National Conference of State Legislatures - The Forum for America's Ideas
Issues & Research » Transportation » Cellular Phone Use While Driving Laws
Go 17057
Share Send a comment

Cell Phone Use and Texting While Driving Laws

Updated July 9, 2010

A-C | D-H | I-L | M | N | O-R | S-U | V-W
States Hand-held ban All cell phone ban Texting ban Enforcement State Preemption on Cell phones
Alabama No   No No   Not applicable  
Alaska No No All drivers   Primary  
Arizona No School bus drivers No Primary  
Arkansas No School bus drivers, drivers younger than 18 School bus drivers, all drivers Primary for texting by all drivers and cell phone use by school bus drivers; secondary for cell phone use by young drivers  
California All drivers School and transit bus drivers and drivers younger than 18 All drivers Primary  
Colorado No Drivers younger than 18 All drivers Primary  
Connecticut All drivers Learner's permit holders, drivers younger than 18, and school bus drivers All drivers Primary  
Delaware All drivers (effective 01/02/11) Learner's permit and intermediate license holders and school bus drivers All drivers (effective 01/02/11) Primary

 

 
District of Columbia All drivers School bus drivers and learner's permit holders   All drivers   Primary    
Florida No No No Not applicable   Yes  
Georgia Drivers younger than 18 (effective 07/01/10) School bus drivers   All drivers (effective 07/01/10)  Primary      
Hawaii No No   No   Not applicable      
Idaho No No   No   Not applicable      
Illinois Drivers in construction and school speed zones Learner's permit holders younger than 19, drivers younger than 19, and school bus drivers All drivers   Primary     
Indiana No Drivers under the age of 18. Drivers under the age of 18. Primary     
Iowa No Learner's permit and intermediate license holders   All drivers  Secondary     
Kansas No Learner's permit and intermediate license holders All drivers (effective 07/01/10) Primary  
Kentucky No Drivers younger than 18 (effective 07/13/10) All drivers (effective 07/13/10)  Primary (effective 07/13/10)   Yes  
Louisiana No School bus drivers, learner's permit and intermediate license holders, drivers under age 18  All drivers   Primary Yes  
Maine** No Learner's permit and intermediate license holders Learner's permit and intermediate license holders Primary    
Maryland All drivers (effective 10/01/10) Learner's permit and intermediate license holders   All drivers Primary for texting   
Massachusetts Local option School bus drivers,
passenger bus drivers, drivers younger than 18 (effective 09/30/10)  
All drivers (effective 09/30/10   Primary    
Michigan Local option No All drivers (effective 07/01/10)   Primary (effective 07/01/10)     
Minnesota No School bus drivers, learner's permit holders, and provisional license holders during the first 12 months after licensing     All drivers Primary    
Mississippi No No   Learner's permit holders and intermediate license holders Primary    Yes   
Missouri No No Drivers 21 years of age or younger Primary     
Montana No No   No   Not applicable     
Nebraska No Learner's permit and intermediate license holders younger than 18   Learner's permit and intermediate license holders younger than 18

All drivers

Secondary  
Nevada No No     No Not applicable    Yes  
New Hampshire No No   All drivers Primary  
New Jersey All drivers School bus drivers, and learner's permit and intermediate license holders   All drivers   Primary    
New Mexico Local option No   No   Not applicable    
New York All drivers No    All drivers Secondary  
North Carolina No Drivers younger than 18 and school bus drivers   All drivers Primary     
North Dakota No No   No   Not applicable    
Ohio Local option No   No   Not applicable     
Oklahoma Learner's permit and intermediate license holders, school bus drivers and public transit drivers (effective 11/01/10) School Bus Drivers. Learner's permit holders, intermediate license holders, school bus drivers and public transit drivers (effective 11/01/10) Primary   Yes   
Oregon All drivers Drivers younger than 18 All drivers Primary Yes    
Pennsylvania Local option No   No   Not applicable    
Rhode Island No School bus drivers and drivers younger than 18 All drivers   Primary    
South Carolina No No   No   Not applicable     
South Dakota No No   No   Not applicable     
Tennessee No School bus drivers, and learner's permit and intermediate license holders   All drivers Primary     
Texas Drivers in school crossing zones Bus drivers when a passenger 17 and younger is present; intermediate license holders for first 12 months   Bus drivers when a passenger 17 and younger is present; intermediate license holders for first 12 months, drivers in school crossing zones   Primary     
Utah See footnote* No   All drivers

Primary for texting; secondary for talking on hand-held phone

Yes   
Vermont No Drivers younger than 18 shall not use any portable electronic device while driving.  All drivers  Primary    
Virginia No Drivers younger than 18 and school bus drivers     All drivers  Secondary; primary for school bus drivers    
Washington All drivers No   All drivers   Primary   
West Virginia No Drivers younger than 18 who hold either a learner's permit or an intermediate license   Drivers younger than 18 who hold either a learner's permit or an intermediate license   Primary   
Wisconsin No No   All drivers (effective 12/01/10)  Primary (effective 12/01/10)    
Wyoming No No   All drivers Primary   
Source:  AAA, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, NCSL 2009.  
* Utah considers speaking on a cell phone, without a hands-free device, to be an offense only if a driver is also committing some other moving violation (other than speeding).
** Maine has a law that makes driving while distracted a traffic infraction. 29-A M.R.S.A. Sec. 2117.

