Cellphone use laws
More comprehensive cellphone laws, rather than those addressing only talking or texting, appear to be most effective. Read more on our main distracted driving page.
This material has been prepared for general information purposes only. It is not guaranteed to be current and should be independently verified. Do not rely on it when considering how a law may apply to your circumstances.
June 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 |
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 |