No, cursing while driving is not against the law in Pennsylvania. Profanity or offensive speech receives First Amendment protection unless it constitutes a true threat, fighting words, or incitement.
Historical Enforcement Issues
Pennsylvania State Police issued hundreds of disorderly conduct citations annually for profanity—such as calling someone an “asshole”—until a 2011 ACLU settlement ended the practice statewide, with officer retraining mandated. Similar local cases, like Pittsburgh in 2008, confirmed courts view such speech as legal absent obscenity or threats.
Current Driving Laws
Pennsylvania bans texting or handheld device use while driving under Paul Miller’s Law (75 Pa.C.S. § 3316), with $50 fines, but speech alone—even cursing—carries no penalty. A 2025 hands-free law reinforces this, targeting distractions without restricting verbal expression.
SOURCES
[1](https://www.aclu.org/news/free-speech/pennsylvania-state-police-agree-stop-issuing-citations-swearing)
[2](https://www.thefire.org/news/pennsylvania-officers-face-first-amendment-lawsuit-trying-criminalize-profanity-and-using)
[3](https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2011/01/05/132678940/swear-freely-in-pennsylvania-its-your-constitutional-right)
[4](https://www.pa.gov/agencies/penndot/traveling-in-pa/safety/traffic-safety-driver-topics/distracted-driving)
[5](https://insight.dickinsonlaw.psu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1121&context=fac-works)
