This chart outlines state distracted driving laws. Some localities have additional regulations. Enforcement type is also noted.
Handheld Cellphone Use: 34 states, D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands prohibit all drivers from using handheld cellphones while driving. All but Alabama and Missouri are primary enforcement laws — an officer may cite a driver for using a handheld cellphone without any other traffic offense taking place.
All Cellphone Use: No state bans all cellphone use for all drivers, but 36 states and D.C. ban all cellphone use by novice drivers, and 25 states and D.C. prohibit it for school bus drivers.
Text Messaging: Washington was the first state to pass a texting ban in 2007. Currently, 49 states, D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands ban text messaging for all drivers. All but six have primary enforcement.
Crash Data Collection: All states except two (Connecticut and New Hampshire) include at least one category for distraction on police crash report forms, although the specific data collected varies.
Preemption Laws: Some states have preemption laws that prohibit local jurisdictions from enacting their own distracted driving bans. States with such laws include — but may not be limited to — Florida, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, Oregon and South Carolina.
A PDF chart of state distracted driving laws is available for download here.
NOTE: GHSA does not compile any additional data on distracted driving laws other than what is presented here. For more information, consult the appropriate State Highway Safety Office.
Last updated in July 2023. Laws last reviewed by SHSOs in March 2023.
Short Term Description
34 states ban drivers from using handheld cellphones while driving. 36 states ban all cellphone use by novice drivers, and 25 states prohibit it for school bus drivers. Currently, 49 states ban text messaging for all drivers.
Northern Mariana Islands
Hand-Held Ban?
Yes. Primary law.
Northern Mariana Islands
All Cell Phone Ban? School Bus Drivers
No
Northern Mariana Islands
All Cell Phone Ban? Novice Drivers
No
Northern Mariana Islands
Text Messaging Ban?
All drivers. Primary law.
Wyoming
Hand-Held Ban?
No
Wyoming
All Cell Phone Ban? School Bus Drivers
No
Wyoming
All Cell Phone Ban? Novice Drivers
No
Wyoming
Text Messaging Ban?
All drivers. Primary law.
Wisconsin
Hand-Held Ban?
No, except in work zones.
Wisconsin
All Cell Phone Ban? School Bus Drivers
No
Wisconsin
All Cell Phone Ban? Novice Drivers
Drivers with learner or intermediate license. Primary law.
Wisconsin
Text Messaging Ban?
All drivers. Primary law.
West Virginia
Text Messaging Ban?
All drivers. Primary law.
West Virginia
Hand-Held Ban?
Yes. Primary law.
West Virginia
All Cell Phone Ban? School Bus Drivers
No
West Virginia
All Cell Phone Ban? Novice Drivers
Drivers under 18 with learner or intermediate license. Primary law.
Washington
Hand-Held Ban?
Yes. Primary law.
Washington
All Cell Phone Ban? School Bus Drivers
No
Washington
All Cell Phone Ban? Novice Drivers
Drivers with learner or intermediate license. Primary law.
Washington
Text Messaging Ban?
All drivers. Primary law.
Virginia
Hand-Held Ban?
Yes. Primary law.
Virginia
All Cell Phone Ban? School Bus Drivers
Yes. Primary law.
Virginia
All Cell Phone Ban? Novice Drivers
No
Virginia
Text Messaging Ban?
All drivers. Primary law.
Virgin Islands
Hand-Held Ban?
Yes. Primary law.
Virgin Islands
All Cell Phone Ban? School Bus Drivers
No
Virgin Islands
All Cell Phone Ban? Novice Drivers
No
Virgin Islands
Text Messaging Ban?
All drivers. Primary law.
Vermont
Text Messaging Ban?
All drivers. Primary law.
Vermont
Hand-Held Ban?
Yes. Primary law.
Vermont
All Cell Phone Ban? School Bus Drivers
No
Vermont
All Cell Phone Ban? Novice Drivers
Drivers under 18. Primary law.
Utah
Hand-Held Ban?
No
Utah
All Cell Phone Ban? School Bus Drivers
Yes. Primary law.
Utah
All Cell Phone Ban? Novice Drivers
Drivers under 18. Primary law.
Utah
Text Messaging Ban?
