Don’t Touch This in a Michigan Drive-Thru or You Could Get Fined

Drive-thrus are supposed to be the easiest, quickest part of your day, right? You roll up, order your food, and go. I mean, unless they mess up your order, then your whole day’s ruined. But in Michigan, doing something super common in the drive-thru could actually land you a ticket. No joke.

Driving in 2025 sometimes feels like playing Russian roulette. Seriously, every other driver you see has their face glued to their phone. It gets scary because you never know who’s actually paying attention.

See Also: MI Drivers Are Freaking Out Over a Speeding Law That Doesn’t Exist

Michigan’s distracted driving law went into effect in 2023, and it’s a lot stricter than most people realize. Even though I don’t see it being enforced very often. I’m not saying it’s not enforced, I just don’t see much being done.

Under the law, you can’t use or even hold your phone while operating a vehicle. And yes, that includes sitting at a red light with your foot on the brake. Oh, but wait, it gets better.

You also can’t touch your phone while sitting in a drive-thru. Well, technically, you can touch it—but even if you’re just tapping the screen to pull up a rewards app or checking how many points away you are from free fries or whatever, it still counts. If your car is in gear and you’re on your phone, even parked in a fast food lane, you’re technically breaking the law.

Honestly, if the police aren’t cracking down on people driving around with their faces buried in their phones, I doubt they’re going to pop you while you’re sitting in a drive-thru.

How Much Are the Fines for Being on Your Phone While Driving in Michigan?

According to the Michigan State Police, if you get caught using your phone while driving in Michigan, even sitting in a drive-thru, the fines can hit hard. First offense is 100 dollars and or 16 hours of community service. Second offense jumps to 250 dollars and or 24 hours of community service. Hit three offenses in three years, and you will have to take a driving improvement course. And if your distracted driving causes a crash, fines double. So yeah, the law is real and it is not messing around.