Seeing someone with AirPods or other earbuds while doing pretty much any activity is not uncommon in 2025: at the grocery store, at sporting events, even during court hearings.
But is it legal to drive in Ohio with earbuds in your ears? The short answer is, “No.”
Wearing headphones or earbuds, even if no music or other sound is playing, is illegal while driving in Ohio.
The law applies to any device worn in or over the ears, whether wired or connected via Bluetooth, that can provide radio programming, music, or other information.
The law does not apply to hearing aids or medical devices. Earpieces used by first responders and emergency personnel for communication purposes are also permitted.
Ohio’s law also provides exceptions for people driving machinery that creates loud noise, like garbage trucks and highway maintenance vehicles. An exception also exists for motorcyclists who wear earplugs or another device to protect their hearing while driving.
Drivers in Ohio are expected to be able to hear what is going on around them, like sirens from emergency vehicles and warning sounds from trains.
Ohio’s headphones law is considered a secondary traffic offense, meaning a driver can’t be pulled over just for wearing them. However, if the driver gets pulled over for something else, like speeding, an officer can cite them for having them in their ears.
Does Ohio’s law about wearing earbuds while driving get enforced?
Franklin County Municipal Court records indicate that 52 tickets have been issued for wearing headphones since 2020, with seven of these occurring in the first six months of 2025.
Columbus police filed the most citations, 43 of the 52.
By comparison, there have been nearly 5,000 citations for distracted driving issued during the same time frame. The vast majority, approximately 3,500, were issued by the Ohio Highway Patrol.
Distracted driving became an enforceable primary offense in Ohio in October 2023. Of the total 4,991 tickets issued in Franklin County Municipal Court for distracted driving, 4,770 were issued in 2024 and the first six months of 2025.
Reporter Bethany Bruner can be reached at bbruner@gannett.com or on Bluesky at @bethanybruner.dispatch.com.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: AirPod dilemma: Is driving with earbuds illegal in Ohio?
Reporting by Bethany Bruner, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