All drivers. Primary law.
Texas
Hand-Held Ban?
Yes, in school crossing zones and on public school property only. Primary law.
Texas
All Cell Phone Ban? School Bus Drivers
Yes, with minor passengers. Primary law.
Texas
All Cell Phone Ban? Novice Drivers
Drivers under 18. Primary law.
Texas
Text Messaging Ban?
All drivers. Primary law.
Tennessee
Hand-Held Ban?
Yes. Primary law.
Tennessee
All Cell Phone Ban? School Bus Drivers
Yes. Primary law.
Tennessee
All Cell Phone Ban? Novice Drivers
Drivers with learner or intermediate license. Primary law.
Tennessee
Text Messaging Ban?
All drivers, while vehicle is in motion. Primary law.
South Dakota
Text Messaging Ban?
All drivers. Secondary law.
South Dakota
Hand-Held Ban?
No
South Dakota
All Cell Phone Ban? School Bus Drivers
No
South Dakota
All Cell Phone Ban? Novice Drivers
Drivers with learner or intermediate license. Secondary law.
South Carolina
Hand-Held Ban?
No
South Carolina
All Cell Phone Ban? School Bus Drivers
No
South Carolina
All Cell Phone Ban? Novice Drivers
No
South Carolina
Text Messaging Ban?
All drivers. Primary law.
Rhode Island
Hand-Held Ban?
Yes. Primary law.
Rhode Island
All Cell Phone Ban? School Bus Drivers
Yes. Primary law.
Rhode Island
All Cell Phone Ban? Novice Drivers
Drivers under 18. Primary law.
Rhode Island
Text Messaging Ban?
All drivers. Primary law.
Puerto Rico
Hand-Held Ban?
Yes. Primary law.
Puerto Rico
All Cell Phone Ban? School Bus Drivers
No
Puerto Rico
All Cell Phone Ban? Novice Drivers
No
Puerto Rico
Text Messaging Ban?
All drivers. Primary law.
Pennsylvania
Text Messaging Ban?
All drivers. Primary law.
Pennsylvania
Hand-Held Ban?
No
Pennsylvania
All Cell Phone Ban? School Bus Drivers
No
Pennsylvania
All Cell Phone Ban? Novice Drivers
No
Oregon
Hand-Held Ban?
Yes. Primary law.
Oregon
All Cell Phone Ban? School Bus Drivers
No
Oregon
All Cell Phone Ban? Novice Drivers
Drivers under 18. Primary law.
Oregon
Text Messaging Ban?
All drivers. Primary law.
Oklahoma
Hand-Held Ban?
Drivers with learner or intermediate license. Primary law.
Oklahoma
All Cell Phone Ban? School Bus Drivers
Yes. Primary law.
Oklahoma
All Cell Phone Ban? Novice Drivers
No
Oklahoma
Text Messaging Ban?
All drivers. Secondary law.
Ohio
Hand-Held Ban?
Yes. Primary law.
Ohio
All Cell Phone Ban? School Bus Drivers
No
Ohio
All Cell Phone Ban? Novice Drivers
Drivers under 18. Primary law.
Ohio
Text Messaging Ban?
All drivers. Primary law.
North Dakota
Text Messaging Ban?
All drivers. Primary law.
North Dakota
Hand-Held Ban?
No
North Dakota
All Cell Phone Ban? School Bus Drivers
No
North Dakota
All Cell Phone Ban? Novice Drivers
Drivers under 18. Primary law.
North Carolina
Hand-Held Ban?
No
North Carolina
All Cell Phone Ban? School Bus Drivers
Yes. Primary law.
North Carolina
All Cell Phone Ban? Novice Drivers
Drivers under 18. Primary law.
North Carolina
Text Messaging Ban?
All drivers. Primary law.
New York
Hand-Held Ban?
Yes. Primary law.
New York
All Cell Phone Ban? School Bus Drivers
No
New York
All Cell Phone Ban? Novice Drivers
No
New York
Text Messaging Ban?
All drivers. Primary law.
New Mexico
Hand-Held Ban?
No
New Mexico
All Cell Phone Ban? School Bus Drivers
No
New Mexico
All Cell Phone Ban? Novice Drivers
Drivers with learner or provisional license. Primary law.
