1

Distracted Driving Laws by State

Updated November 2019

All Cell Phone Ban Text Messaging Ban

Hand-held Crash
State School Bus Novice All School Bus Novice
Ban Data
Drivers Drivers Drivers Drivers Drivers
16, or 17 w/
Intermediate
Yes Covered under all driver
Alabama License <6 Yes
months ban
(Primary) (Primary)
Yes Covered under all driver
Alaska Yes
(Primary) ban
Yes Yes
Arizona Yes
(Primary) (Primary)
18 - 20 years Yes <18 Yes Covered under all driver
Arkansas 1 Yes
old (Primary) (Primary) (Secondary) (Primary) ban
Yes Yes <18 Yes Covered under all driver
California Yes
(Primary) (Primary) (Secondary) (Primary) ban
<18 Yes Covered under all driver
Colorado Yes
(Primary) (Primary) ban
Yes Yes <18 Yes Covered under all driver
Connecticut
(Primary) (Primary) (Primary) (Primary) ban
Learner or
Yes Yes Intermediate Yes Covered under all driver
Delaware Yes
License ban
(Primary) (Primary) (Primary) (Primary)
Learners
Yes Yes Yes Covered under all driver
D.C. Permit Yes
ban
(Primary) (Primary) (Primary) (Primary)
Yes Covered under all driver
Florida Yes
(Secondary) ban
Yes Yes <18 Yes Covered under all driver
Georgia Yes
(Primary) (Primary) (Primary) (Primary) ban
Yes Yes Covered under all driver
Guam
(Primary) (Primary) ban
Yes <18 Yes Covered under all driver
Hawaii Yes
(Primary) (Primary) (Primary) ban
Yes Covered under all driver
Idaho Yes
(Primary) ban
Yes Yes <19 Yes Covered under all driver
Illinois Yes
(Primary) (Primary) (Primary) (Primary) ban
<21 Yes
Covered under all driver
Indiana (Primary) (Primary) Yes
ban
(eff. 7/2015)
Restricted or
Intermediate Yes Covered under all driver
Iowa License Yes
ban
(Primary) (Primary)
Learner or
Intermediate Yes Covered under all driver
Kansas License Yes
ban
(Primary) (Primary)
Yes <18 Yes Covered under all driver
Kentucky Yes
(Primary) (Primary) (Primary) ban
Learner or
1st year of
Intermediate Yes Yes
License Covered under all driver
Louisiana License Yes
ban
(regardless (Primary for
(Primary) (Primary)
of age) <18)

Source: Governors Highway Safety Association, http://www.ghsa.org/state-laws/issues/Distracted-Driving

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Learner or
Yes Intermediate Yes Covered under all driver
Maine Yes (Primary) License Yes
(Primary) ban
(Primary) (Primary)
Yes <18 Yes Covered under all driver
Maryland Yes
(Primary) (Primary) (Primary) ban

Yes Yes <18 Yes Covered under all driver

Massachusetts Yes
(Primary) (Primary) (Primary) (Primary) ban
Level 1 or 2
Yes Yes Covered under all driver
Michigan License Yes
ban
(Primary) (Primary) (Primary)
<18 w/
Learner or
Yes Yes Yes Covered under all driver
Minnesota Provisional Yes
(Primary) License ban

(Primary) (Primary) (Primary)

Yes Yes Covered under all driver
Mississippi Yes
(Primary) (Primary) ban
<21
Missouri Yes
(Primary)
Montana Yes
<18 w/
Learner or
Yes Covered under all driver
Nebraska Intermediate Yes
License ban

(Secondary) (Secondary)
Yes Yes Covered under all driver
Nevada Yes
(Primary) (Primary) ban

New Yes <18 Yes Covered under all driver

Hampshire ban
(Primary) (Primary) (Primary)
Permit or
Yes Yes Provisional Yes Covered under all driver
New Jersey License Yes
ban
(Primary) (Primary) (Primary) (Primary)
Learner or
In State Provisional Yes Covered under all driver
New Mexico License Yes
vehicles ban
(Primary) (Primary)
Yes Yes Covered under all driver
New York Yes
(Primary) (Primary) ban
Yes <18 Yes Covered under all driver
North Carolina Yes
(Primary) (Primary) (Primary) ban

<18 Yes Covered under all driver

North Dakota Yes
(Primary) (Primary) ban
<18 Yes Covered under all driver
Ohio Yes
(Primary) (Secondary) ban
Learner or
Intermediate Yes Covered under all driver
Oklahoma License Yes
ban
(Primary) (Primary)
Yes <18 Yes Covered under all driver
Oregon Yes
(Primary) (Primary) (Primary) ban
Yes
Covered under all driver
Pennsylvania Yes
(Primary) ban

Source: Governors Highway Safety Association, http://www.ghsa.org/state-laws/issues/Distracted-Driving

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Yes Yes Covered under all driver

Puerto Rico
(Primary) (Primary) ban

Yes Yes <18 Yes Covered under all driver

Rhode Island Yes
(Primary) (Primary) (Primary) (Primary) ban

Yes Covered under all driver

South Carolina Yes
(Primary) ban

Learner or
Intermediate Yes Covered under all driver
South Dakota License Yes
ban
(Secondary) (Secondary)
Learner or
Yes Yes Intermediate Yes Covered under all driver
Tennessee License Yes
(Primary) ban
(Primary) (Primary) (Primary)

Yes, w/ Yes, w/
<18 <18
Texas 2 passenger <17 passenger <17 Yes

(Primary) (Primary) (Primary) (Primary)

Yes <18 Yes Covered under all driver
Utah Yes
(Primary) (Primary) (Primary) ban
Yes <18 Yes Covered under all driver
Vermont Yes
(Primary) (Primary) (Primary) ban
Yes Yes Covered under all driver
Virgin Islands Yes
(Primary) (Primary) ban
Yes <18 Yes Covered under all driver
Virginia Yes
(Primary) (Secondary) (Primary) ban
Learner or
Yes Intermediate Yes Covered under all driver
Washington Licence Yes
ban
(Primary) (Primary) (Primary)
<18 w/
Learner or
Yes Yes Covered under all driver
West Virginia Intermediate Yes
Licence ban

(Primary) (Primary) (Primary)

Learner or
Intermediate Yes Covered under all driver
Wisconsin Licence Yes
ban
(Primary) (Primary)
Yes Covered under all driver
Wyoming Yes
(Primary) ban
21 + D.C. 46 + D.C.,
PR, Guam, PR, Guam,
20 + D.C. 38 + D.C. 1 2
Virgin Virgin
Islands Islands 48 +
Primary (41 + D.C.,
Total States
Primary (32 + D.C., PR, Virgin
All Primary All Primary Primary Primary Islands
D.C.) Guam, Virgin
Islands)
Secondary (6) Secondary (5)
1
Arkansas also bans the use of hand-held cell phones while driving in a school zone or in a highway construction zone. This law
is secondarily enforced.
2
Texas has banned the use of hand-held phones and texting in school zones.

Source: Governors Highway Safety Association, http://www.ghsa.org/state-laws/issues/Distracted-Driving