No, Pennsylvania does not appear to have a law that specifically bans vaping while driving, but you can still get into legal trouble if the act creates a distraction or involves a handheld interactive mobile device. Pennsylvania’s distracted driving law, known as Paul Miller’s Law, makes it illegal to use an interactive mobile device while driving, and it took effect on June 5, 2025.
What the law says
Pennsylvania’s statute prohibits a driver from operating a motor vehicle on a highway or trafficway while using an interactive mobile device to send, read, or write a text-based communication. The law also defines a text-based communication broadly, and the state’s transportation guidance says the ban applies as a primary offense, meaning police can stop a driver for it.
The law’s definition of “interactive mobile device” focuses on phones, smart devices, and similar electronics used for communication or data functions. A typical vape pen is not described in the law’s definition, so ordinary vaping itself is not the same thing as using a phone under Paul Miller’s Law.
Why vaping can still be risky
Even if vaping is not specifically banned, it can still become a driving issue if it distracts you. Looking down to refill a device, adjusting settings, or handling a vape while moving can support a distracted-driving stop if it affects safe operation. Pennsylvania’s official guidance emphasizes that the law targets handheld device use and unsafe attention loss while driving.
In practice, that means the question is less “Is vaping alone banned?” and more “Did the behavior interfere with driving safely?” If the answer is yes, a driver could face enforcement under general distracted-driving principles or other traffic laws.
Practical takeaway
Vaping and driving is not clearly illegal by itself in Pennsylvania, but using a handheld device, texting, or otherwise handling electronics while driving is illegal. The safer choice is to finish vaping before you drive or wait until you are parked somewhere legal and fully stopped.
SOURCES:
- https://www.pa.gov/agencies/penndot/traveling-in-pa/safety/traffic-safety-driver-topics/distracted-driving
- https://law.justia.com/codes/pennsylvania/title-75/chapter-33/section-3316/