 

Cell Phone Use and Texting While Driving Laws

Updated July 9, 2010

A-C | D-H | I-L | M | N | O-R | S-U | V-W
States Hand-held ban All cell phone ban Texting ban Enforcement State Preemption on Cell phones
Alabama No   No No   Not applicable  
Alaska No No All drivers   Primary  
Arizona No School bus drivers No Primary  
Arkansas No School bus drivers, drivers younger than 18 School bus drivers, all drivers Primary for texting by all drivers and cell phone use by school bus drivers; secondary for cell phone use by young drivers  
California All drivers School and transit bus drivers and drivers younger than 18 All drivers Primary  
Colorado No Drivers younger than 18 All drivers Primary  
Connecticut All drivers Learner's permit holders, drivers younger than 18, and school bus drivers All drivers Primary  
Delaware All drivers (effective 01/02/11) Learner's permit and intermediate license holders and school bus drivers All drivers (effective 01/02/11) Primary

 

 
District of Columbia All drivers School bus drivers and learner's permit holders   All drivers   Primary    
Florida No No No Not applicable   Yes  
Georgia Drivers younger than 18 (effective 07/01/10) School bus drivers   All drivers (effective 07/01/10)  Primary      
Hawaii No No   No   Not applicable      
Idaho No No   No   Not applicable      
Illinois Drivers in construction and school speed zones Learner's permit holders younger than 19, drivers younger than 19, and school bus drivers All drivers   Primary     
Indiana No Drivers under the age of 18. Drivers under the age of 18. Primary     
Iowa No Learner's permit and intermediate license holders   All drivers  Secondary     
Kansas No Learner's permit and intermediate license holders All drivers (effective 07/01/10) Primary  
Kentucky No Drivers younger than 18 (effective 07/13/10) All drivers (effective 07/13/10)  Primary (effective 07/13/10)   Yes  
Louisiana No School bus drivers, learner's permit and intermediate license holders, drivers under age 18  All drivers   Primary Yes  
Maine** No Learner's permit and intermediate license holders Learner's permit and intermediate license holders Primary    
Maryland All drivers (effective 10/01/10) Learner's permit and intermediate license holders   All drivers Primary for texting   
Massachusetts Local option School bus drivers,
passenger bus drivers, drivers younger than 18 (effective 09/30/10)  
All drivers (effective 09/30/10   Primary    
Michigan Local option No All drivers (effective 07/01/10)   Primary (effective 07/01/10)     
Minnesota No School bus drivers, learner's permit holders, and provisional license holders during the first 12 months after licensing     All drivers Primary    
Mississippi No No   Learner's permit holders and intermediate license holders Primary    Yes   
Missouri No No Drivers 21 years of age or younger Primary     
Montana No No   No   Not applicable     
Nebraska No Learner's permit and intermediate license holders younger than 18   Learner's permit and intermediate license holders younger than 18

All drivers

Secondary  
Nevada No No     No Not applicable    Yes  
New Hampshire No No   All drivers Primary  
New Jersey All drivers School bus drivers, and learner's permit and intermediate license holders   All drivers   Primary    
New Mexico Local option No   No   Not applicable    
New York All drivers No    All drivers Secondary  
North Carolina No Drivers younger than 18 and school bus drivers   All drivers Primary     
North Dakota No No   No   Not applicable    
Ohio Local option No   No   Not applicable     
Oklahoma Learner's permit and intermediate license holders, school bus drivers and public transit drivers (effective 11/01/10) School Bus Drivers. Learner's permit holders, intermediate license holders, school bus drivers and public transit drivers (effective 11/01/10) Primary   Yes   
Oregon All drivers Drivers younger than 18 All drivers Primary Yes    
Pennsylvania Local option No   No   Not applicable    
Rhode Island No School bus drivers and drivers younger than 18 All drivers   Primary    
South Carolina No No   No   Not applicable     
South Dakota No No   No   Not applicable     
Tennessee No School bus drivers, and learner's permit and intermediate license holders   All drivers Primary     
Texas Drivers in school crossing zones Bus drivers when a passenger 17 and younger is present; intermediate license holders for first 12 months   Bus drivers when a passenger 17 and younger is present; intermediate license holders for first 12 months, drivers in school crossing zones   Primary     
Utah See footnote* No   All drivers

Primary for texting; secondary for talking on hand-held phone

Yes   
Vermont No Drivers younger than 18 shall not use any portable electronic device while driving.  All drivers  Primary    
Virginia No Drivers younger than 18 and school bus drivers     All drivers  Secondary; primary for school bus drivers    
Washington All drivers No   All drivers   Primary   
West Virginia No Drivers younger than 18 who hold either a learner's permit or an intermediate license   Drivers younger than 18 who hold either a learner's permit or an intermediate license   Primary   
Wisconsin No No   All drivers (effective 12/01/10)  Primary (effective 12/01/10)    
Wyoming No No   All drivers Primary   
Source:  AAA, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, NCSL 2009.  
* Utah considers speaking on a cell phone, without a hands-free device, to be an offense only if a driver is also committing some other moving violation (other than speeding).
** Maine has a law that makes driving while distracted a traffic infraction. 29-A M.R.S.A. Sec. 2117.

 

Denver Office
Tel: 303-364-7700 | Fax: 303-364-7800 | 7700 East First Place | Denver, CO 80230

 

Washington Office
Tel: 202-624-5400 | Fax: 202-737-1069 | 444 North Capitol Street, N.W., Suite 515 | Washington, D.C. 20001

Denver Office
Tel: 303-364-7700 | Fax: 303-364-7800 | 7700 East First Place | Denver, CO 80230

 

Washington Office
Tel: 202-624-5400 | Fax: 202-737-1069 | 444 North Capitol Street, N.W., Suite 515 | Washington, D.C. 20001

©2010 National Conference of State Legislatures.  All Rights Reserved. 

©2010 National Conference of State Legislatures.  All Rights Reserved.