Cell Phone and Texting While Driving: Laws in the 50 States, DC and Territories
| Alabama | 16, or 17 w/ Intermediate License <6 months (Primary) | 16, or 17 w/ Intermediate License <6 months (Primary) | |||||
| Alaska | Yes (Primary) | Covered under all driver ban | Yes | ||||
| Arizona | Yes (Primary) | ||||||
| Arkansas | 18 - 20 years old (Primary) | Yes (Primary) | <18 (Secondary) | Yes (Primary) | Covered under all driver ban | Yes | |
| California | Yes (Primary) | Yes (Primary) | <18 (Secondary) | Yes (Primary) | Covered under all driver ban | Yes | |
| Colorado | <18 (Primary) | Yes (Primary) | Covered under all driver ban | ||||
| Connecticut | Yes (Primary) | Yes (Primary) | <18 (Primary) | Yes (Primary) | Covered under all driver ban | ||
| Delaware | Yes (Primary) | Yes (Primary) | Learner or Intermediate License (Primary) | Yes (Primary) | Covered under all driver ban | ||
| D.C. | Yes (Primary) | Yes (Primary) | Learners Permit (Primary) | Yes (Primary) | Covered under all driver ban | ||
| Florida | |||||||
| Georgia | Yes (Primary) | <18 (Primary) | Yes (Primary) | Covered under all driver ban | Yes | ||
| Guam | Yes (Primary) | Covered under all driver ban | |||||
| Hawaii | Hawaii does not have a state law banning the use of handheld cell phones. However, all of the state's counties have enacted distracted driving ordinances. | ||||||
| Idaho | Idaho has a "Distraction in/on Vehicle (List)" attribute as part of its Contributing Circumstances element, and officers are supposed to list the distractions in the narrative. | ||||||
| Illinois | Handheld cells banned while driving in school or highway construction zones. | Yes (Primary) | <19 (Primary) | Yes (Primary) | Covered under all driver ban | Yes | |
| Indiana | <18 (Primary) | Yes (Primary) | Covered under all driver ban | Yes | |||
| Iowa | Restricted or intermediate License (Primary) | Yes (Secondary) | Covered under all driver ban | Yes | |||
| Kansas | Learner or Intermediate License (Primary) | Yes (Primary) | Covered under all driver ban | Yes | |||
| Kentucky | Yes (Primary) | <18 (Primary) | Yes (Primary) | Covered under all driver ban | |||
| Louisiana | Learner or Intermediate License (regardless of age) | Yes (Primary) | 1st year of License (Primary for <18) | Yes (Primary) | Covered under all driver ban | Yes | |
| Maine | <18 (Primary) | Yes (Primary) | Covered under all driver ban | Yes | |||
| Maryland | Yes (Secondary) | <18 w/ Learner or Provisional License (Secondary) | Yes (Primary) | Covered under all driver ban | Yes | ||
| Massachusetts | Yes (Primary) | <18 (Primary) | Yes (Primary) | Covered under all driver ban | Yes | ||
| Michigan | See footnote. | Yes (Primary) | Covered under all driver ban | Yes | |||
| Minnesota | Yes (Primary) | <18 w/ Learner or Provisional License (Primary) | Yes (Primary) | Covered under all driver ban | Yes | ||
| Mississippi | Yes (Primary) (eff. 7/1/11) | Yes (Primary) (eff. 7/1/11) | Learner or Provisional License (Primary) | ||||
| Missouri | <21 (Primary) | ||||||
| Montana | Yes | ||||||
| Nebraska | <18 w/ Learner or Intermediate License (Secondary) | Yes (Secondary) | Covered under all driver ban | Yes | |||
| Nevada | Yes (Primary) (eff. 1/1/12) | Yes (Primary) (eff. 1/1/12) | Covered under all driver ban | Yes | |||
| New Hampshire | Yes (Primary) | Covered under all driver ban | |||||
| New Jersey | Yes (Primary) | Yes (Primary) | Permit or Provisional License (Primary) | Yes (Primary) | Covered under all driver ban | Yes | |
| New Mexico | In State vehicles | Learner or Provisional License (Primary) | Learner or Provisional License (Primary) | Yes | |||
| New York | Yes (Primary) | Yes (Secondary) | Covered under all driver ban | Yes | |||
| North Carolina | Yes (Primary) | <18 (Primary) | Yes (Primary) | Covered under all driver ban | |||
| North Dakota | <18 (Primary) (eff. 1/1/12) | Yes (Primary) | Covered under all driver ban | Yes | |||
| Ohio | |||||||
| Oklahoma | Learner or Intermediate License (Primary) | Yes (Primary) | Yes (Primary) | Learner or Intermediate License (Primary) | Yes | ||
| Oregon | Yes (Primary) | <18 (Primary) | Yes (Primary) | Covered under all driver ban | Yes | ||
| Pennsylvania | Yes | ||||||
| Rhode Island | Yes (Primary) | <18 (Primary) | Yes (Primary) | Covered under all driver ban | Yes | ||
| South Carolina | South Carolina has a Distracted/inattention attribute under Contributing Factors. | ||||||
| South Dakota | Yes | ||||||
| Tennessee | Yes (Primary) | Learner or Intermediate License (Primary) | Yes (Primary) | Covered under all driver ban | Yes | ||
| Texas | Yes, w/ passenger <17 (Primary) | Intermediate License, 1st 12 mos. (Primary) | Yes, w/ passenger <17 (Primary) | Intermediate License, 1st 12 mos. (Primary) | Yes | ||
| Utah | Yes (Primary) | Covered under all driver ban | Yes | ||||
| Vermont | <18 (Primary) | Yes (Primary) | Covered under all driver ban | ||||
| Virgin Islands | Yes | Yes | |||||
| Virginia | Yes (Primary) | <18 (Secondary) | Yes (Secondary) | Covered under all driver ban (Primary) | Covered under all driver ban | Yes | |
| Washington | Yes (Primary) | Learner or Intermediate Licence (Primary) | Yes (Primary) | Covered under all driver ban | Yes | ||
| West Virginia | <18 w/ Learner or Intermediate Licence (Primary) | <18 w/ Learner or Intermediate Licence (Primary) | |||||
| Wisconsin | Yes (Primary) | Covered under all driver ban | |||||
| Wyoming | Yes (Primary) | Covered under all driver ban | Yes | ||||
| Total States | 9 + D.C., Virgin Islands Primary (8) Secondary (1) | 19 + D.C. All Primary | 30 + D.C. Primary (25 + D.C.) Secondary (5) | 34 + D.C., Guam Primary (30 + D.C., Guam) Secondary (4) | 3 All Primary | 7 All Primary | 34 + D.C., Virgin Islands |
Utah's law defines careless driving as committing a moving violation (other than speeding) while distracted by use of a handheld cellphone or other activities not related to driving.
Source: Governors Highway Safety Association (ghsa.org).
poseidon says
According to a study by the Governors Highway Safety Association, 25% of U.S. car crashes are associated with drivers distracted by a cellphone or gadget.