Cell phone and texting laws by state
Whether you can hold a phone while driving, the texting ban, and the extra rules for permit holders and teen drivers in every state.
By state
| State | Phone rules |
|---|---|
| Alabama | Hands-Free Law (June 2024): physically holding a wireless device is a violation when the driver is seen crossing lanes without signaling, swerving or otherwise driving improperly ($50 + 1 point, $100 + 2 points, $150 + 3 points within 24 months). Texting, IM and email while driving are banned ($25, $50, $75 with 2 points each). GDL Stage I and II drivers may not use any handheld communication device.Source |
| Alaska | Texting while driving is prohibited, and driving with a visual screen device operating is illegal (AS 28.35.161). The manual does not state a general handheld-call ban for adults or a separate teen phone rule; it notes that phone use while driving is not allowed on any base in Alaska. |
| Arizona | All drivers: may not hold or support a wireless device, read or write texts, or watch/record/broadcast video while driving; hands-free/voice-to-text allowed; a handheld device may be used only to report an emergency (manual p.24). Class G (graduated) license holders, first 6 months: no wireless devices at all except in emergencies or for audible navigation (MVD teen page). The pages read do not state a separate device rule for instruction-permit holders.Source |
| Arkansas | Texting banned for all drivers. Under 18: no cell phone use, including hands-free, except emergencies. 18-20: hands-free only (hand-held for emergencies). 21+: the guide says may use a cell phone. Holding a phone in an active work zone counts as a moving violation (fines double).Source |
| California | Driving while using a handheld cell phone is illegal for all drivers. Adults should use a phone only in hands-free mode when necessary, mounted on the windshield, dashboard or center console, with a single swipe/touch; do not send or read texts or emails. Drivers under 18 may not use a cell phone or wireless device to answer calls or text while driving (FFDL 19: including hands-free), except to call for emergency help. |
| Colorado | Drivers may not use a mobile electronic device while driving unless hands-free or in an emergency; texting is prohibited except to contact law enforcement or the fire department or in an emergency. Careless driving due to texting or manual phone use can bring a fine or misdemeanor.Source |
| Connecticut | Hand-held phones and mobile electronic devices banned for all drivers, including when temporarily stopped in traffic or at a signal; hands-free accessories allowed for drivers 18+. Drivers 16-17 and learner's permit holders may not use any phone or device, even hands-free. Emergency calls allowed for any age. Fines doubled in work zones.Source |
| Delaware | Hand-held cell phones and texting are banned for all drivers; adults may talk hands-free (dialing/activating then putting the device down is allowed). GDL drivers may not use any device, including hands-free. Exemptions include emergency responders on duty and anyone reporting an emergency.Source |
| Washington DC | Hands-free required for all drivers; texting while driving is never allowed. Learner permit holders may not use any mobile device, even hands-free. Headphones/earplugs attached to audio devices are prohibited (cell earpiece and hearing aids allowed).Source |
| Florida | Texting while driving is illegal for all drivers (3 points). Using a wireless device in a handheld manner is prohibited in a designated school crossing, school zone or work zone (3 points). No separate teen-only phone rule is stated in the handbook.Source |
| Georgia | Hands-Free Georgia Act (HB 673): no driver may hold or support a phone or electronic device; no writing, sending or reading texts, email or internet data; no watching or recording video. Use only hands-free/mounted. Penalties: 1st 1 point and up to $50; 2nd 2 points and up to $100; 3rd+ 3 points and up to $150 (manual PDF p.26). The manual does not state separate phone rules for permit/Class D drivers.Source |
| Hawaii | No person may operate a motor vehicle while using a mobile electronic device, and drivers under 18 may not use even a hands-free device (except to call 911) (HRS 291C-137). HDOT (April 2023) says fines start at $297 and are higher in school zones and construction areas. The manual advises pulling over to use a phone (p.59).Source |
| Idaho | Reading, writing or sending text messages while driving is illegal (infraction, fine, no points; hands-free devices exempt). The handbook states no general handheld-call ban. |
| Illinois | Handheld phone use, texting and other electronic communication are banned for all drivers; hands-free/Bluetooth is allowed only at 19 and older. Holding the phone on speaker, video streaming, video calls and social media are violations. Handheld use is allowed only to report an emergency, while parked on the shoulder, or while stopped by obstructed traffic in neutral or park. Drivers under 19 may not use any phone, even hands-free, except for emergencies. Phone use is banned in work zones and school zones unless hands-free (single-sided headset allowed), and within 500 feet of an emergency scene.Source |
