[News updated at 13:37 29.05.2026]
New fire safety rules, which the Ministry of Emergency Situations and fuel operators are introducing from June 1, make talking on a mobile phone at a gas pump illegal. As lawyer Irina Grebneva told TASS, gas stations will have the right to refuse service to violators, cancel payments, and blacklist them.
The only exception is payment via QR code at the terminal. In all other cases, the phone outside the car must be turned off. Formally, there is no separate article in the Code of Administrative Offenses for such a violation, but gas stations operate on the rights of private property and can not only refuse to turn on the pump but also demand that the refueling area be vacated. In case of a threat to safety, employees have the right to call the police.
The main reason for the ban is a random spark that can ignite fuel vapors. A smartphone battery under load or its fall can provoke a fire near the pump, where the concentration of vapors is maximal.
Updated. The Ministry of Emergency Situations denied TASS information about the ban on mobile phones at gas stations.
Information that a ban on the use of mobile phones at gas stations will be introduced from June 1 is not true. The current regulatory framework does not provide for a direct ban on the use of mobile communication devices on the territory of gas stations. The Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations is not considering introducing such a ban.