New Mexico
Text Messaging Ban?
All drivers. Primary law.
New Jersey
Text Messaging Ban?
All drivers. Primary law.
New Jersey
Hand-Held Ban?
Yes. Primary law.
New Jersey
All Cell Phone Ban? School Bus Drivers
Yes. Primary law.
New Jersey
All Cell Phone Ban? Novice Drivers
Drivers with permit or provisional license. Primary law.
New Hampshire
Hand-Held Ban?
Yes. Primary law.
New Hampshire
All Cell Phone Ban? School Bus Drivers
No
New Hampshire
All Cell Phone Ban? Novice Drivers
Drivers under 18. Primary law.
New Hampshire
Text Messaging Ban?
All drivers. Primary law.
Nevada
Hand-Held Ban?
Yes. Primary law.
Nevada
All Cell Phone Ban? School Bus Drivers
No
Nevada
All Cell Phone Ban? Novice Drivers
No
Nevada
Text Messaging Ban?
All drivers. Primary law.
Nebraska
Hand-Held Ban?
No
Nebraska
All Cell Phone Ban? School Bus Drivers
Yes. Primary law.
Nebraska
All Cell Phone Ban? Novice Drivers
Drivers under 18 with learner or intermediate license. Secondary law.
Nebraska
Text Messaging Ban?
All drivers. Secondary law.
Montana
Text Messaging Ban?
No
Montana
Hand-Held Ban?
No
Montana
All Cell Phone Ban? School Bus Drivers
No
Montana
All Cell Phone Ban? Novice Drivers
No
Missouri
Hand-Held Ban?
Yes. Secondary Law. (Effective 8/29/2023)
Missouri
All Cell Phone Ban? School Bus Drivers
Yes. Secondary Law. (Effective 8/29/2023)
Missouri
All Cell Phone Ban? Novice Drivers
No
Missouri
Text Messaging Ban?
For drivers 21 and under. Primary law.
All drivers. Secondary Law. (Effective 8/29/2023)
Mississippi
Hand-Held Ban?
No
Mississippi
All Cell Phone Ban? School Bus Drivers
Yes. Primary law.
Mississippi
All Cell Phone Ban? Novice Drivers
No
Mississippi
Text Messaging Ban?
All drivers. Primary law.
Minnesota
Hand-Held Ban?
Yes. Primary law.
Minnesota
All Cell Phone Ban? School Bus Drivers
Yes. Primary law.
Minnesota
All Cell Phone Ban? Novice Drivers
Drivers with learner under 18 or provisional licenses. Primary law.
Minnesota
Text Messaging Ban?
All drivers. Primary law.
Michigan
Text Messaging Ban?
All drivers. Primary law.
Michigan
Hand-Held Ban?
Yes (effective June 30, 2023)
Michigan
All Cell Phone Ban? School Bus Drivers
Yes, handheld ban. Primary law.
Michigan
All Cell Phone Ban? Novice Drivers
Yes, handheld ban. Primary law.
Massachusetts
Hand-Held Ban?
Yes. Primary law.
Massachusetts
All Cell Phone Ban? School Bus Drivers
Yes. Primary law.
Massachusetts
All Cell Phone Ban? Novice Drivers
Drivers under 18. Primary law.
Massachusetts
Text Messaging Ban?
All drivers. Primary law.
Maryland
Hand-Held Ban?
Yes. Primary law.
Maryland
All Cell Phone Ban? School Bus Drivers
Yes, handheld ban. Primary law.
Maryland
All Cell Phone Ban? Novice Drivers
Drivers under 18. Primary law.
Maryland
Text Messaging Ban?
All drivers. Primary law.
Maine
Hand-Held Ban?
Yes. Primary law.
Maine
All Cell Phone Ban? School Bus Drivers
No
Maine
All Cell Phone Ban? Novice Drivers
Drivers with learner or intermediate license. Primary law.
Maine
Text Messaging Ban?
All drivers. Primary law.
Louisiana
Text Messaging Ban?
All drivers. Primary law.
Louisiana
Hand-Held Ban?
Drivers with learner or intermediate license, regardless of age. Drivers in school zones. Primary law.
Louisiana
All Cell Phone Ban? School Bus Drivers
Yes. Primary law.
