Driving Safely and Cell Phones Laws
cell phones and driving
Using a hand held cell phone and driving is one of the most dangerous threats to driver safety. There are no national laws against cell phone use, and driving. Each state has specific laws that can be seen in the chart below. These cell phone laws were last updated September 2010
driver safety and cell phones
Laws restricting cell phone use and texting
no Hand-held ban
Young driver safety all cell phone ban drivers age 16 and 17-year-old drivers who have held an intermediate license for fewer than 6 months
no Bus driver safety all cell phone ban
Texting ban and driver safety drivers age 16 and 17-year-old drivers who have held an intermediate license for fewer than 6 months
primary Enforcement for driver safety
no Hand-held ban
no Young driver safety all cell phone ban
no Bus driver safety all cell phone ban
Texting ban and driver safety all drivers
primary Enforcement for driver safety
no Hand-held ban
no Young driver safety all cell phone ban
school bus drivers Bus driver safety all cell phone ban
Texting ban and driver safety no
primary Enforcement for driver safety
drivers 18 or older but younger than 21
Hand-held ban
Young driver safety all cell phone ban drivers younger than 18
school bus drivers Bus driver safety all cell phone ban
all drivers Texting ban and driver safety
Enforcement for driver safety primary: texting by all drivers and cell phone use by school bus drivers; secondary: cell phone use by young drivers1
all drivers
Hand-held ban
Young driver safety all cell phone ban drivers younger than 18 school and transit bus drivers
Bus driver safety all cell phone ban
all drivers Texting ban and driver safety
Enforcement for driver safety primary: hand held and texting laws; secondary: hands-free cell phone use by young drivers1
no Hand-held ban
Young driver safety all cell phone ban drivers younger than 18
no Bus driver safety all cell phone ban
all drivers Texting ban and driver safety
Enforcement for driver safety primary
all drivers
Hand-held ban
Young driver safety all cell phone ban drivers younger than 18
school bus drivers Bus driver safety all cell phone ban
all drivers Texting ban and driver safety
Enforcement for driver safety primary
all drivers (effective 01/02/11)
Hand-held ban
Young driver safety all cell phone ban learner's permit and intermediate license holders
school bus drivers Bus driver safety all cell phone ban
all drivers (effective 01/02/11) Texting ban and driver safety
Enforcement for driver safety primary
all drivers
Hand-held ban
Young driver safety all cell phone ban learner's permit holders
school bus drivers Bus driver safety all cell phone ban
all drivers Texting ban and driver safety
Enforcement for driver safety: primary
no Hand-held ban
no Young driver safety all cell phone ban
no Bus driver safety all cell phone ban
no Texting ban and driver safety
Enforcement for driver safety not applicable
no Hand-held ban
Young driver safety all cell phone ban drivers younger than 18
school bus drivers Bus driver safety all cell phone ban
all drivers Texting ban and driver safety
Enforcement for driver safety primary
no Hand-held ban
no Young driver safety all cell phone ban
no Bus driver safety all cell phone ban
no Texting ban and driver safety
Enforcement for driver safety not applicable
no Hand-held ban
no Young driver safety all cell phone ban
no Bus driver safety all cell phone ban
no Texting ban and driver safety
Enforcement for driver safety not applicable
drivers in construction and school speed zones Hand-held ban
Young driver safety all cell phone ban drivers younger than 19 and learner's permit holders younger than 19
school bus drivers Bus driver safety all cell phone ban
all drivers Texting ban and driver safety
Enforcement for driver safety primary
no Hand-held ban
Young driver safety all cell phone ban drivers younger than 18
no Bus driver safety all cell phone ban
drivers younger than 18 Texting ban and driver safety
Enforcement for driver safety primary
no Hand-held ban
Young driver safety all cell phone ban learner's permit and intermediate license holders
no Bus driver safety all cell phone ban
all drivers Texting ban and driver safety
Enforcement for driver safety primary for learner's permit and intermediate license holders; secondary for texting
no Hand-held ban
Young driver safety all cell phone ban learner's permit and intermediate license holders
no Bus driver safety all cell phone ban
all drivers Texting ban and driver safety
Enforcement for driver safety primary
no Hand-held ban
Young driver safety all cell phone ban drivers younger than 18
school bus drivers Bus driver safety all cell phone ban
