Uber & bus rider safe (no car): Can I go to court via Uber or bus with my phone? (2026)
National Summary: At Cook County (Chicago), Marion County (Indianapolis), Shelby County (Memphis), DeKalb County (Decatur), security will deny you entry if you have a phone and no car to store it in. Arriving late to traffic or criminal court due to a rejected phone can result in a Failure to Appear (FTA) bench warrant. Updated 2026-11-04
If you arrive by Uber, Lyft, or bus without a parked car to leave your phone in, these courthouses either let you bring your phone inside or provide entrance lockers. 321 of 399 county courthouses across the United States are safe for visitors arriving by Uber, Lyft, or public transit (either allowing phones inside or providing lobby lockers). However, 78 courthouses are an "Uber Trap"—they ban cell phones at the door and have zero lockers on site.
By State (44 States)
| State | Tracked | Uber & bus rider safe (no car) | Phone Policy Split | Lockers | Jury Parking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama (AL) | 7 counties | 0 of 7 qualify | 0 allow · 7 ban | 0 with lockers | 7 free validated |
| Arizona (AZ) | 6 counties | 6 of 6 qualify | 6 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 6 free validated |
| Arkansas (AR) | 3 counties | 0 of 3 qualify | 0 allow · 3 ban | 0 with lockers | 3 free validated |
| California (CA) | 35 counties | 35 of 35 qualify | 35 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 34 free validated |
| Colorado (CO) | 10 counties | 10 of 10 qualify | 10 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 10 free validated |
| Connecticut (CT) | 3 counties | 3 of 3 qualify | 3 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 3 free validated |
| Delaware (DE) | 3 counties | 3 of 3 qualify | 0 allow · 3 ban | 3 with lockers | 3 free validated |
| District of Columbia (DC) | 1 counties | 1 of 1 qualify | 1 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 1 free validated |
| Florida (FL) | 27 counties | 27 of 27 qualify | 27 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 27 free validated |
| Georgia (GA) | 13 counties | 3 of 13 qualify | 3 allow · 10 ban | 0 with lockers | 13 free validated |
| Hawaii (HI) | 1 counties | 1 of 1 qualify | 1 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 1 free validated |
| Idaho (ID) | 3 counties | 3 of 3 qualify | 3 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 3 free validated |
| Illinois (IL) | 20 counties | 4 of 20 qualify | 2 allow · 18 ban | 3 with lockers | 20 free validated |
| Indiana (IN) | 11 counties | 0 of 11 qualify | 0 allow · 11 ban | 0 with lockers | 11 free validated |
| Iowa (IA) | 4 counties | 4 of 4 qualify | 4 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 4 free validated |
| Kansas (KS) | 4 counties | 4 of 4 qualify | 4 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 4 free validated |
| Kentucky (KY) | 5 counties | 5 of 5 qualify | 5 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 5 free validated |
| Louisiana (LA) | 6 counties | 0 of 6 qualify | 0 allow · 6 ban | 0 with lockers | 6 free validated |
| Maine (ME) | 1 counties | 1 of 1 qualify | 1 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 1 free validated |
| Maryland (MD) | 10 counties | 10 of 10 qualify | 10 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 10 free validated |
| Massachusetts (MA) | 8 counties | 8 of 8 qualify | 8 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 8 free validated |
| Michigan (MI) | 14 counties | 14 of 14 qualify | 14 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 14 free validated |
| Minnesota (MN) | 8 counties | 8 of 8 qualify | 8 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 8 free validated |
| Mississippi (MS) | 4 counties | 0 of 4 qualify | 0 allow · 4 ban | 0 with lockers | 4 free validated |
| Missouri (MO) | 5 counties | 5 of 5 qualify | 5 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 5 free validated |
| Nebraska (NE) | 3 counties | 0 of 3 qualify | 0 allow · 3 ban | 0 with lockers | 3 free validated |
| Nevada (NV) | 2 counties | 2 of 2 qualify | 2 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 2 free validated |
| New Hampshire (NH) | 2 counties | 2 of 2 qualify | 2 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 2 free validated |
| New Jersey (NJ) | 15 counties | 15 of 15 qualify | 15 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 15 free validated |
| New Mexico (NM) | 3 counties | 3 of 3 qualify | 0 allow · 3 ban | 3 with lockers | 3 free validated |
| New York (NY) | 22 counties | 22 of 22 qualify | 22 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 21 free validated |
| North Carolina (NC) | 12 counties | 12 of 12 qualify | 12 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 12 free validated |
| Ohio (OH) | 14 counties | 14 of 14 qualify | 14 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 14 free validated |
| Oklahoma (OK) | 3 counties | 3 of 3 qualify | 3 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 3 free validated |
| Oregon (OR) | 8 counties | 8 of 8 qualify | 8 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 8 free validated |
| Pennsylvania (PA) | 16 counties | 16 of 16 qualify | 0 allow · 16 ban | 16 with lockers | 15 free validated |
| Rhode Island (RI) | 1 counties | 1 of 1 qualify | 1 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 1 free validated |