| Indiana | All drivers are prohibited from using a telecommunications device while driving unless hands-free/voice-operated technology is used or to call 911. Typing, sending or reading texts/email while driving is prohibited. Hand-held device violation: 4 points. |
| Iowa | All drivers: hands-free only (cannot hold a phone, type, scroll, enter GPS addresses, stream video or view texts while driving); texting/viewing messages requires a complete stop off the roadway. Drivers under 18 with an instruction permit, intermediate license or special minor's license may not make or take calls unless stopped off the traveled roadway. |
| Kansas | All drivers: no using a wireless device to manually type, send or read a written communication (text, instant message, email) while driving (K.S.A. 8-15,111; the handbook cites 8-1598). Exceptions include a vehicle stopped off the traveled roadway, entering a number or name to make a call, emergency/traffic/weather alerts, navigation messages, voice-operated hands-free texting, and reporting illegal activity or preventing imminent injury. Talking or dialing is not specifically illegal for licensed adults. Instruction permit, farm permit and restricted license holders: no wireless communication devices at all except to report illegal activity or summon emergency help.Source |
| Kentucky | Manual: do not talk or text on a cell phone. KRS 189.292: no driver may write, send or read text-based messages while the vehicle is in motion (GPS and dialing exceptions). KRS 189.294: drivers under 18 with a permit, intermediate or operator license may not use a personal communication device at all while driving, except to summon emergency help.Source |
| Louisiana | All drivers: wireless device use only hands-free; no writing/sending/reading texts or social media regardless of age (R.S. 32:59). Drivers 17 and under: no calls or texts at all except emergencies. Learner's permit: no cell phone use including hands-free. |
| Maine | Use of a mobile telephone or handheld electronic device while driving is prohibited by law in Maine; drivers under 18 are specifically prohibited from using a mobile phone or handheld device. Reading printed material while driving is illegal (maps and directions excepted). |
| Maryland | Handheld phone use, including texting, is illegal for all drivers; hands-free calls are allowed for drivers 18 and older. Drivers under 18 (including learner's permit and provisional license holders) may not use any wireless device, even hands-free, except to call 911 (manual pp. 35, 47; TR §21-1124, §21-1124.1). No earphones, headsets or earplugs in both ears (hearing aids allowed). |
| Massachusetts | Hands-free only for drivers 18+: device mounted, touched only to activate hands-free; no handheld use even at red lights or stop signs; no reading/sending messages. Drivers under 18: no mobile electronic device use at all except to report an emergency. Fines $100 / $250 / $500 (pp.39-40).Source |
| Michigan | MCL 257.602b bans all drivers from holding or using a mobile device while driving (calls, texts, video, social media); $100 first offense, $250 after. Allowed: hands-free or voice mode with single-touch activation, GPS without manual entry, dash cams, mounted devices, and emergency calls or texts to 911. Kelsey's Law: GDL Level 1 and 2 drivers may not make or receive non-emergency calls at all.Source |
| Minnesota | Manual p.40 and p.79: no composing, reading or sending electronic messages or accessing the internet while driving (including when stopped in traffic); voice-activated/hands-free allowed; $275 fine for second and later offenses. Permit and provisional drivers under 18 may not use a phone at all, even hands-free, except 911. Minn. Stat. 169.475 also bans holding a phone in either hand and hand-held calls for all drivers.Source |
| Mississippi | Texting, writing, sending or reading text messages and reading or posting to social networking sites on a hand-held phone while driving are prohibited for all drivers; hands-free devices recommended for calls; the manual advises not using phones for calls or texting. Hardship licensees may not use a cell phone at all, including hands-free. |
| Missouri | Hands-free law (RSMo 304.822): while the vehicle is moving, no driver of any age may hold or support a phone with any part of the body, type, write, send or read texts, record, post or broadcast video, or watch video. Hands-free calls, voice-to-text, GPS navigation and audio are allowed. Before Jan 1, 2025 violations drew warnings; now they are infractions with fines up to $150 (first), $250 (second within 24 months) and $500 (third or later, or in a work zone or school zone). No separate teen-only phone rule.Source |
