Texting Driving Laws by State

Updated: September, 2024

Texting while driving is banned in all but six states. Although there is not all state wide ban, many counties within those states ban texting while driving. Many states also ban all handheld devices, especially for drivers with a provisional license.

The map above shows which states impose texting while driving bans. Hover over a state too which type of enforcement is used in that state.

There are two type of enforcement of texting bans – Primary and Secondary. Primary Enforcement means that you can be pulled over for texting while driving. Secondary Enforcement means that you can only not be stopped for texting while driving. In states with secondary bans, you can only be changed with charged if you were stopped for a different offence such as speeding or reckless driving.

The table below shows which states ban Texting while driving. The “Crash Data” column indicates whether or not police officers collect information about cellphone use after an car accident.