all drivers Texting ban and driver safety
Enforcement for driver safety primary
with respect to novice drivers, see footnote2
Hand-held ban
Young driver safety all cell phone ban with respect to novice drivers, see footnote2
school bus drivers Bus driver safety all cell phone ban
all drivers Texting ban and driver safety
Enforcement for driver safety primary2
no Hand-held ban
Young driver safety all cell phone ban learner's permit and intermediate license holders
no Bus driver safety all cell phone ban
learner's permit and intermediate license holders Texting ban and driver safety
Enforcement for driver safety primary
all drivers (effective 10/01/10)
Hand-held ban
Young driver safety all cell phone ban learner's permit and provisional license holders younger than 18 (effective 10/01/10)
school bus drivers (hand-held ban) (effective 10/01/10) Bus driver safety all cell phone ban
all drivers
Texting ban and driver safety
Enforcement for driver safety secondary; primary for texting
no Hand-held ban
Young driver safety all cell phone ban drivers younger than 18 (effective 09/30/10)
Bus driver safety all cell phone ban school bus drivers (effective since 4/12/01) and passenger bus drivers (effective 09/30/10)
all drivers (effective 09/30/10) Texting ban and driver safety
Enforcement for driver safety primary
no Hand-held ban
no Young driver safety all cell phone ban
Bus driver safety all cell phone ban no
all drivers Texting ban and driver safety
Enforcement for driver safety primary
no Hand-held ban
Young driver safety all cell phone ban learner's permit holders and provisional license holders during the first 12 months after licensing
school bus drivers
all drivers Texting ban and driver safety
Enforcement for driver safety primary
no Hand-held ban
no Young driver safety all cell phone ban
No Bus driver safety all cell phone ban
learner's permit and intermediate license holders Texting ban and driver safety
Enforcement for driver safety primary
no Hand-held ban
no Young driver safety all cell phone ban
no Bus driver safety all cell phone ban
drivers 21 and younger Texting ban and driver safety
Enforcement for driver safety primary
no Hand-held ban
no Young driver safety all cell phone ban
no Bus driver safety all cell phone ban
no Texting ban and driver safety
Enforcement for driver safety not applicable
no Hand-held ban
Young driver safety all cell phone ban
learner's permit and intermediate license holders younger than 18
No Bus driver safety all cell phone ban
all drivers Texting ban and driver safety
Enforcement for driver safety secondary
no Hand-held ban
no Young driver safety all cell phone ban
no Bus driver safety all cell phone ban
no Texting ban and driver safety
Enforcement for driver safety not applicable
no Hand-held ban
no Young driver safety all cell phone ban
no Bus driver safety all cell phone ban
all drivers Texting ban and driver safety
Enforcement for driver safety primary
all drivers
Hand-held ban
Young driver safety all cell phone ban learner's permit and intermediate license holders
school bus drivers Bus driver safety all cell phone ban
all drivers Texting ban and driver safety
Enforcement for driver safety primary
no Hand-held ban
no Young driver safety all cell phone ban
no Bus driver safety all cell phone ban
no Texting ban and driver safety
Enforcement for driver safety not applicable
all drivers
Hand-held ban
no Young driver safety all cell phone ban
no Bus driver safety all cell phone ban
all drivers Texting ban and driver safety
Enforcement for driver safety primary; secondary for text messaging
no Hand-held ban
Young driver safety all cell phone ban
drivers younger than 18
school bus drivers Bus driver safety all cell phone ban
all drivers Texting ban and driver safety
Enforcement for driver safety primary
no Hand-held ban
no Young driver safety all cell phone ban
no Bus driver safety all cell phone ban
no Texting ban and driver safety
Enforcement for driver safety not applicable
no Hand-held ban
no Young driver safety all cell phone ban
no Bus driver safety all cell phone ban
no Texting ban and driver safety
Enforcement for driver safety not applicable
learner's permit and intermediate license holders (effective 11/01/10)
Hand-held ban
no Young driver safety all cell phone ban
school bus drivers and public transit drivers (effective 11/01/10)
Bus driver safety all cell phone ban
learner's permit holders, intermediate license holders, school bus drivers and public transit drivers (effective 11/01/10) Texting ban and driver safety
Enforcement for driver safety primary (effective 11/01/10)
all drivers
Hand-held ban
Young driver safety all cell phone ban drivers younger than 18
