State Cellphone Driving Laws
September 2007
A jurisdiction-wide ban on driving while
talking on a hand-held cellular phone is in place in 5 states (California,
Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, and Utah) and the District of Columbia.
Localities are allowed to ban cellphone
use in 6 states (Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Mexico, Ohio, and
Pennsylvania). Localities that have enacted restrictions on cellphone use
include: Chicago, IL; Brookline, MA; Detroit, MI; Santa Fe, NM; Brooklyn, North
Olmstead and Walton Hills, OH; and Conshohocken, Lebanon and West Conshohocken,
PA.
Localities are prohibited from banning
cellphone use in 8 states (Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada,
Oklahoma, Oregon, and Utah).
The use of all cellular phones while
driving a school bus is prohibited in 14 states and the District of Columbia.
The use of cellular phones by teens in the
graduated licensing system is restricted in 17 states and the District of
Columbia.
All but 8 states with cellphone bans have
primary enforcement laws. New Jersey's ban is a secondary enforcement law for
everyone except school bus drivers and learner's permit and intermediate
license holders. Colorado, Maryland, Nebraska, Oregon, Virginia, Washington,
and West Virginia have secondary enforcement laws. Secondary enforcement laws
may only be enforced when a driver has been stopped for another infraction.
Utah's law defines careless driving as committing a moving violation (other
than speeding) while distracted by use of a hand-held cellphone or other
activities not related to driving.
|
|
Cellphone
restrictions while driving |
|
|
State |
Hand-held ban |
All cellphone
ban |
|
Alabama |
no |
no |
|
Alaska |
no |
no |
|
Arizona |
no |
school bus drivers |
|
Arkansas |
no |
school bus drivers |
|
California |
yes (effective 07/01/08) |
school and transit bus drivers and drivers younger than 18
(effective 07/01/08) |
|
Colorado |
no |
learner's permit holders |
|
Connecticut |
yes |
learner's permit holders, drivers younger than 18, and
school bus drivers |
|
Delaware |
no |
school bus drivers and learner's permit and intermediate
license holders |
|
District of Columbia |
yes |
school bus drivers and learner's permit holders |
|
Florida |
no |
no |
|
Georgia |
no |
school bus drivers |
|
Hawaii |
no |
no |
|
Idaho |
no |
no |
|
Illinois |
by jurisdiction |
learner's permit holders, drivers younger than 19, and
school bus drivers (effective 01/01/08) |
|
Indiana |
no |
no |
|
Iowa |
no |
no |
|
Kansas |
no |
no |
|
Kentucky |
no |
school bus drivers |
|
Louisiana |
no |
no |
|
Maine |
no |
learner's permit and intermediate license holders |
|
Maryland |
no |
learner's permit and intermediate license holders |
|
Massachusetts |
by jurisdiction |
school bus drivers |
|
Michigan |
by jurisdiction |
no |
|
Minnesota |
no |
learner's permit holders and provisional license holders
during the first 12 months after licensing |
|
Mississippi |
no |
no |
|
Missouri |
no |
no |
|
Montana |
no |
no |
|
Nebraska |
no |
learner's permit and intermediate license holders younger
than 18 may not use a cellphone or other wireless communication device
(effective 01/01/08) |
|
Nevada |
no |
no |
|
New Hampshire |
no |
no |
|
New Jersey |
yes |
school bus drivers and learner's permit and intermediate
license holders |
|
New Mexico |
by jurisdiction |
no |
|
New York |
yes |
no |
|
North Carolina |
no |
Drivers younger than 18 (effective 12/01/06) and school
bus drivers (effective 12/01/07) |
|
North Dakota |
no |
no |
|
Ohio |
by jurisdiction |
no |
|
Oklahoma |
no |
no |
|
Oregon |
no |
learner's permit and intermediate license holders
(effective 01/01/08) |
|
Pennsylvania |
by jurisdiction |
no |
|
Rhode Island |
no |
school bus drivers and drivers younger than 18 |
|
South Carolina |
no |
no |
|
South Dakota |
no |
no |
|
Tennessee |
no |
school bus drivers and learner's permit and intermediate
license holders |
|
Texas |
no |
bus drivers when a passenger 17 and younger is present;
intermediate license holders for first six months |
|
Utah |
yes |
no |
|
Vermont |
no |
no |
|
Virginia |
no |
intermediate license holders S |
|
Washington |
text messaging prohibited (eff. 01/01/08); hand held ban
(effective 07/01/08) |
no |
|
West Virginia |
no |
learner's permit and intermediate license holders |
|
Wisconsin |
no |
no |
|
Wyoming |
no |
no |