OLYMPIA – The State Patrol says it’s written nearly 670 tickets in just 20 days for drivers who were texting or talking on cell phones.

The state ban on texting or talking without a hands-free device while driving became a primary offense on June 10.

That means police can pull you over just for violating the cell-phone law. Before, you could only get a ticket after being pulled over for something else.

The patrol says the nearly 670 tickets is up from about 110 in the same period last year.