SAN DIEGO -- Scores of San Diego-area motorists were ticketed for using hand-held cell phones behind the wheel on the first day of the state's law banning the formerly commonplace practice, authorities said today.

Law enforcement personnel across the county handed out at least 130 tickets for the new vehicle-code violation Tuesday, the day California's hands-free mobile-phone ordinance went into effect following months of publicity.

Chula Vista police issued the largest number of the citations -- 55 as of late afternoon, according to officials in the South Bay city.

For its part, the California Highway Patrol wrote up at least 21 motorists in the region for violating the new law, which is intended to reduce traffic accidents caused by driver distraction.

Eight violators were cited in the CHP's San Diego-metro area, and 13 were ticketed in its East County zone, the state agency reported. North County figures were not immediately available.

In communities served by the San Diego County Sheriff's Department, meanwhile, deputies issued a total of 41 citations -- two in Encinitas, nine in Imperial Beach, six in Lemon Grove, 10 in Poway, one in San Marcos, three in Santee and 10 in Vista, said Lt. Mike Cea, traffic-services coordinator for the regional law enforcement agency.

City police officers gave out at least one ticket in Carlsbad, two in Coronado, three in Escondido, five in La Mesa and two in Oceanside, according to department authorities in those communities. A citation total for El Cajon had not been released as of Wednesday afternoon.

San Diego and National City police decided to give motorists a 30-day grace period, during which scofflaws will get nothing more than a cease-and-desist admonishment.

"If we see you (violating the ordinance), we will stop you, and we will give you a warning," SDPD spokeswoman Monica Munoz said.

Despite heavy pre-enactment public notice about the law, Highway Patrol personnel also chose to give some violators a break on the day the rule went into effect, CHP public affairs Officer Brian Pennings said.

"Two-thirds of the (overall) stops we make (only lead to) verbal warnings," he said.

The new regulation applies only to adult drivers and requires the use of headsets or remote units while telephoning on the road. A separate law that also went into effect Tuesday bans any cell-phone use by drivers under age 18.

The base fine for a first offense is $20. Subsequent tickets will cost at least $50, and additional penalty assessments can more than triple the bottom-line amount, according to state officials.

The ordinance is expected to be amended at some point to extend the ban to text-messaging while driving.