| Montana | No statewide hand-held or texting ban is stated in the manual; it says most Montana cities have passed laws against texting and talking on phones while driving, and advises never to text or talk while driving. Do not drive with headphones or earbuds.Source |
| Nebraska | Illegal for all drivers to use a handheld wireless device to read, type or send written communication while driving ($200-$500, 3 points). Permit and POP holders may not use any interactive wireless device while driving ($200 first offense plus points). TVs visible to the driver are prohibited.Source |
| Nevada | All drivers: hand-held phone use for voice calls prohibited unless hands-free; texting, messaging and internet use prohibited. Emergency reports allowed if stopping is unsafe. Penalties: 1st $50 (not a moving violation), 2nd $100 + 4 demerit points, 3rd+ $250 + 4 points; doubled in work zones. Cell phone use during a drive test is an automatic failure. |
| New Hampshire | RSA 265:79-c: no hand-held mobile device use (calls, texts, internet, GPS entry) while driving or temporarily stopped in traffic; drivers 18+ may use hands-free/Bluetooth devices. Drivers under 18 may not use any mobile device, even hands-free, except to report an emergency.Source |
| New Jersey | Hand-held phones and texting banned for all drivers (primary offense); hands-free allowed but discouraged. Fines $200-$400 first, $400-$600 second, $600-$800 third+ with 3 points on a third or later offense and possible 90-day suspension. GDL permit and probationary drivers may not use hand-held OR hands-free phones or any electronic device. School bus drivers may not use any phone while driving (manual p.85-86).Source |
| New Mexico | Manual p.30 only advises caution and notes some towns require hands-free devices. The MVD learner's permit page lists 'using a mobile communication device while driving' among the traffic violations that extend GDL periods. No statewide rule is stated in the manual.Source |
| New York | Talking on a hand-held mobile phone while driving is a traffic infraction for all drivers (first offense: fine up to $200 and 5 points); hands-free use is allowed at any time; the phone may be held only to start or end a call. Texting/using portable electronic devices is illegal for all drivers: fine up to $200 first offense, up to $250 second and up to $450 third or more within 18 months. Junior permit/license and probationary drivers: 120-day suspension for a first conviction, revocation of at least one year for a later conviction within six months of getting the license back (MV-21 pp.19, 52). |
| North Carolina | All drivers: it is unlawful to use a cell phone for texting or email while operating a vehicle on a public street, highway or public vehicular area. NC has no handheld-calling ban for drivers 18 and older (the 'Hands Free NC Act', S797, was filed in 2026 but is not law as of 2026-10-27). Drivers under 18, at every GDL level: no cell phone or other technology associated with a cell phone while driving, except to call about an emergency (emergency response operator, hospital/doctor/clinic, ambulance service, fire department, law enforcement, or a parent, legal guardian or spouse). School bus drivers may not use a cell phone while driving (handbook PDF pp. 14-15, 43).Source |
| North Dakota | Texting (composing, reading or sending) while driving is illegal for everyone ($100), as is losing control due to a non-driving activity. Permit holders of any age and licensed drivers under 18 may not use any electronic communication device while driving, except for emergencies.Source |
| Ohio | Drivers 18+: may not use, hold or physically support a phone or other wireless device while driving (hands-free and single touch/swipe allowed; emergency calls and stopped-at-light exceptions). Penalties: 2 points/up to $150, 3 points/up to $250, 4 points/up to $500 and possible 90-day suspension; doubled in work zones. Under 18 and all TIPIC holders: no use of any electronic device, even hands-free (navigation and emergency calls excepted); primary offense with 60-day suspension and $150 fine, then one year and $300.Source |
| Oklahoma | Texting while driving is illegal for all drivers (since 2015). Learner permit and intermediate license holders may be suspended or canceled for using a hand-held electronic device except for life-threatening emergencies. Commercial and public transit drivers may not make hand-held calls (p.61).Source |
| Oregon | Drivers under 18 may not use a cell phone or other mobile electronic device while driving (provisional permit/license: hands-free is not allowed either). Drivers 18+ must use a hands-free accessory needing only minimal use of a finger to turn on or off. Video displays visible to the driver are illegal; sound systems may not be audible 50 feet away (p.80).Source |
