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)
