Ohio Phones & Distraction practice test

Practice phone rules and other distractions: 15 questions based on the Ohio Driver Manual, Digest of Motor Vehicle Laws, 9 of them on Ohio's own rules.

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Key Ohio facts: Phones & Distraction

Sample Phones & Distraction questions

May an Ohio driver with a probationary license talk on a hands-free phone while driving, with no emergency?

  • No, any use is barred
  • Yes, if the phone is mounted
  • Yes, on a road with a low limit
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No, any use is barred

A permit holder under 18 and a probationary license holder may not use a device in any manner while driving, except for emergencies, when stationary outside a lane, and hands-free navigation.

Source: Ohio Revised Code, Section 4511.205, Use of devices by persons under 18 years of age; Ohio Driver Manual, Section 3: Be Alert, Drivers Under Age 18 Years

May an Ohio licensed driver aged 18 or older hold a phone to the ear during a call?

  • No, hands-free is the only option
  • Only at speeds under 25 mph
  • Yes, if nothing is typed into the phone
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Yes, if nothing is typed into the phone

It is an exception during the conversation itself. Start or stop the call with a single touch or swipe, and do not type anything.

Source: Ohio Revised Code, Section 4511.204, Driving while texting; Ohio Driver Manual, Section 3: Be Alert, Drivers Age 18 Years and Older

When may an Ohio licensed driver aged 18 or older use a phone without breaking the general rule?

  • While moving straight on an empty road
  • While moving slowly in a work zone
  • While stopped at a red signal
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While stopped at a red signal

The rule does not apply when the vehicle is stationary at a signal currently directing traffic to stop, is stationary outside a lane, or is parked due to an emergency or road closure.

Source: Ohio Revised Code, Section 4511.204, Driving while texting; Ohio Driver Manual, Section 3: Be Alert, Drivers Age 18 Years and Older

According to the Ohio Driver Manual, which of these is a distraction?

  • Checking your mirrors
  • An emotional talk with a passenger
  • Scanning the road ahead
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An emotional talk with a passenger

The manual counts anything that draws your attention from driving, and it names arguments and emotional talks with passengers.

Source: Ohio Driver Manual, Section 3: Be Alert, Distracted Driving

Under Ohio's general rule, what may you not do with a phone while driving?

  • Keep it in a pocket or a holster
  • Use it, hold it or support it with your body
  • Connect it to the car's hands-free system
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Use it, hold it or support it with your body

The general rule bars using, holding or physically supporting the device with any part of your body. A device stored in a holster, harness or clothing is an exception.

Source: Ohio Revised Code, Section 4511.204, Driving while texting; Ohio Driver Manual, Section 3: Be Alert, Drivers Age 18 Years and Older

May an Ohio driver under 18 send a text while stopped at a red light?

  • Yes, if the engine is running
  • Yes, for less than a minute
  • No, not even at a traffic light
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No, not even at a traffic light

Drivers under 18 may not use a device even hands-free, and being stopped at a light or in a jam does not change that.

Source: Ohio Driver Manual, Section 3: Be Alert, Drivers Under Age 18 Years

How do phone rules for young or newly licensed drivers compare with rules for adults?

  • They are looser
  • They are exactly the same
  • They are stricter
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They are stricter

Younger and new drivers face tighter limits or harsher penalties for using a phone.

Source: California Driver's Handbook, Section 8, Safe Driving (continued); Texas Driver Handbook, Chapter 1, Your License to Drive, p. 3; New York State Driver's Manual, Chapter 1, Driver Licenses; Illinois Rules of the Road, Chapter 3, Drivers Under Age 21; Ohio Driver Manual, Digest of Motor Vehicle Laws, Ohio Revised Code 4511.205; North Carolina Driver Handbook, Chapter 4, Your Driving: Distracted Driving (pp. 41-42); What Every Driver Must Know (SOS-133), Chapter 4, Cell phone use prohibited for all drivers, p. 24; New Jersey Driver Manual, Chapter 4, Cellular Telephones, p. 86; Chapter 1, Permit and Probationary License Restrictions, p. 18; Virginia DMV: Teen Driving Restrictions, Cellular Telephone/Wireless Telecommunications Device Restrictions; Washington Driver Guide, Chapter 1, 1.8 Intermediate driver license; Chapter 3, 3.0 Hearing; Minnesota Driver's Manual, Chapter 1, If you are under 18 and Your provisional license, pp. 13-14; Chapter 6, Illegal driver behaviors in Minnesota, p. 79; Arkansas Driver License Study Guide (Vol. 1, Ed. 10, October 2026), Chapter 4, Safe Driving, Distracted Driving Law, PDF p. 58; Delaware Driver Manual (July 2026), Section Four, Cell Phone/Hand-Held Electronic Device Use While Driving, PDF p. 81; Maine Revised Statutes, Title 29-A, Title 29-A, §1311, sub-§1, ¶C; South Dakota Driver License Manual (revised 11/2024), The Driver's License, Types of Driver's Licenses and Driver's Permits, PDF p. 8

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About these questions

We wrote these practice questions from the facts in the Ohio Driver Manual, Digest of Motor Vehicle Laws and from official sources on road signs. Every answer links to its source, so you can check it and read more.

DMV Decoded is an independent guide, not a government agency. This practice test is not connected to the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles, and your actual test will have different questions. Study the handbook, and check the agency's website for current rules.