Except for novice drivers, there is no prohibition on cell phone use while driving in Nebraska. However, all Nebraska drivers are prohibited from texting.

Cell Phone Use

There is no handheld cell phone prohibition for drivers except novice drivers in Nebraska - drivers under the age of 18 with a learner’s permit or an intermediate license – are prohibited from using cell phones (handheld or hands-free) while driving.

Texting

All drivers are prohibited from texting while driving. The texting ban is a secondary law (see below) which means that a driver can only be ticketed for the offense if an officer witnesses some other violation or if a driver is involved in an accident and either admits texting, or a subpena of phone records demonstrates texting at the time of the accident. the law prohibits the sending of electronic messages using cell phones, pagers, personal digital assistants and laptops. There exceptions for a person performing his or her official duties as a law enforcement officer, a firefighter, an ambulance driver, or an emergency medical technician; or a person operating a motor vehicle in an emergency situation.

Bus Drivers

As with all drivers, bus drivers are prohibited from texting while driving.

How is it Enforced?

A driver who violates the texting law can be fined $200 (first offense), $300 (second offense) or $500 (for subsequent offenses) plus 3 points against the driver’s license. Nebraska’s text messaging and cell phone laws are considered “secondary” laws. A secondary law refers to the fact that an officer can only pull you over and issue a ticket if the officer has witnessed some other violation – for example, you ran a stop light while texting

Read more about Nebraska’s distracted driving laws.

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