- Five states (California, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and Washington) and the District of Columbia have enacted a jurisdiction-wide ban on driving while talking on a handheld cellular phone. Washington state has also enacted a jurisdiction-wide ban on text messaging while driving.
- Six states (Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Mexico, Ohio, and Pennsylvania) allow localities to ban cell phone use. Localities that have enacted restrictions on cell phone use include: Chicago, IL; Brookline, MA; Detroit, MI; Santa Fe, NM; Brooklyn, North Olmstead and Walton Hills, OH; and Conshohocken, Lebanon and West Conshohocken, PA.
- Eight states (Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Utah) prohibit localities from banning cell phone use.
- Thirteen states (Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Tennessee, and Texas) and DC prohibit the use of all cellular phones while driving a school bus.
- Fifteen states (Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia) and DC restrict the use of cellular phones by young drivers.
- All but seven states with cell phone bans have primary enforcement laws. New Jersey's ban is a secondary enforcement law for everyone except school bus drivers and learner's permit and intermediate license holders. Colorado, Maryland, Nebraska, Virginia, Washington, and West Virginia have secondary enforcement laws. Secondary enforcement laws may only be enforced when a driver has been stopped for another infraction. Utah's law defines careless driving as committing a moving violation (other than speeding) while distracted by use of a hand held cell phone or other activities not related to driving.
| State |
Cell phone restrictions |
| Hand-held Ban |
All cell phone ban |
| Alabama |
no |
no |
| Alaska |
no |
no |
| Arizona |
no |
School bus drivers |
| Arkansas |
no |
School bus drivers |
| California |
yes (eff. 7/1/08) |
School and transit bus drivers |
| Colorado |
no |
Learner's permit holders |
| Connecticut |
yes (eff. 10/1/05) |
Learner's permit holders, drivers
younger than 18, and school bus drivers (eff. 10/1/05) |
| Delaware |
no |
School bus drivers and learner's
permit and intermediate license holders |
| District of Columbia |
yes |
School bus drivers and learner's
permit holders |
| Florida |
no |
no |
| State |
Cell phone restrictions |
| Hand-held Ban |
All cell phone ban |
| Georgia |
no |
School bus drivers |
| Hawaii |
no |
no |
| Idaho |
no |
no |
| Illinois |
By jurisdiction |
Learner's permit holders, drivers
younger than 18, and school bus drivers |
| Indiana |
no |
no |
| Iowa |
no |
no |
| Kansas |
no |
no |
| Kentucky |
no |
School bus drivers (eff. 6/25/07) |
| Louisiana |
no |
no |
| Maine |
no |
Learner's permit and intermediate
license holders |
| State |
Cell phone restrictions |
| Hand-held Ban |
All cell phone ban |
| Maryland |
no |
Learner's permit and
intermediate license holders |
| Massachusetts |
By jurisdiction |
School bus drivers |
| Michigan |
By jurisdiction |
no |
| Minnesota |
no |
Learner's permit holders and
provisional license holders during the first 12 months after licensing
(eff. 1/1/2006) |
| Mississippi |
no |
no |
| Missouri |
no |
no |
| Montana |
no |
no |
| Nebraska |
no |
Learner’s permit and intermediate license holders younger than 18 may not use a cell phone or other wireless communication device (eff. 1/1/08) |
| Nevada |
no |
no |
| New Hampshire |
no |
no |
| State |
Cell phone restrictions |
| Hand-held Ban |
All cell phone ban |
| New Jersey |
yes |
School bus drivers
and learner's permit and intermediate license holders |
| New Mexico |
By jurisdiction |
no |
| New York |
yes |
no |
| North Carolina |
no |
Drivers younger than 18 (eff. 12/1/06) |
| North Dakota |
no |
no |
| Ohio |
By jurisdiction |
no |
| Oklahoma |
no |
no |
| Oregon |
no |
no |
| Pennsylvania |
By jurisdiction |
no |
| Rhode Island |
no |
School bus drivers and drivers
younger than 18 |
| State |
Cell phone restrictions |
| Hand-held Ban |
All cell phone ban |
| South Carolina |
no |
no |
| South Dakota |
no |
no |
| Tennessee |
no |
School bus drivers and learner's
permit and intermediate license holders |
| Texas |
no |
Bus
drivers when a passenger 17 and younger is present; intermediate license
holders for first six months |
| Utah |
yes (eff. 4/30/07) |
no |
| Vermont |
no |
no |
| Virginia |
no |
Intermediate license holders (eff. 7/1/07) |
| Washington |
yes (eff. 07/01/08)
text messaging prohibited (eff. 01/01/08) |
no |
| West Virginia |
no |
Learner's permit and intermediate
license holders (eff. 6/9/06) |
| Wisconsin |
no |
no |
| Wyoming |
no |
no |
|