Louisiana
All Cell Phone Ban? Novice Drivers
Drivers under 18. Primary law.
Kentucky
Hand-Held Ban?
No
Kentucky
All Cell Phone Ban? School Bus Drivers
Yes. Primary law.
Kentucky
All Cell Phone Ban? Novice Drivers
Drivers under 18. Primary law.
Kentucky
Text Messaging Ban?
All drivers. Primary law.
Kansas
Hand-Held Ban?
No
Kansas
All Cell Phone Ban? School Bus Drivers
No
Kansas
All Cell Phone Ban? Novice Drivers
Drivers with learner or intermediate license. Primary law.
Kansas
Text Messaging Ban?
All drivers. Primary law.
Iowa
Hand-Held Ban?
No
Iowa
All Cell Phone Ban? School Bus Drivers
No
Iowa
All Cell Phone Ban? Novice Drivers
Drivers with restricted or intermediate license. Primary law.
Iowa
Text Messaging Ban?
All drivers. Primary law.
Indiana
Text Messaging Ban?
All drivers. Primary law.
Indiana
Hand-Held Ban?
Yes. Primary law.
Indiana
All Cell Phone Ban? School Bus Drivers
No
Indiana
All Cell Phone Ban? Novice Drivers
Drivers under 21. Primary law.
Illinois
Hand-Held Ban?
Yes. Primary law.
Illinois
All Cell Phone Ban? School Bus Drivers
Yes. Primary law.
Illinois
All Cell Phone Ban? Novice Drivers
Drivers under 19. Primary law.
Illinois
Text Messaging Ban?
All drivers. Primary law.
Idaho
Hand-Held Ban?
Yes. Primary law.
Idaho
All Cell Phone Ban? School Bus Drivers
No
Idaho
All Cell Phone Ban? Novice Drivers
No
Idaho
Text Messaging Ban?
All drivers. Primary law.
Hawaii
Hand-Held Ban?
Yes. Primary law.
Hawaii
All Cell Phone Ban? School Bus Drivers
No
Hawaii
All Cell Phone Ban? Novice Drivers
Drivers under 18. Primary law.
Hawaii
Text Messaging Ban?
All drivers. Primary law.
Guam
Text Messaging Ban?
All drivers. Primary law.
Guam
Hand-Held Ban?
Yes. Primary law.
Guam
All Cell Phone Ban? School Bus Drivers
No
Guam
All Cell Phone Ban? Novice Drivers
No
Georgia
Hand-Held Ban?
Yes. Primary Law.
Georgia
All Cell Phone Ban? School Bus Drivers
Yes. Primary Law.
Georgia
All Cell Phone Ban? Novice Drivers
No
Georgia
Text Messaging Ban?
All drivers. Primary law.
Florida
Hand-Held Ban?
School and work zones only. Primary law.
Florida
All Cell Phone Ban? School Bus Drivers
No
Florida
All Cell Phone Ban? Novice Drivers
No
Florida
Text Messaging Ban?
All drivers. Primary law.
District of Columbia
Hand-Held Ban?
Yes. Primary law.
District of Columbia
All Cell Phone Ban? School Bus Drivers
Yes. Primary law.
District of Columbia
All Cell Phone Ban? Novice Drivers
Drivers with learner's permit. Primary law.
District of Columbia
Text Messaging Ban?
All drivers. Primary law.
Delaware
Text Messaging Ban?
All drivers. Primary law.
Delaware
Hand-Held Ban?
Yes. Primary law.
Delaware
All Cell Phone Ban? School Bus Drivers
Yes. Primary law.
Delaware
All Cell Phone Ban? Novice Drivers
Drivers with learner or intermediate licence. Primary law.
Connecticut
Hand-Held Ban?
Yes. Primary law.
Connecticut
All Cell Phone Ban? School Bus Drivers
Yes. Primary law.
Connecticut
All Cell Phone Ban? Novice Drivers
Drivers under 18. Primary law.
Connecticut
Text Messaging Ban?
All drivers. Primary law.
Colorado
Hand-Held Ban?
No
Colorado
All Cell Phone Ban? School Bus Drivers
No
Colorado
All Cell Phone Ban? Novice Drivers
Drivers under 18. Primary law.
