ticket: common questions

Can I use my phone at a red light in Manitoba?

Not by hand. Section 215.1 bans the use of a hand-operated device while you drive a vehicle on a highway, and holding the phone or looking at its display counts as use. The exception for use by hand needs you to drive safely off the roadway first and keep the vehicle stationary. A stop at a red light is on the roadway. A hands-free setup is allowed.

Is a Bluetooth headset or car speaker legal in Manitoba?

Yes, when the phone is configured and equipped for hands-free use as a telephone and you use it in a hands-free manner. You may not hold the phone or operate it by hand. Set up the connection and your call settings before you start the trip.

I drive on a licence from another province or country. Does the phone suspension apply to me?

Yes. A licence from outside Manitoba is an out-of-province driving permit. The officer gives you a temporary driving permit and serves an order that disqualifies you from driving in Manitoba, and from holding a Manitoba licence, for the same 3 or 7 days. If you hold no valid licence or permit, the order disqualifies you and you get no temporary permit.

Will a phone ticket raise my insurance premiums in Manitoba?

In most cases, yes. On conviction, MPI says you move five levels down the Driver Safety Rating scale. High-risk driving that moves you down the scale means that you pay more for your driver's licence and vehicle premiums, in most cases.