Cellphone Use While Driving: Laws by State

State

Hand-held ban

Young drivers all cellphone ban

Bus drivers all cellphone ban

Texting ban

Enforcement

Alabama no 16-year-old drivers; 17-year-old drivers who have held an intermediate license for fewer than 6 months no all drivers primary
Alaska no no no all drivers primary
Arizona no learner’s permit holders and intermediate license holders during the first 6 months after licensing (effective 06/30/18) school bus drivers no secondary (effective 06/30/18)
Arkansas drivers 18 or older but younger than 21; school and highway work zones drivers younger than 18 school bus drivers all drivers primary: texting by all drivers and cellphone use by school bus drivers; secondary: cellphone use by young drivers, drivers in school and work zones1
California all drivers drivers younger than 18 school and transit bus drivers all drivers2 primary: hand-held and texting by drivers 18 and older; secondary: drivers younger than 181
Colorado no drivers younger than 18 no all drivers primary
Connecticut all drivers drivers younger than 18 school bus drivers all drivers primary
Delaware all drivers learner’s permit and intermediate license holders school bus drivers all drivers primary
District of Columbia all drivers learner’s permit holders school bus drivers all drivers primary
Florida no no no all drivers secondary
Georgia no drivers younger than 18 school bus drivers all drivers primary
Hawaii all drivers drivers younger than 18 no all drivers primary
Idaho no no no all drivers primary
Illinois all drivers drivers younger than 19 and learner’s permit holders younger than 19 school bus drivers all drivers primary
Indiana no drivers younger than 21 no all drivers primary
Iowa no learner’s permit and intermediate license holders no all drivers primary
Kansas no learner’s permit and intermediate license holders no all drivers primary
Kentucky no drivers younger than 18 school bus drivers all drivers primary
Louisiana drivers in signed school zones; with respect to novice drivers, see footnote 3 all novice drivers, see footnote 3 for detail school bus drivers all drivers primary3
Maine no learner’s permit and intermediate license holders no all drivers primary
Maryland all drivers drivers younger than 18 school bus drivers all drivers primary
Massachusetts no drivers younger than 18 school bus drivers and passenger bus drivers all drivers primary
Michigan No learner’s permit and intermediate license holders (level 1 and 2); integrated voice-operated systems excepted school bus drivers all drivers primary
Minnesota no learner’s permit holders and provisional license holders during the first 12 months after licensing school bus drivers all drivers primary
Mississippi no no school bus drivers all drivers primary
Missouri no no no drivers 21 and younger primary
Montana no no no no not applicable
Nebraska no learner’s permit and intermediate license holders younger than 18 no all drivers secondary
Nevada all drivers no no all drivers primary
New Hampshire All drivers drivers younger than 18 no all drivers primary
New Jersey all drivers learner’s permit and intermediate license holders school bus drivers all drivers primary
New Mexico no learner’s permit and intermediate license holders no all drivers primary
New York all drivers no no all drivers primary
North Carolina no drivers younger than 18 school bus drivers all drivers primary
North Dakota no drivers younger than 18 no all drivers primary
Ohio no drivers younger than 18 no all drivers primary for drivers younger than 18; secondary for texting
Oklahoma learner’s permit and intermediate license holders no4 no all drivers primary
Oregon all drivers5 drivers younger than 18 no all drivers primary
Pennsylvania no no no all drivers primary
Rhode Island all drivers (effective 06/01/18) drivers younger than 18 school bus drivers all drivers primary
South Carolina no no no all drivers primary
South Dakota no learner’s permit and intermediate license holders no all drivers secondary
Tennessee drivers in marked school zones (effective 01/01/18) learner’s permit and intermediate license holders school bus drivers all drivers primary
Texas drivers in school crossing zones and on public school property during the time the reduced speed limit applies drivers younger than 18 bus drivers when a passenger 17 and younger is present all drivers (effective 09/01/17) primary
Utah no5 drivers younger than 18 school bus drivers all drivers primary5