Phone use and texting tickets: points and traffic school by state
Points for a phone or texting ticket in every state and DC, the variants a state scores apart, and what a course does for it, under each state's published rule.
Rules checked
- States with a point value
- 20 of 51
- No point system
- 11 states
- Dismissed or points kept off, no court check
- 0 states
- Points off, no court check
- 14 states
- A course helps once your court confirms
- 18 states
Phone use and texting points and traffic school, state by state
The course column is the checker's answer for a first ticket, a regular license from that state, no earlier course and no crash. Your own ticket may differ: open the state for its full rule.
| State | Points | What a course does |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Not published | No program found |
| Alaska | Not published | Points off |
| Arizona | Not published | Eligible, confirm with your court |
| Arkansas | 0 | No program found |
| California | 0 | Eligible, confirm with your court |
| Colorado | 2 | No program found |
| Connecticut | 1 | Insurance only |
| Delaware | 0 | Points off |
| Florida | Not published | Eligible, confirm with your court |
| Georgia | 1 | Points off |
| Hawaii | No point system | Not eligible |
| Idaho | 0 | Points off |
| Illinois | 20 | Eligible, confirm with your court |
| Indiana | 4 | Points off |
| Iowa | No point system | Not eligible |
| Kansas | No point system | No program found |
| Kentucky | 3 | Eligible, confirm with your court |
| Louisiana | No point system | Insurance only |
| Maine | Not published | Points off |
| Maryland | 0 to 1 | Not eligible |
| Massachusetts | Not published | Not eligible |
| Michigan | Not published | Eligible, confirm with your court |
| Minnesota | No point system | Insurance only |
| Mississippi | No point system | Eligible, confirm with your court |
| Missouri | Not published | Points off, confirm with your court |
| Montana | Not published | Insurance only |
| Nebraska | 3 | Points off |
| Nevada | Not published | Points off, confirm with your court |
| New Hampshire | 4 | Points off |
| New Jersey | Not published | Points off |
| New Mexico | 0 | No program found |
| New York | 5 | Points off |
| North Carolina | Not published | Points off, confirm with your court |
| North Dakota | Not published | Points off, confirm with your court |
| Ohio | 2 | Points off |
| Oklahoma | 0 | Points off |
| Oregon | No point system | Insurance only |
| Pennsylvania | Not published | Insurance only |
| Rhode Island | No point system | Eligible, confirm with your court |
| South Carolina | Not published | Points off, confirm with your court |
| South Dakota | Not published | Not eligible |
| Tennessee | Not published | Not eligible |
| Texas | No point system | Eligible, confirm with your court |
| Utah | 50 | Eligible, confirm with your court |
| Vermont | 2 | Not eligible |
| Virginia | 3 | Points off, confirm with your court |
| Washington | No point system | Eligible, confirm with your court |
| Washington, DC | Not published | Points off, confirm with your court |
| West Virginia | Not published | Points off |
| Wisconsin | Not published | Points off |
| Wyoming | No point system | Not eligible |
Utah counts on a 100 point scale. Massachusetts counts insurance surcharge points. Iowa, Oregon and Washington count offenses instead of points.
Where a phone use and texting ticket scores differently
Rows each state's points table keeps apart from an ordinary a phone or texting ticket, in the table's own words. The table above leaves them out.
- Florida
- Unlawful use of a wireless communications device resulting in a crash: 6 points
- Handheld use of a wireless communications device in a school or work zone (s. 316.306): 3 points
- Moving violation committed with unlawful use of a wireless communications device within a school safety zone, in addition to the points for the moving violation: 2 points
- Idaho
- Distracted Driving (49-1401A), second and subsequent offenses: 3 points
- Michigan
- second violation of MCL 257.602b (2 points for a third or later): 1 point
- Nevada
- Hand-held cellphone use or texting (second and subsequent offenses): 4 points
- New Jersey
- Use of a handheld cellphone or electronic communication device while driving (39:4-97.3); points only for a third offense within 10 years of a second offense and later offenses: 3 points
- South Carolina
- Distracted driving (second or subsequent offense): 2 points
- Tennessee
- Operating vehicle while using cell phone (under 18): 6 points
- Vermont
- Use of portable electronic device or texting in work or school zone, first offense: 4 points
- Use of portable electronic device or texting in work or school zone, second and subsequent offenses: 5 points
States that leave phone use and texting tickets out of the course
- Tennessee: The course covers speeding tickets only.
Check a phone or texting ticket
Pick the state on your ticket. The violation is filled in.
Phone use and texting ticket questions
How many points is a phone or texting ticket in each state?
20 states publish a value for a phone or texting ticket. Among the states that count on the usual scale, the lowest is 0 points (Arkansas, California, Delaware, Idaho and others) and the highest is 5 points (New York). Utah counts on a 100 point scale and gives 50. Illinois counts on its own scale and gives 20. 11 states keep no point record for drivers. The table lists every state.
Can traffic school help with a phone or texting ticket?
For a first ticket with a regular license, the published rule lets a course dismiss it or keep its points off with no court check in no state, and take points off with no court check in 14 states. In 18 states a course can help once your court confirms part of the rule. In 19 states a course does nothing for it, or the state runs no program.
Which states leave phone use and texting tickets out of traffic school?
Tennessee. In that state the published rule leaves this ticket out of the course.
Does a crash or a school zone change the points for a phone or texting ticket?
In 8 states the points table scores some phone use and texting tickets apart, for example Florida: Unlawful use of a wireless communications device resulting in a crash, 6 points; Handheld use of a wireless communications device in a school or work zone (s. 316.306), 3 points. The list on this page gives every one, in each state's own words.