| Pennsylvania | Paul Miller's Law (effective June 5, 2025): all drivers are banned from holding or using a handheld interactive mobile device while driving, including when temporarily stopped in traffic or at lights; primary offense; written warnings for the first 12 months, then from June 5, 2026 a $50 fine plus costs. Allowed when pulled safely off the road, and for emergency calls. Texting ban (2012): $50 fine; GPS and integrated devices excluded. The manual (2021) covers only the texting ban. |
| Rhode Island | All drivers: hand-held use of a phone or other wireless device while driving is banned (R.I.G.L. 31-22-30.1, in effect June 1, 2018; RIDOT: fines up to $100 for a first offense, which can be waived with proof of buying a hands-free device; headphones covering both ears are not allowed). Hands-free use is allowed for adults. Texting is banned at any age ($100/$150/$250). Under 18: no phone use at all, even hands-free or speakerphone, except emergencies ($100/$150/$250 plus loss of license until 18 on a third offense). The April 2024 manual covers the texting and under-18 rules but does not mention the adult hand-held ban. |
| South Carolina | SC Hands-Free and Distracted Driving Act: no driver may hold or support a mobile electronic device with any part of the body, read/write/send any text (texts, email, apps, websites), or view moving images while driving on a public road. Earpieces and wrist-worn devices for voice calls are allowed. Fines: $100 first offense; $200 and two points for second and later offenses. Applies to all drivers.Source |
| South Dakota | Texting, reading texts and social networking while driving are prohibited by state law; instruction and restricted permit holders may not use any wireless communication device (manual p.8, p.19).Source |
| Tennessee | Hands-free law (Public Chapter 412, 2019): no holding a phone with any part of the body, no writing/sending/reading texts, no reaching for a phone so you are out of position or unbelted, no watching or recording video. Ages 18+ may not use a hand-held phone in a marked school zone with flashers on. Learner permit and intermediate license holders may not use a cell phone at all while driving: $50 fine and 6 points.Source |
| Texas | Reading, writing or sending messages on a phone or portable wireless device while driving is illegal for all drivers. Drivers under 18 (learner and provisional) may not use any wireless device, including hands-free, except in an emergency. Wireless device use is prohibited in school zones where signed.Source |
| Utah | No manual texting, dialing, internet, video or photos on a handheld device while moving. Drivers 18+ may talk using voice commands to connect. Drivers under 18 may use a device only for medical emergencies, reporting hazards or crimes, or talking with a parent/guardian. Texting violation: Class C misdemeanor, max $100 (Class B with injury or repeat).Source |
| Vermont | No portable electronic device use while driving on a public highway, including while stationary (all drivers); no reading or sending messages. Fines $100-$200 first, $250-$500 later; 2 points (first) / 5 points (later) in a work zone. Junior texting = 30-day recall.Source |
| Virginia | All drivers: may not hold a cell phone or other wireless device while driving except in a driver emergency or when lawfully parked or stopped; navigation allowed if not holding or entering information. Under 18 (license or permit): no use at all, hand-held or hands-free, except a driver emergency with the vehicle lawfully parked or stopped. Handheld device in a highway work zone: $250 fine. |
| Washington | All drivers: may not hold any electronic device while driving; hands-free use allowed. Fines after a first violation can be doubled. Permit and intermediate license holders may not use any phone/mobile device, even hands-free, except to report an emergency (911). Earbuds/headphones in both ears illegal (one-ear hands-free device allowed). |
| West Virginia | All drivers: hands-free only; no handheld calls, texting or data. Handbook p.17: 1st offense $100, 2nd $200, 3rd+ $300 and 3 points. Current W. Va. Code §17C-14-15 (amended 2025): may not hold or support a device (smartwatch excepted) or read/write texts; fines of not more than $100 / $200 / $350 for 1st / 2nd / 3rd+ within 24 months, 3 points and possible suspension on the 3rd. Under 18 (Level 1 and 2): no wireless device at all, even hands-free, except to contact 9-1-1 (primary offense per DMV GDL page).Source |
| Wisconsin | Texting while driving is illegal for all drivers. Instruction permit and probationary license holders may not use a cell phone (hand-held or hands-free) except to report an emergency. No driver may use a hand-held mobile device in a road work zone except to report an emergency. |
| Wyoming | Reading or sending text messages while driving is illegal for all drivers; some cities ban cell phone use within city limits. WYDOT recommends pulling well off the highway and stopping before calling or texting (p.89). The manual states no separate under-18 phone rule.Source |
More rules of the road
From each state's driver handbook or licensing agency; laws change, so check your state's current handbook.