Arizona Cell Phone Texting Law

Is it legal to drive in AZ and text in 2023? Ever wonder if talking on the phone or texting while driving in Arizona is illegal? Find out here!

AZ CELL PHONE & TEXTING LAWS 2023

• Beginning January 2021, the Arizona Hands-Off Law will make it illegal to use a stand-alone electronic device while driving, unless the device is in hands-free mode. Devices include cell phones, tablets, gaming, and music devices. Arizona’s new statewide ban replaces 26 different local ordinances.

A lapse of concentration while driving can be fatal to you and other drivers. Drivers typically deal with distractions like noisy passengers, glancing at maps, changing the radio station, etc. Cell phones have become an added distraction over the past 10-15 years and their growth in popularity has posed challenges for lawmakers. Law makes texting a primary offense, allowing officers to pull over drivers for texting and driving.

A person who breaks the Arizona texting while driving laws is subject to the following civil penalty

First violation: $75 - $149 fine.

Second or subsequent violation: $150 - $250 fine.

Those who violate this law could also face a criminal penalty of up to 6 months in jail and a $2,500 fine for causing a crash that results in serious injury or death.

There is no state-wide legislation preventing drivers from using cell phones and texting while driving in Arizona, particularly the Phoenix Valley.

Text messaging has been banned in 47 states while 16 states prohibit drivers from using cell phones when driving, however, hand-held assistance devices like Bluetooth hands free, and having your phone on speaker are widely considered fine options to get around these laws.

Team Auto Glass of Phoenix found that only certain categories of drivers in Arizona are targeted actively by these cell phone & texting laws:

School bus drivers are prohibited state-wide from using a cell phone or wireless device while operating a school bus. On 30th June 2018, a no phones while driving law was passed barring drivers with learner's permits and provisional license holders from to using their cell phone use for the first six months after getting their full driving license. Drivers aged under 18 can also be cited or fined if found using cell phones for any purpose while driving in Arizona, including G licenses and permits. These legal violations are secondary offenses, meaning the driver has been stopped first on a primary offense such as speeding.