Kansas’ ban on sending or receiving text messages while driving officially takes effect Thursday, but the violation won’t carry monetary penalties until Jan. 1, said Chris Bortz, assistant traffic safety manager for the Bureau of Transportation Safety and Technology at the Kansas Department of Transportation.

“If you’re engaged in the act of texting, whether you’re sending or receiving, it would be a fine-able offense,” Bortz said. “That’s $60 plus court costs, which, depending on which court you’re in, can average another $80 to $100.”