Truck Driver Phone & Hands-Free Laws
The phone and hands-free rules in every state, layered on the federal hand-held ban that already binds every CMV driver. Covers all 50 states and DC. Reference only, not legal advice.
51Under federal ban
34All-driver hand-held ban
$2,750Max federal driver fine
60dCDL loss (2 in 3 yrs)
01
The federal floor
The rule that rides with your CDL
Before any state law, one rule applies to you in every state: the FMCSA hand-held ban. As a CMV driver you are under the federal hand-held ban in every state (FMCSA 49 CFR 392.82): no holding a phone, no dialing more than one button, no reaching for it. Only hands-free is legal, and the one exception is calling 911. Two convictions in three years disqualify your CDL.
FMCSA 49 CFR 392.82 & 392.80
No holding to talk, no dialing more than a single button, no reaching for the phone out of your belted seat, and no texting or manual data entry. Only a mounted or voice-operated phone in close reach is legal. Driver penalty up to $2,750, carrier up to $11,000, and it counts against your CSA score.
02
By state
State phone laws for all 50 states and DC
On top of the federal ban, states set their own rules for all drivers. Tap a state for the full picture: the hand-held rule, the texting rule, enforcement, the fine, and license points.
| State | State rule (all drivers) | First-offense fine |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama AL | Hand-held ban — all drivers | $25 first offense |
| Alaska AK | Texting ban only | A first texting/screen offense with no injury is a non-criminal violation, up to $500 |
| Arizona AZ | Hand-held ban — all drivers | Civil penalty of $75 to $149 for a first offense and $150 to $250 for a second or later |
| Arkansas AR | Texting ban only | Texting: $25 to $250 first offense, $50 to $500 for a second or later offense; fines double if the violation involves a crash |
| California CA | Hand-held ban — all drivers | Base fine $20 for a first offense, $50 for each later offense; with state penalty assessments a first ticket runs roughly $160-plus and can exceed $280 on a repeat |
| Colorado CO | Hand-held ban — all drivers | $75 and 2 license points for a first offense, $150 and 3 points for a second within 24 months, $250 and 4 points for a third or later |
| Connecticut CT | Hand-held ban — all drivers | $200 first violation, $375 second, $625 third or subsequent |
| Delaware DE | Hand-held ban — all drivers | $100 civil penalty first offense; $200 to $300 for a repeat within 2 years |
| District of Columbia DC | Hand-held ban — all drivers | $100 fine |
| Florida FL | Texting ban only | Texting: $30 first offense |
| Georgia GA | Hand-held ban — all drivers | $50 first conviction |
| Hawaii HI | Hand-held ban — all drivers | $300 for a standard violation; $400 in a school zone or construction area |
| Idaho ID | Hand-held ban — all drivers | $75 first offense, $150 second within 3 years, $300 third or later within 3 years, with a possible 90-day license suspension if you have three or more convictions within 3 years |
| Illinois IL | Hand-held ban — all drivers | $75 first, $100 second, $125 third, $150 fourth or later — each is a moving violation |
| Indiana IN | Hand-held ban — all drivers | Class C infraction, up to $500; 4 points added to your Indiana driving record |
| Iowa IA | Hand-held ban — all drivers | $100 scheduled fine |
| Kansas KS | Texting ban only | $60 for texting, all drivers |
| Kentucky KY | Texting ban only | $25 first offense, $50 each subsequent offense, plus 3 points on your driving record |
| Louisiana LA | Hand-held ban — all drivers | $100 first offense outside a zone |
| Maine ME | Hand-held ban — all drivers | $50 for a first offense, $250 for a second or subsequent |
| Maryland MD | Hand-held ban — all drivers | Up to $75 first / $125 second / $175 third by statute; commonly paid at about $83 / $140 / $160 with court costs |
| Massachusetts MA | Hand-held ban — all drivers | $100 first offense, $250 second, $500 third or later |
| Michigan MI | Hand-held ban — all drivers | First offense $100 or 16 hours community service; second or later $250 or 24 hours; any fine doubles if you're at fault in a crash |
| Minnesota MN | Hand-held ban — all drivers | $50 first offense |
| Mississippi MS | Texting ban only | Texting or social-media use: a flat $100 civil penalty |
| Missouri MO | Hand-held ban — all drivers | $150 first, $250 second, $500 third within any 24-month period; $500 flat in a work or school zone |
| Montana MT | No state hand-held ban | No state fine — there is no statewide law to violate |
| Nebraska NE | Texting ban only | $200 first offense, $300 second, $500 third and after, plus 3 license points |
| Nevada NV | Hand-held ban — all drivers | Within any 7 years: $50 for a first offense, $100 for a second, $250 for a third and after |
