Cell Phone Use While Driving – Laws by State - Neckerman Insurance Services

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Cell Phone Use While Driving – Laws by State

State	Hand-Held Ban?	Young Driver All Cell Phone Ban?	Bus Driver All Cell Phone Ban?	Text Message Ban?	Preemption Laws in the State?
Alabama	No	Drivers <18 who have had license <6 months	Hand-Held Ban	Drivers <18 whohavehad license <6 months	No
Alaska	No	No	Hand-Held Ban	Yes	No
Arizona	No	No	Yes	No	No
Arkansas	Drivers <20	Drivers <18	Yes	Yes	No
California	Yes	Drivers <18	Yes	Yes	No
Colorado	No	Drivers <18	Hand-Held Ban	Yes	No
Connecticut	Yes	Drivers with learners permits and drivers <18	Yes	Yes	No
Delaware	Yes	Drivers with learners permits or intermediate licenses	Yes	Yes	No
District of Columbia	Yes	Drivers with learner's permits	Yes	Yes	No
Florida	No	No	Hand-Held Ban	No	Yes
Georgia	No	Drivers <18	Yes	Yes	No
Hawaii	No	See footnote	See footnote	See footnote	No
Idaho	No	No	Hand-Held Ban	No	No
Illinois	Drivers in construction or school zones	Drivers <19	Yes	Yes	No
Indiana	No	Drivers <18	Hand-Held Ban	Yes	No
Iowa	No	Drivers with learner's permits or intermediate licenses	Hand-Held Ban	Yes	No
Kansas	No	Drivers with learner's permits or intermediate licenses	Hand-Held Ban	Yes	No
Kentucky	No	Drivers <18	Yes	Yes	Yes
Louisiana	Drivers with learner's permits or intermediate licenses, regardless of age	Drivers with a license <1 year	Yes	Yes	Yes
Maine	No	Drivers <18	Hand-Held Ban	Yes	No
Maryland	Yes	Drivers with learner's permits or provisional licenses; drivers >18	Hand-Held Ban	Yes	No
Massachusetts	No	Drivers <18	Yes	Yes	No
Michigan	No	Drivers <20 whose cell phone use contributed to a crash or ticket	Hand-Held Ban	Yes	No
Minnesota	No	Drivers <18 with a learner's or provisional license	Yes	Yes	No
Mississippi	No	No	Yes	Drivers with learner's permits or intermediate licenses	Yes
Missouri	No	No	Hand-Held Ban	Drivers <21	No
Montana	No	No	Hand-Held Ban	No	No
Nebraska	No	Drivers with learner's permits or intermediate licenses; drivers <18	Hand-Held Ban	Yes	No
Nevada	Yes	No	Hand-Held Ban	Yes	Yes
New Hampshire	No	No	Hand-Held Ban	Yes	No
New Jersey	Yes	Drivers with learner's permits or intermediate licenses	Yes	Yes	No
New Mexico	Yes, in state-owned vehicles	Drivers with a learners or provisional license	Hand-Held Ban	Drivers with learner's permits or intermediate licenses	No
New York	Yes	No	Hand-Held Ban	Yes	No
North Carolina	No	Drivers <18	Yes	Yes	No
North Dakota	No	Drivers <18	Hand-Held Ban	Yes	No
Ohio	No	No	Hand-Held Ban	No	No
Oklahoma	Drivers with learner's permits or intermediate licenses	No	Yes	Drivers with learner's permits or intermediate licenses; bus drivers	Yes
Oregon	Yes	Drivers <18	Hand-Held Ban	Yes	No
Pennsylvania	No	No	Hand-Held Ban	Yes	No
Rhode Island	No	Drivers <18	Yes	Yes	No
South Carolina	No	No	Hand-Held Ban	No	No
South Dakota	No	No	Hand-Held Ban	No	No
Tennessee	No	Drivers with learner's permits or intermediate licenses	Yes	Yes	No
Texas	Drivers in school zones	Drivers with their first 12 months of holding an intermediate license	When at least one passenger is <18	Drivers within their first 12 months of holding an intermediate license; Bus drivers when at least one passenger is <18	No
Utah	Yes	No	Hand-Held Ban	Yes	No
Vermont	No	Drivers <18	Hand-Held Ban	Yes	No
Virginia	No	Drivers <18	Yes	Yes	No
Washington	Yes	Drivers with learner's permits or intermediate licenses	Hand-Held Ban	Yes	No
West Virginia	No	Drivers <18 with learner's permits or intermediate licenses	Hand-Held Ban	Drivers <18 with learner's permits or intermediate licenses	No
Wisconsin	No	No	Hand-Held Ban	Yes	No
Wyoming	No	No	Hand-Held Ban	Yes	No

[1]Several states have preemption laws that prohibit local jurisdictions from enacting cell phone restrictions. In other states, local governments are allowed to ban the use of cell phones or texting while driving. Many states also treat the use of cell phones as a driving distraction violation that can be prosecuted.