Alabama School Cell Phone Law (HB 166): What It Requires
Alabama's FOCUS Act bars public school students from using phones during the instructional day, including lunch and class changes. A phone brought to school must be turned off and stored off the student's person, such as in a locker or car.
State lawsBy Brian Ohebshalom and Noah Fakheri, LockedIn’s co-founders
4 min read
Alabama school cell phone law: key facts
Enacted (bell-to-bell)- Statute or action
- HB 166 (2025) — FOCUS Act
- Citation
- HB 166 (2025 Regular Session), §§ 2–5; adds Ala. Code § 16-40-13 and repeals § 16-1-27
- Signed or issued by
- Gov. Kay Ivey,
- Takes effect
- Signed and effective May 14, 2025; device rules apply from the 2025–26 school year
- Scope
- Instructional day, defined to include class transitions, lunch and other non-instructional time
- Exceptions
- IEP, Individualized Accommodation Plan, 504 plan or Individualized Health Plan, Educational use supervised by school staff, Emergency threatening the life or safety of the student or another person
- Enforcement
- Local board policy with consequences; devices turned off and stored off the student in a locker, car or similar location
- Statute: HB 166, the FOCUS Act ("Freeing our Classrooms of Unnecessary Screens for Safety"), signed May 14, 2025
- Instructional day includes class transitions, lunch and other non-instructional time
- Storage: devices turned off and stored off the student, in a locker, car or similar storage location
- Local boards had to adopt device and Internet-safety policies by July 1, 2025
- Local boards must deliver a state social-media safety course to students before 8th grade
- Certificated staff complete an annual anonymous survey on how the policy is followed
Primary source: HB 166 (2025) — FOCUS Act(opens in a new tab). Last verified . Not legal advice: confirm with your counsel.
Yes. Alabama has a statewide law on student phones in school. Alabama's FOCUS Act bars public school students from using phones during the instructional day, including lunch and class changes. A phone brought to school must be turned off and stored off the student's person, such as in a locker or car.
What HB 166 requires
- • No student may use or operate a wireless communication device in a public school building or on school grounds during the instructional day
- • Students may not possess a device during the instructional day unless it is turned off and stored off their person in a locker, car or similar storage location
- • Each local board must adopt a wireless communication device policy with consequences for violations and distribute it to students, parents, staff and the State Board
- • Each local board must adopt an Internet-safety policy for board-owned devices that, among other things, blocks social media unless a teacher directs it for educational purposes
- • Certificated staff complete an annual anonymous survey on implementation; principals submit the results each June 1
- • Local boards must deliver the ALSDE social-media safety course to students before 8th grade
The key provision, verbatim
“no student may possess a wireless communication device in any public elementary or secondary school building or on the grounds thereof during the instructional day unless the wireless communication device is turned off and stored off their person in a locker, car, or similar storage location.”
— HB 166 (2025), § 3(b)
Timeline
- Gov. Kay Ivey signs HB 166 (FOCUS Act); the act takes effect immediately
- Deadline for local boards to adopt device and Internet-safety policies, and for ALSDE to approve the social-media course
- Deadline for ALSDE to develop the annual staff compliance survey
- Principals submit annual staff survey results (each June 1)
Where phones must be kept
HB 166 § 3(b): a student may not possess a device during the instructional day unless it is turned off and stored off their person in a locker, car, or similar storage location.
Because Alabama's law turns on where the phone physically is, software on a student's phone does not by itself satisfy it. App-based locking, including LockedIn, can only add to the storage the law requires, not replace it.
Checklist for Alabama administrators
- Confirm your board-adopted device policy (due July 1, 2025) states consequences and was distributed to students, parents, staff and the State Board
- Designate where devices go: turned off and off the student, in a locker, car or similar storage location
- Record which students have IEP, IAP, 504 or IHP device needs, and how supervised educational use is approved
- Have certificated staff complete the annual anonymous survey; principals submit results by June 1
- Confirm students take the social-media safety course before 8th grade, including transfers in grades 8–12
- Check that the Internet-safety policy blocks social media on board-owned devices unless a teacher directs it for instruction
Frequently asked questions
Does Alabama have a school cell phone law?
Yes. HB 166 (2025) — FOCUS Act, signed by Gov. Kay Ivey on May 14, 2025, is a statewide law on student phones in school. Scope: Instructional day, defined to include class transitions, lunch and other non-instructional time.
When does Alabama's HB 166 take effect?
Effective date and deadlines for HB 166: Signed and effective May 14, 2025; device rules apply from the 2025–26 school year.
Is it illegal to have your phone in school in Alabama?
The FOCUS Act does not make it a crime. It bars public school students from using a phone during the instructional day and from carrying one unless it is turned off and stored off their person; violations are handled under each local board's policy.
What does FOCUS stand for in the Alabama phone law?
FOCUS stands for "Freeing our Classrooms of Unnecessary Screens for Safety." It is the name of HB 166, which Gov. Kay Ivey signed on May 14, 2025.
Can Alabama students keep their phone in a backpack?
The act requires a phone to be turned off and stored off the student's person in a locker, car, or similar storage location. It does not mention backpacks, so check your local board's policy.
Does the FOCUS Act cover lunch and class changes?
Yes. The act defines the instructional day to include class transitions, lunch and other non-instructional times, plus any other time named in the local policy.
Does the Alabama phone law apply to private schools?
No. HB 166 applies to public K–12 schools and their local boards of education.
How many states have school cell phone laws?
As of October 12, 2026, 43 states and D.C. have a statewide law, executive order or state board policy that requires public schools to restrict student phones or adopt a phone policy, and Alabama is one of them. 7 states have no statewide requirement.
Sources for Alabama
Phone rules change with new bills, administrative rules and local board policy. Checked against these sources on . Not legal advice: confirm with counsel before you adopt policy language.
- HB 166 (2025) — FOCUS Act: official text(opens in a new tab)HB 166 (2025 Regular Session), §§ 2–5; adds Ala. Code § 16-40-13 and repeals § 16-1-27
- Governor Ivey signs the FOCUS Act (May 14, 2025)(opens in a new tab)
- Alabama State Department of Education(opens in a new tab)State K–12 education agency
Compare every state: which states ban phones in school, or find your state’s education agency through the U.S. Department of Education’s state contacts.