California Highway Patrol Officer Mike Harris says Brown was arrested around 12:20pm local time Monday in the San Fernando Valley north of Los Angeles. He failed a field sobriety test and was booked on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol.

Harris says the R&B singer was pulled over after an officer saw him talking on his cellphone without a hands-free unit and noticed he appeared to be impaired.

Reuters reports that police suspected he had been drinking and he failed a sobriety test, said Los Angeles police Sgt. Mitzi Fierro.  

Brown was booked and briefly jailed before being released.

The singer will likely face formal charges at a later date.  

Los Angeles police say Brown was released from jail on his own recognisance shortly before 2pm local time.

Brown, who was married to late singer Whitney Houston from 1992 to 2007, has had numerous run-ins with the law, including arrests for battery, drug possession, drunk driving and parole violations.