Tennessee Hands-Free Law: Phone Rules for All Drivers and Teen Drivers
What does the Tennessee hands-free law ban?
Tennessee's hands-free law (Public Chapter 412, in force since July 1, 2019) bans holding or supporting a phone with any part of your body while you drive. It also bans texting, reading messages, watching video and recording video. Drivers 18 and older may use an earpiece, a wrist device or one-button calls. Drivers with a learner permit or an intermediate license may not use a cell phone at all.
Where these rules come from
The 2019 law is Public Chapter 412 (House Bill 164). This guide uses the official bill page of the Tennessee General Assembly, including its bill summary, and the Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual of the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security (TDOSHS), as of 2026. The bill summary describes the law as the House amended it in 2019; it is not the full text of the law, and it does not say whether a wait at a red light counts as "lawfully stopped". Confirm the rules with the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security (tn.gov/safety) before you drive.
What the Tennessee hands-free law bans
- Holding a phone or another stand-alone electronic device, or supporting it with any part of your body, while you drive.
- Writing, sending or reading any text-based message: a text, an instant message, an email or internet data.
- Reaching for a device so that you are no longer seated in a driving position or no longer wearing your seat belt.
- Watching a video or movie on a device. Navigation data is the exception.
- Recording or broadcasting video on a device. A device that only records all the time, inside or outside the car (a dash camera), is the exception.
What a driver 18 or older can still do
- Use an earpiece, a headphone device or a device worn on the wrist for a voice call.
- Start or end a call with one button.
- Use voice-to-text to send a message, so the phone turns your speech into writing.
- Use the phone for GPS navigation without holding it.
- Call police, medical, fire or other emergency services when a real emergency makes it necessary.
Can you hold your phone at a red light in Tennessee?
Do not hold it. The ban applies while you operate a motor vehicle, and the bill summary excepts only drivers who are lawfully stopped or parked. Treat a red light as part of the drive. To read a message, make a call or change the route, find a safe place to pull over, such as a parking lot, and bring the car to a full stop first. Then use the phone.
Can you use GPS on your phone in Tennessee?
Yes, if you are 18 or older, but do not hold the phone and do not type. Set your route before you begin the drive and let the phone give voice directions. The bill summary allows one swipe or tap on a mounted phone. The Driver License Manual is stricter: you are not allowed to touch your phone to use GPS. To change the route, pull over and stop.
Tennessee phone rules by driver type
| What you do | Driver 18 or older | Learner permit or intermediate license |
|---|---|---|
| Hold the phone | Not allowed | Not allowed |
| Text, read messages or watch video | Not allowed | Not allowed |
| Voice call with an earpiece, wrist device or one button | Allowed | Not allowed |
| Voice-to-text and GPS navigation | Allowed, without holding the phone | Not allowed: no cell phone use while driving |
Rules for permit and intermediate drivers: no phone at all
No driver with a learner permit or an intermediate driver license may use a cell phone while driving on any Tennessee road. A hands-free call does not get around this rule. The Manual's definition of a cell phone includes a cellular car telephone, and the earpiece, one-button, voice-to-text and GPS exceptions are only for drivers 18 or older. The free question on a teen driver who gets a call on the hands-free system tests this rule. For the points and the license delay, read the guide to Tennessee teen driver penalties.
Tennessee hands-free law fines and penalties
| Who and when | Penalty |
|---|---|
| Driver 18 or older, any hands-free law offense | A fine and court costs. No current official source that we have gives the amount. Ask the court that handles your ticket for the amount you owe. |
| Permit or intermediate driver using a cell phone (Driver License Manual) | Class C misdemeanor, $50 fine, 6 points on the minor's driving record, and a 90-day delay in eligibility for the intermediate restricted license |
Can you take a course instead of paying the fine?
Yes, for a first offense. In the 2019 bill summary, a first-time offender may attend and complete a driver education course instead of any fine. The ticket still counts as a moving traffic violation. Ask the court that handles your ticket for the amount you owe today and for its course rules.
Key takeaways
- Since July 1, 2019, no Tennessee driver may hold or support a phone with any part of the body.
- Texting, reading messages, watching video and recording video are banned. A dash camera that only records is the exception.
- Do not pick up the phone at a red light. For a call, a message or a route change, pull over in a safe place and stop fully.
- Drivers 18 and older may use an earpiece, a wrist device, one-button calls, voice-to-text and GPS. Permit and intermediate drivers may not use a cell phone at all.
- Next step: practice the phone and distracted-driving rules on the free Tennessee Class D practice test. The questions are in English only.
Tennessee hands-free law: common questions
Can I talk on the phone with an earpiece while driving in Tennessee?
Yes, if you are 18 or older. You may use an earpiece, a headphone device or a device worn on the wrist for a voice call, and one button on the phone to start or end the call. You may not hold the phone. See the free question on taking a call while you drive as an adult.
Can I use my phone in a phone mount while I drive?
Yes, if you are 18 or older and the mount is on the windshield, dashboard or center console where it does not block your view of the road. One swipe or tap of a finger may start or stop a feature, but not the camera, video or games. Typing a message is still not allowed.
Can I use a dash camera in Tennessee?
Yes. The ban on recording or broadcasting video does not apply to a device used only to record all the time, inside or outside the car, such as a dash camera. Recording video on your phone while you drive is not allowed.
Can I call 911 while I drive?
Yes, when a real emergency makes the call necessary. The rules do not apply to a driver who calls the police, a medical provider, the fire department or another emergency service because of a bona fide emergency, such as an event that threatens health, life or property.
Can a permit holder use the phone for music or maps?
No. A driver with a learner permit or an intermediate license may not use a cell phone while driving on any Tennessee road, for any purpose. If the teen needs the phone, pull over in a safe place and stop fully first.
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