What is the state law on cell phone ban while driving?

This chart outlines state distracted driving laws. Some localities have additional regulations. Enforcement type is shown in parenthesis.

Hand-held Cell Phone Use: 11 states, D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands prohibit all drivers from using hand-held cell phones while driving. Beginning in October 2013, all laws will be primary enforcement—an officer may cite a driver for using a hand-held cell phone without any other traffic offense taking place. All Cell Phone Use: No state bans all cell phone use for all drivers, but 37 states and D.C. ban all cell phone use by novice drivers, and 19 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, 41 states, D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands ban text messaging for all drivers. All but 4 have primary enforcement.

An additional 6 states prohibit text messaging by novice drivers. 3 states restrict school bus drivers from texting. Crash Data Collection: Nearly all states include at least one category for distraction on police crash report forms, although the specific data collected varies.

The Model Minimum Uniform Crash Criteria (MMUCC) guideline provides best practices on distraction data collection. Preemption Laws: Many localities have passed their own distracted driving bans. However, some states – such as Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Oklahoma – prohibit localities from enacting such laws.

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. 1 Arkansas also bans the use of hand-held cell phones while driving in a school zone or in a highway construction zone.

This law is secondarily enforced. 2 Illinois bans the use of hand-held cell phones while driving in a school zone or in a highway construction zone. 3 Dealt with as a distracted driving issue; New Hampshire enacted a comprehensive distracted driving law.

4 Texas has banned the use of hand-held phones and texting in school zones. Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.