Connecticut, New York, New Jersey and the District of Columbia each have enacted a jurisdiction-wide ban on driving while talking on a handheld cellular phone.
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.
Eleven states (Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Tennessee, and Texas) and DC prohibit the use of all cellular phones while driving a school bus.
Thirteen states (Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia) and DC restrict the use of cellular phones by teens in the graduated licensing system.
All but four 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, and West Virginia have secondary enforcement laws. Secondary enforcement laws may only be enforced when a driver has been stopped for another infraction.
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. 7/2008)
School and transit bus drivers, drivers younger than 18 (eff. 7/2008), drivers 18+ hands free only (eff.7/2008)
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
no
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
no
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
no
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
no
no
Vermont
no
no
Virginia
no
no
Washington
no
no
West Virginia
no
Learner's permit and intermediate license holders (eff. 6/9/06)
British Citizens:
Canadian Citizens: