Every state that tickets drivers checking their phone at a red light
Carl Nelson of Richmond, California, stopped at a red light and reached for his cellphone, checking it out of habit. A police officer spotted Nelson and slapped the driver with a ticket on sight. That didn’t seem quite right to Nelson, so he challenged the ticket in court.
Nelson argued California’s 2007 cellphone ban only applied while “driving” and thus not at a red light. Well, the First District Court of Appeal in San Francisco didn’t agree. It voted to uphold Nelson’s ticket 3-0. And as of 2025, 30 states and territories have a similar “no touch” cellphone law.
“No touch” laws banning cellphone use–even at a red light–increasingly common
The state of New York was the first to ban using a hand-held cellphone while driving. Its 2001 law said you needed to be using a headset or connect your phone to your car’s stereo. But of course, you could touch the phone to pick up a call or dial. Back in 2001, there wasn’t any other way to operate a cellphone.
The 2007 “no touch” law in California may have been a bit ahead of its time. But today, car infotainment systems are voice-activated. Many incorporate Apple and Google’s free CarPlay and Android Auto software engineered to operate your cellphone hands-free. This is probably why an increasing number of states are passing “no touch” laws. Unlike Ohio’s “one swipe” law, these states forbid drivers from touching their cellphone for any reason while behind the wheel—even at a red light. In June 2025, Pennsylvania became the 30th state or territory with such a law. Here’s the full list:
- Arizona
- California
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New York
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Puerto Rico
- Rhode Island
- Tennessee
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington State
- Washington D.C.
- West Virginia
