Distracted Driving Laws by State

47 of the 50 United States have some form of distracted driving law. Do you know what your state law is?

We’re covering distracted driving state laws for most of our program states. Drivers should familiarize themselves with these laws as they are ever changing.

Texas

• Texas is the 47th state to officially ban the dangerous practice of texting while driving.
• It is still legal for motorists in most cities to use their phone for GPS navigation, music apps, dialing phone numbers, etc., but drivers may still get pulled over if an officer suspects them of texting.
• All novice drivers are banned from using their cell phone (or any wireless communication device) while driving for their first year behind the wheel.
• Texas forbids drivers from using hand-held communication devices (phones) in school zones.
• Texas law states that school bus drivers must refrain from texting or making telephone calls while driving—even with a hands-free device.

Georgia

• In 2010, Georgia passed the law prohibiting texting while driving
• Georgia law states that school bus drivers must refrain from texting or making telephone calls while driving.
• Novice drivers, which means drivers who are under the age of 18, can’t use hand-held or hands-free cell phones while behind the wheel.
• Drivers may be pulled over for texting and driving as a primary offense, meaning the cop doesn’t need another reason/driving violation to pull you over.

Nebraska

• Drivers under the age of 18 with a learner’s permit or an intermediate license, can’t use hand-held or hands-free cell phones while driving.
• There is no prohibition on cell phone use while driving in Nebraska, for adults. However, all Nebraska drivers are prohibited from texting while driving.
• Nebraska law states that school bus drivers must refrain from texting or making telephone calls while driving.
• A driver who violates the texting law can be fined $200 (first offense), $300 (second offense) or $500 (for subsequent offenses) plus 3 points against the driver’s license.
• Nebraska’s text messaging and cell phone laws are considered “secondary” laws. A secondary law refers to the fact that an officer can only pull you over and issue a ticket if the officer has witnessed some other violation – for example, you ran a stop light while texting.

Colorado

• Novice drivers, which means drivers who are under the age of 18, can’t use hand-held or hands-free cell phones while behind the wheel.
• All drivers are prohibited from texting while driving. To be convicted of a violation of the law, a law enforcement officer must see the person texting.
• Colorado’s cell phone and texting laws are considered “primary” laws, meaning the cop doesn’t need another reason/driving violation to pull you over.
• In the state of Colorado, your first cell-phone citation will result in a $50 fine, and $100 for subsequent cell-phone violations. Other surcharges may apply.
• There is NOT a law in Colorado banning school bus drivers from texting or making telephone calls while driving.

California

• California law prohibits motorists from “holding and operating” any wireless device while at the wheel. This more general wording presumably covers text messaging and all other wireless device functions.
• For drivers who are under the age of 18, California law prohibits using a wireless device, even when used in a hands-free manner. The only exception is for emergency calls.
• Distracted driving is generally a zero-point offense—meaning, the violation generally won’t affect a person’s insurance rates.
• California law states that school bus drivers must refrain from texting or making telephone calls while driving.

Idaho

• Idaho was the 37th state in the country to adopt a texting and driving ban.
• Novice drivers, which means drivers who are under the age of 18, can’t use hand-held or
• The statewide texting and driving ban is a primary law, which gives police officers the authorization to pull you over and give you a ticket for violating the law, even if you hadn’t done some other traffic violation prior to that.
• No points are added to your license for committing this offense.

To see all State’s distracted driving laws, visit DMV.org.