no Bus driver safety all cell phone ban
all drivers
Texting ban and driver safety
Enforcement for driver safety primary
no Hand-held ban
no Young driver safety all cell phone ban
no Bus driver safety all cell phone ban
no Texting ban and driver safety
Enforcement for driver safety not applicable
no Hand-held ban
Young driver safety all cell phone ban drivers younger than 18
Bus driver safety all cell phone ban school bus drivers
all drivers Texting ban and driver safety
Enforcement for driver safety primary
no Hand-held ban
no Young driver safety all cell phone ban
no Bus driver safety all cell phone ban
no Texting ban and driver safety
Enforcement for driver safety not applicable
no Hand-held ban
no Young driver safety all cell phone ban
no Bus driver safety all cell phone ban
no Texting ban and driver safety
Enforcement for driver safety not applicable
no Hand-held ban
Young driver safety all cell phone ban learner's permit and intermediate license holders
school bus drivers Bus driver safety all cell phone ban
all drivers Texting ban and driver safety
Enforcement for driver safety primary
drivers in school crossing zones
Hand-held ban
Young driver safety all cell phone ban intermediate license holders for the first twelve months
bus drivers when a passenger 17 and younger is present Bus driver safety all cell phone ban
Texting ban and driver safety bus drivers when a passenger 17 and younger is present; intermediate license holders for first twelve months; drivers in school crossing zones
Enforcement for driver safety primary
all drivers
Hand-held ban
no Young driver safety all cell phone ban
no Bus driver safety all cell phone ban
all drivers Texting ban and driver safety
Enforcement for driver safety primary for texting; secondary for talking on a hand-held cell phone
no Hand-held ban
Young driver safety all cell phone ban drivers younger than 18
no Bus driver safety all cell phone ban
all drivers Texting ban and driver safety
Enforcement for driver safety primary
no Hand-held ban
Young driver safety all cell phone ban drivers younger than 18
school bus drivers Bus driver safety all cell phone ban
all drivers Texting ban and driver safety
Enforcement for driver safety secondary; primary for school bus drivers
all drivers
Hand-held ban
learner's permit and intermediate license holders Young driver safety all cell phone ban
no Bus driver safety all cell phone ban
all drivers Texting ban and driver safety
Enforcement for driver safety primary
no Hand-held ban
Young driver safety all cell phone ban drivers younger than 18 who hold either a learner's permit or an intermediate license
no Bus driver safety all cell phone ban
drivers younger than 18 who hold either a learner's permit or an intermediate license Texting ban and driver safety
Enforcement for driver safety primary
no Hand-held ban
no Young driver safety all cell phone ban
no Bus driver safety all cell phone ban
all drivers (effective 12/01/10) Texting ban and driver safety
Enforcement for driver safety primary (effective 12/01/10)
no Hand-held ban
no Young driver safety all cell phone ban
no Bus driver safety all cell phone ban
all drivers Texting ban and driver safety
Enforcement for driver safety primary
1The laws in Arkansas and California prohibit police from stopping a vehicle to determine if a driver is driving safety is in compliance with the law. Clearly, that language prohibits the use of checkpoints to enforce the law, but it has been interpreted as the functional equivalent of secondary provisions that typically state the officer may not stop someone suspected of a violation unless there is other, independent, cause for a stop.
2In Louisiana, all learner's permit holders, irrespective of age, and all intermediate license holders are prohibited from driving while using a hand-held cell phone and all drivers younger than 18 are prohibited from using any cell phone. Effective April 1, 2010 all drivers, irrespective of age, issued a first driver’s license will be prohibited from using a cell phone for one year. The cell phone ban is secondary for novice drivers age 18 and older.
3In Oklahoma, learner's permit and intermediate license holders are banned from using a hand-held electronic device while operating a motor vehicle for non-life-threatening emergency purposes.
take the distraction challenge
- Distracted Driving | National Highway Traffic Safety Administration | Distraction.gov
Distracted driving is unsafe, irresponsible and in a split second, its consequences can be devastating. Click here to learn the facts about distracted driving.
driver safety state by state cell phone laws
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