Colorado
Text Messaging Ban?
All drivers. Primary law.
California
Hand-Held Ban?
Yes. Primary law.
California
All Cell Phone Ban? School Bus Drivers
Yes. Primary law.
California
All Cell Phone Ban? Novice Drivers
Drivers under 18. Secondary law.
California
Text Messaging Ban?
All drivers. Primary law.
Arkansas
Text Messaging Ban?
All drivers. Primary law.
Arkansas
Hand-Held Ban?
School and work zones only. Primary law.
Arkansas
All Cell Phone Ban? School Bus Drivers
Yes. Primary law.
Arkansas
All Cell Phone Ban? Novice Drivers
Drivers under 18. Secondary law.
Arizona
Hand-Held Ban?
Yes. Primary law.
Arizona
All Cell Phone Ban? School Bus Drivers
Yes. Primary law.
Arizona
All Cell Phone Ban? Novice Drivers
Yes, for instruction and intermediate permit holders under 18. Secondary Law.
Arizona
Text Messaging Ban?
All drivers. Primary law.
Alaska
Hand-Held Ban?
No
Alaska
All Cell Phone Ban? School Bus Drivers
No
Alaska
All Cell Phone Ban? Novice Drivers
No
Alaska
Text Messaging Ban?
All drivers. Primary law.
Alabama
Hand-Held Ban?
Yes. Secondary Law.
Alabama
All Cell Phone Ban? School Bus Drivers
Yes
Alabama
All Cell Phone Ban? Novice Drivers
16, or 17 with Intermediate License for less than 6 months. Primary law.
Driver assistance technologies are increasingly included in new vehicles. But drivers who don't understand these technologies may increase their risk of accidents by turning off safety features or over-relying on convenience features.
Governors Highway Safety Association, Cambridge Mobile Telematics release "A Road Map for Safer Roads" to highlight comprehensive strategies to combat distracted driving
On Monday, April 1, the Tennessee Highway Safety Office is launching “Operation Hands Free” to crack down on violators of Tennessee’s Hands Free Law during National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. The THSO is partnering with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Tennessee Highway Patrol, Tennessee Department of Transportation, and local law enforcement in this statewide effort to crack down on distracted driving. “Since 2017, we’ve been working with agencies statewide to localize this effort, and now it’s become a common practice," said THSO Director Buddy Lewis.
In the last few years the data on distracted driving has gotten better. Cambridge Mobile Telematics is a company that partners with major insurance companies to offer downloadable apps that drivers can use to save money on their rates. The company found that both phone motion and screen interaction while driving went up roughly 20 percent between 2020-2022.
Early this year, the United States will mark a grim and tragic milestone: Four million roadway deaths since 1899. Every single one of these people left behind countless family members, friends, colleagues and neighbors. It’s impossible to fully comprehend the grief and tragedy caused by a single death, let alone four million. Something must change.
This year, the US will reach a total four million deaths on the road since 1899, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA). Marking this 'grim and tragic milestone', the organisation's CEO Jonathan Adkins calls for a renewed sense of urgency in tackling this "safety crisis" and suggests more enforcement and better road design as key areas in which improvements can be made.
Cellphones can track what we say and write, where we go, what we buy and what we search on the internet. But they still aren’t being used to track one of the biggest public health threats: crashes caused by drivers distracted by the phones. The data, published in The Journal of Safety Research, found that 50 percent of drivers admitted to having engaged in device-related distraction in the last 30 days.
The US Governors Highway Safety Association has awarded two grants - of $87,500 each - to help reduce distracted driving in the District of Columbia and Washington state. Partnering with General Motors (GM), GHSA is awarding the money to the state highway safety office in DC and Washington to create and evaluate local distracted driving prevention programmes. Last year, the organisations awarded $210,000 in grants to seven SHSOs.
GHSA and General Motors (GM) are advancing their work together to end the persistent and deadly problem of distracted driving by supporting innovative new ways to address this dangerous behavior. GHSA is awarding two grants to create and evaluate local distracted driving prevention programs in the District of Columbia and Washington state. A third grant is supporting youth journalists in diverse and underserved communities who will highlight how distracted driving endangers everyone on the road.