Cell Phone Driving Laws

November 2009

Current state cell phone driving law highlights include the following:

  • Handheld Cell Phone Bans for All Drivers: 6 states (California, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Oregon and Washington), the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands prohibit all drivers from talking on handheld cell phones while driving.
    • With the exception of Washington State, these laws are all primary enforcement—an officer may ticket a driver for using a handheld cell phone while driving without any other traffic offense taking place.
  • All Cell Phone Bans: No state completely bans all types of cell phone use (handheld and hands-free) for all drivers, but many prohibit cell phone use by certain segments of the population.
    • Novice Drivers: 21 states and the District of Columbia ban all cell use by novice drivers.
    • School Bus Drivers: In 17 states and the District of Columbia, school bus drivers are prohibited from all cell phone use when passengers are present.
  • Text Messaging: 19 states, the District of Columbia and Guam now ban text messaging for all drivers.
    • Novice Drivers: 9 states prohibit text messaging by novice drivers.
    • School Bus Drivers: 1 state restricts school bus drivers from texting while driving.
  • Preemption Laws: 6 states have laws that prohibit local jurisdictions from enacting restrictions. In other states, localities are allowed to ban cell phone use or texting while driving.
  • Some states, such as Maine, New Hampshire and Utah treat cell phone use as a larger distracted driving issue.
    • Utah considers speaking on a cellphone to be an offense only if a driver is also committing some other moving violation (other than speeding).

State

Hand-
held Ban

Enforce-
ment

All Cell Phone Ban

Text Messaging Ban

Crash
Data
Col-
lected

Pre-
emption
Law

School Bus Drivers

Novice Drivers

Enforce-
ment

All Drivers

School Bus Drivers

Novice Drivers

Enforce-
ment

Alabama                      
Alaska           Yes Covered under all driver ban Primary Yes  
Arizona     Yes   Primary            
Arkansas     Yes <18; 18 - 20 can use hands free only Primary: bus drivers

Secondary: novice drivers
Yes Covered under all driver ban Primary Yes  
California Yes Primary Yes <18 Primary: bus drivers

Secondary: novice drivers
Yes Covered under all driver ban Primary Yes  
Colorado       <18
(eff. 12/09)
Primary Yes
(eff. 12/09)
Covered under all driver ban Primary Yes  
Connecticut Yes Primary Yes Learners Permit and <18 Primary Yes Covered under all driver ban Primary    
Delaware     Yes Learner's permit and intermediate license holders Primary     Learner's permit and intermediate license holders Primary Yes  
D.C. Yes Primary Yes Learners Permit Primary Yes Covered under all driver ban Primary Yes  
Florida                     Yes
Georgia     Yes   Primary         Yes  
Guam           Yes     Primary    
Hawaii                      
Idaho                      
Illinois 1 See footnote   Yes <19 Primary Yes
(eff. 1/10)
Covered under all driver ban Primary Yes  
Indiana       <18 Primary     <18 Primary Yes  
Iowa                   Yes  
Kansas       Learner or Intermediate License
(eff. 1/10)
Primary     Learner or Intermediate License
(eff. 1/10)
Primary Yes  
Kentucky     Yes   Primary           Yes
Louisiana     Yes Yes
(eff. 4/10)
Primary: bus drivers

Secondary: novice drivers
Yes Covered under all driver ban Secondary Yes Yes
Maine 2       <18 Primary     <18 Primary Yes  
Maryland       <18 w/ Learner or Provisional License Secondary Yes Covered under all driver ban Primary Yes  
Massachusetts     Yes   Primary         Yes  
Michigan 3       See footnote           Yes  
Minnesota     Yes Learner or Provisional License Primary Yes Covered under all driver ban Primary Yes  
Mississippi               Learner or Provisional License Primary   Yes
Missouri               <21 Primary    
Montana                   Yes  
Nebraska       <18 w/ Learners or Provisional License Secondary     <18 w/ Learners or Provisional License Secondary Yes  
Nevada                   Yes Yes
New Hampshire 4           Yes
(eff. 1/10)
Covered under all driver ban Primary    
New Jersey Yes Primary Yes <21 w/ GDL or Provisional License Primary Yes Covered under all driver ban Primary Yes  
New Mexico In State vehicles                 Yes  
New York Yes Primary       Yes Covered under all driver ban Secondary Yes  
North Carolina     Yes <18 Primary Yes
(eff. 12/09)
Covered under all driver ban Primary    
North Dakota                   Yes  
Ohio                      
Oklahoma                   Yes Yes
Oregon Yes
(eff. 1/10)
Primary   <18
(eff. 1/10)
Primary Yes
(eff. 1/10)
Covered under all driver ban Primary Yes  
Pennsylvania                   Yes  
Rhode Island     Yes <18 Primary Yes     Primary    
South Carolina                      
South Dakota                   Yes  
Tennessee     Yes Learners Permit or Intermediate License Primary Yes Covered under all driver ban Primary Yes  
Texas 5     Yes, w/ passenger <17 Intermediate Stage, 1st 12 mos. Primary   Yes, w/ passenger <17 Intermediate Stage, 1st 12 mos. Primary Yes  
Utah 6 See footnote         Yes Covered under all driver ban Primary Yes  
Vermont                      
Virgin Islands Yes No data               Yes  
Virginia     Yes <18 Primary: bus drivers

Secondary: novice drivers
Yes Covered under all driver ban Primary: bus drivers

Secondary: novice drivers
Yes  
Washington Yes Secondary       Yes Covered under all driver ban Secondary Yes  
West Virginia       Learner or Intermediate Stage Primary     Learner or Intermediate Stage Primary    
Wisconsin                      
Wyoming                   Yes  
Total 6 + D.C., Virgin Islands Primary (5)
Secondary (1)
17 + D.C. 21 + D.C. Primary (20)
Secondary (2)
Varies (4)
19 + D.C., Guam 1 9 Primary (25)
Secondary (4)
Varies (1)
33 + D.C., Virgin Islands 6
1 Illinois bans the use of cell phones while driving in a school zone or in a highway construction zone.
2 Maine has passed a law making it against the law to drive while distracted in the state.
3 In Michigan, teens with probationary licenses whose cell phone usage contributes to a traffic crash or ticket may not use a cell phone while driving.
4 Dealt with as a distracted driving issue; New Hampshire enacted a comprehensive distracted driving law.
5 Texas has banned the use of hand-held phones and texting in school crossing zones.
6 Utah's law defines careless driving as committing a moving violation (other than speeding) while distracted by use of a handheld cellphone or other activities not related to driving.

Sources: American Automobile Association (AAA), Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.