| New Hampshire NH | Hand-held ban — all drivers | $100 first offense, $250 second, $500 for a third or later within 24 months, plus the state penalty assessment on each |
| New Jersey NJ | Hand-held ban — all drivers | $200 to $400 first offense, $400 to $600 second, $600 to $800 for a third or later, plus 3 motor-vehicle points and a possible 90-day license suspension on the third |
| New Mexico NM | Texting ban only | State texting ticket is $25 for a first offense and $50 for a second |
| New York NY | Hand-held ban — all drivers | $50 to $200 for a first offense, $50 to $250 for a second within 18 months, $50 to $450 for a third, plus a mandatory ~$93 surcharge on each |
| North Carolina NC | Texting ban only | $100 plus court costs; no license points and no insurance surcharge assessed |
| North Dakota ND | Texting ban only | $100 for texting, all drivers |
| Ohio OH | Hand-held ban — all drivers | Up to $150 and 2 points first offense; up to $250 and 3 points second; up to $500, 4 points and a possible 90-day suspension third — all doubled in a work zone |
| Oklahoma OK | Texting ban only | General texting |
| Oregon OR | Hand-held ban — all drivers | First offense with no crash: Class B violation, presumptive $265 |
| Pennsylvania PA | Hand-held ban — all drivers | $50 fine plus court costs and fees |
| Rhode Island RI | Hand-held ban — all drivers | Up to $100 for a hand-held call |
| South Carolina SC | Hand-held ban — all drivers | $100 first offense; $200 and 2 points for a second or later offense within a 3-year period |
| South Dakota SD | Texting ban only | Class 2 misdemeanor, about $178 |
| Tennessee TN | Hand-held ban — all drivers | $50 base |
| Texas TX | Texting ban only | Texting: $25 to $99 first offense, $100 to $200 for repeats, plus court costs; a texting crash causing serious injury or death is a Class A misdemeanor, up to $4,000 and a year in jail |
| Utah UT | Texting ban only | Class C misdemeanor, up to $100 for a first offense |
| Vermont VT | Hand-held ban — all drivers | $100 to $200 first offense, $250 to $500 for a second or subsequent within two years |
| Virginia VA | Hand-held ban — all drivers | $125 first offense, $250 second or subsequent, and a mandatory $250 for any violation in a highway work zone |
| Washington WA | Hand-held ban — all drivers | $136 for a first offense; $234 for a repeat within five years |
| West Virginia WV | Hand-held ban — all drivers | Up to $100 first offense, up to $200 second, up to $350 third within 24 months, plus 3 points and a possible 90-day license suspension on the third |
| Wisconsin WI | Texting ban only | Texting: $20–$400 and 4 demerit points on a first offense; points double for probationary/permit holders with a prior moving violation |
| Wyoming WY | Texting ban only | Statutory maximum $75, charged as a misdemeanor; with mandatory court fees the total ticket reportedly runs about $105 as of July 2024 |
Sources: the cited state statutes; FMCSA 49 CFR 392.80 and 392.82; IIHS and GHSA distracted-driving tables. Last reviewed July 2026. Fines vary by county and rise for repeats and work zones; confirm before you rely on a figure.
Truck Driver Phone Law FAQ
Can a truck driver use a cell phone at all?
Only hands-free. FMCSA 49 CFR 392.82 bans every CDL driver from holding a phone, dialing more than one button, or reaching for it while driving a commercial vehicle in any state. A mounted or voice-operated phone within close reach is allowed. The only exception is calling 911 or emergency services.
Does the federal phone ban apply in states with no phone law?
Yes. The FMCSA hand-held ban follows your CDL into all 50 states and DC, even where regular drivers face no restriction. State laws only add stricter or broader rules on top of the federal floor; they never lower it for a commercial driver.
What is the fine for using a hand-held phone while trucking?
The federal civil penalty runs up to $2,750 for the driver and $11,000 for the carrier, and it is a CSA serious violation. States add their own ticket on top, from about $20 to several hundred dollars. Two convictions in three years disqualify your CDL for 60 days.
Does using the phone at a red light count?
Yes. Under the federal rule, "driving" includes sitting at a red light or stuck in traffic. You are only clear to pick up a hand-held phone once you have pulled fully off the road and stopped. A tap at a light is a violation.
Can I lose my CDL for phone use?
Yes. A hand-held phone or texting conviction is a CSA serious violation. Two convictions in separate incidents within any three-year period disqualify your CDL for 60 days, and three or more for 120 days (49 CFR 383.51).
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