Cellphone Use While Driving: Laws by State
Posted March 12, 2019
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 |
