Cellphone use laws by state
January 2023
Laws restricting cellphone use and texting | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
State | Hand-held ban | Young drivers all cellphone ban | Texting ban | Enforcement |
AL | no | 16-year-old drivers; 17-year-old drivers who have held an intermediate license for fewer than 6 months | all drivers | primary |
AK | no | no | all drivers | primary |
AZ | all drivers | learner's permit holders and intermediate license holders during the first 6 months after licensing | all drivers | primary;Footnote 1 secondary: learner's permit holders and intermediate license holders during the first 6 months after licensing |
AR | drivers 18 or older but younger than 21; school and highway work zones | drivers younger than 18 | all drivers | primary |
CA | all driversFootnote 2 | drivers younger than 18 | all driversFootnote 2 | primary: hand-held and texting by drivers 18 and older; secondary: drivers younger than 18Footnote 3 |
CO | no | drivers younger than 18 | all drivers | primary |
CT | all drivers | drivers younger than 18 | all drivers | primary |
DE | all drivers | learner's permit and intermediate license holders | all drivers | primary |
DC | all drivers | drivers younger than 18 | all drivers | primary |
FL | drivers in school and work zones | no | all drivers | primary |
GA | all drivers | noFootnote 4 | all drivers | primary |
HI | all drivers | drivers younger than 18 | all drivers | primary |
ID | all drivers | no | all drivers | primary |
IL | all drivers | drivers younger than 19 who hold a learner’s permit or intermediate license | all drivers | primary |
IN | all drivers | drivers younger than 21 | all drivers | primary |
IA | no | learner's permit and intermediate license holders | all drivers | primary |
KS | no | learner's permit and intermediate license holders | all drivers | primary |
KY | no | drivers younger than 18 | all drivers | primary |
LA | drivers in signed school zones; with respect to novice drivers, see footnoteFootnote 5 | all novice drivers, see footnote for detailFootnote 5 | all drivers | primaryFootnote 5 |
ME | all drivers | learner's permit and intermediate license holders | all drivers | primary |
MD | all drivers | drivers younger than 18 | all drivers | primary |
MA | all drivers | drivers younger than 18 | all drivers | primary |
MI | no | learner's permit and intermediate license holders (level 1 and 2); integrated voice-operated systems excepted | all drivers | primary |
MN | all drivers | learner's permit holders and provisional license holders during the first 12 months after licensing | all drivers | primary |
MS | no | no | all drivers | primary |
MO | no | no | drivers 21 and younger | primary |
MT | no | no | no | not applicable |
NE | no | learner's permit and intermediate license holders younger than 18 | all drivers | secondary |
NV | all drivers | no | all drivers | primary |
NH | all drivers | drivers younger than 18 | all drivers | primary |
NJ | all drivers | learner's permit and intermediate license holders | all drivers | primary |
NM | no | learner's permit and intermediate license holders | all drivers | primary |
NY | all drivers | no | all drivers | primary |
NC | no | drivers younger than 18 | all drivers | primary |
ND | no | drivers younger than 18 | all drivers | primary |
OH | no | drivers younger than 18 | all drivers | primary (effective 04/03/23) |
OK | learner's permit and intermediate license holders | noFootnote 6 | all drivers | primary |
OR | all driversFootnote 7 | drivers younger than 18 | all driversFootnote 7 | primary |
PA | no | no | all drivers | primary |
RI | all drivers | drivers younger than 18 | all drivers | primary |
SC | no | no | all drivers | primary |
SD | no | learner's permit and intermediate license holders | all drivers | primary; secondary for learner's permit and intermediate license holders |
TN | all drivers | learner's permit and intermediate license holders | all drivers | primary |
TX | drivers in school crossing zones and on public school property during the time the reduced speed limit applies | drivers younger than 18 | all drivers | primary |
UT | noFootnote 8 | drivers younger than 18 | all drivers | primaryFootnote 8 |
VT | all drivers | drivers younger than 18 | all drivers | primary |
VA | all drivers | no | all drivers | primary |
WA | all driversFootnote 9 | learner's permit and intermediate license holders | all driversFootnote 9 | primary |
WV | all drivers | drivers younger than 18 who hold either a learner's permit or an intermediate license | all drivers | primary |
WI | drivers in highway construction areas | learner's permit and intermediate license holders | all drivers | primary |
WY | no | no | all drivers | primary |