| South Carolina (SC) | 7 counties | 0 of 7 qualify | 0 allow · 7 ban | 0 with lockers | 7 free validated |
| Tennessee (TN) | 8 counties | 0 of 8 qualify | 0 allow · 8 ban | 0 with lockers | 8 free validated |
| Texas (TX) | 34 counties | 34 of 34 qualify | 34 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 34 free validated |
| Utah (UT) | 5 counties | 5 of 5 qualify | 5 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 5 free validated |
| Virginia (VA) | 12 counties | 9 of 12 qualify | 2 allow · 10 ban | 8 with lockers | 12 free validated |
| Washington (WA) | 10 counties | 10 of 10 qualify | 10 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 10 free validated |
| Wisconsin (WI) | 10 counties | 10 of 10 qualify | 10 allow · 0 ban | 0 with lockers | 10 free validated |
Top 30 High-Traffic County Courthouses for Uber & bus rider safe (no car)
| County Courthouse | State | Uber & bus rider safe (no car) | Lockers | Jury Parking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles County (Los Angeles) | CA | Safe for Uber/bus (phones allowed inside) | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Harris County (Houston) | TX | Safe for Uber/bus (phones allowed inside) | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Maricopa County (Phoenix) | AZ | Safe for Uber/bus (phones allowed inside) | No lockers | Free Validated |
| San Diego County (San Diego) | CA | Safe for Uber/bus (phones allowed inside) | No lockers | $20/day |
| Orange County (Santa Ana) | CA | Safe for Uber/bus (phones allowed inside) | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Miami-Dade County (Miami) | FL | Safe for Uber/bus (phones allowed inside) | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Dallas County (Dallas) | TX | Safe for Uber/bus (phones allowed inside) | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Kings County (Brooklyn) | NY | Safe for Uber/bus (phones allowed inside) | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Riverside County (Riverside) | CA | Safe for Uber/bus (phones allowed inside) | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Clark County (Las Vegas) | NV | Safe for Uber/bus (phones allowed inside) | No lockers | Free Validated |
| King County (Seattle) | WA | Safe for Uber/bus (phones allowed inside) | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Queens County (Jamaica) | NY | Safe for Uber/bus (phones allowed inside) | No lockers | Free Validated |
| San Bernardino County (San Bernardino) | CA | Safe for Uber/bus (phones allowed inside) | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Tarrant County (Fort Worth) | TX | Safe for Uber/bus (phones allowed inside) | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Bexar County (San Antonio) | TX | Safe for Uber/bus (phones allowed inside) | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Broward County (Fort Lauderdale) | FL | Safe for Uber/bus (phones allowed inside) | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Santa Clara County (San Jose) | CA | Safe for Uber/bus (phones allowed inside) | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Wayne County (Detroit) | MI | Safe for Uber/bus (phones allowed inside) | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Middlesex County (Cambridge) | MA | Safe for Uber/bus (phones allowed inside) | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Alameda County (Oakland) | CA | Safe for Uber/bus (phones allowed inside) | No lockers | Free Validated |
| New York County (Manhattan) | NY | Safe for Uber/bus (phones allowed inside) | No lockers | $45/day |
| Sacramento County (Sacramento) | CA | Safe for Uber/bus (phones allowed inside) | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Philadelphia County (Philadelphia) | PA | Safe for Uber/bus (lobby lockers: Free) | Yes (Free) | $22/day |
| Hillsborough County (Tampa) | FL | Safe for Uber/bus (phones allowed inside) | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Palm Beach County (West Palm Beach) | FL | Safe for Uber/bus (phones allowed inside) | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Suffolk County (Riverhead) | NY | Safe for Uber/bus (phones allowed inside) | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Orange County (Orlando) | FL | Safe for Uber/bus (phones allowed inside) | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Nassau County (Mineola) | NY | Safe for Uber/bus (phones allowed inside) | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Bronx County (Bronx) | NY | Safe for Uber/bus (phones allowed inside) | No lockers | Free Validated |
| Travis County (Austin) | TX | Safe for Uber/bus (phones allowed inside) | No lockers | Free Validated |
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if I take an Uber to court across the United States and phones are banned?
At Cook County (Chicago), Marion County (Indianapolis), Shelby County (Memphis), DeKalb County (Decatur), security will deny you entry if you have a phone and no car to store it in. Arriving late to traffic or criminal court due to a rejected phone can result in a Failure to Appear (FTA) bench warrant.
How is this courthouse policy data verified?
We verify every county against official Court Administrative Orders (.gov), Jury Commissioner instructions, and Sheriff Court Security directives. Last verified 2026-11-04.
How we verify courthouse administrative orders and security rules