Photo courtesy of iStockphoto, cecilie johanse

Starting tomorrow, July 1st, it will be illegal to drive in the state of California while talking on a mobile phone without a handsfree device. The first offense will result in a $20 fine, and the second will cost you $50.

"Under the new law, drivers cannot hold cell phones to their head while on the road," writes InformationWeek's Michael Singer. "Handsfree devices such as headsets and speakerphones are mandatory when using a cell phone while driving. Drivers under the age of 18 cannot use cell phones while driving at all, even if used in conjunction with a handsfree device."

"While they won't quote their sales figures directly, retailers such as RadioShack, Plantronics, and Headsets.com say they've seen a jump in sales of Bluetooth and other handsfree devices in the past month," notes CNET News' Holly Jackson.

More here from VNUnet ... more here from the San Jose Mercury News ... more here from dBTechno ... more here from the Sacramento Bee ... and the State of California's FAQ is here.