Shocking Number of States Still Don’t Have a Hands-Free Driving Law originally appeared on Autoblog.
States that do and don’t have a hands-free driving law
U.S. states have been adopting hands-free driving laws at an increasing rate, but there are still 19 states that don’t have one. Hands-free driving legislation outlaws using any handheld electronic device while driving, and while several states haven’t enacted a full ban, some have less strict rules.
The following states, plus the District of Columbia, have hands-free driving laws:
Alabama
Arizona
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Missouri
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New York
Ohio
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
Tennessee
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
In contrast, the states below don’t have a hands-free driving law:
Alaska
Arkansas
Florida
Georgia
Kentucky
Mississippi
Montana
Nebraska
New Mexico
North Carolina
North Dakota
South Carolina
South Dakota
Texas
Utah
Wisconsin
Wyoming
Kansas
Oklahoma
A closer look at states without a hands-free driving law
While texting and driving is illegal for all Arkansas drivers, the state allows motorists over 21 to make calls. However, Arkansas drivers aged 18-21 are required to use Bluetooth for calls, while those under 18 can’t make any calls. In Florida, drivers are prohibited from texting behind the wheel or using a wireless device in a handheld manner in school zones or active construction zones. Some sources list Georgia as having a hands-free driving law, but as of July 2018, the state only prohibits drivers from having a phone in their hand or touching any part of their body while operating a vehicle.
In Kentucky, manual cell phone use is banned, and hands-free cell phone methods are prohibited for drivers under 18. Still, Kentucky doesn’t have a comprehensive hands-free electronics driving law, similar to Alaska, New Mexico, North Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Kansas, and Oklahoma. Mississippi bans texting behind the wheel, but drivers with full licenses can make handheld calls. Montana is currently the only U.S. state without a law banning texting or making handheld calls while driving. Nebraska law just prohibits texting while driving, but it’s a secondary offense, meaning a motorist won’t get a citation unless they’re pulled over for another violation. While South Carolina doesn’t currently have an active hands-free driving law, its ban on all handheld electronic devices behind the wheel starts September 1.
Final thoughts
The U.S. has gotten more serious in recent years about enacting laws aimed at deterring distracted driving, which most often occurs through handheld phone use, and there’s evidence of positive results. In 2024, rates of drivers texting, using apps, or interacting with their phones dropped 8.4%, according to Cambridge Mobile Telematics. During the first nine months of 2024, traffic fatalities declined an estimated 4.4%, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports. The NHTSA also shared that in 2023, 3,275 people were killed in vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers, down slightly from 2022’s 3,308 figure. While several U.S. states lack comprehensive distracted driving laws, most have legislation banning handheld cell phone use behind the wheel, and Montana is the only state that hasn’t prohibited both handheld calls and texting.
Shocking Number of States Still Don’t Have a Hands-Free Driving Law first appeared on Autoblog on Aug 6, 2025
This story was originally reported by Autoblog on Aug 6, 2025, where it first appeared.
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