Washington, D.C. School Cell Phone Law (Disconnect Act): What It Requires
D.C.'s Disconnect Act bars K–12 students at DCPS and charter schools from keeping a phone, tablet, laptop or gaming device on their person all school day. A device carried in a backpack or purse does not count as possessing; LEA policies were due 15 days before the 2026–27 school year.
State lawsBy Brian Ohebshalom and Noah Fakheri, LockedIn’s co-founders
4 min read
Washington, D.C. school cell phone law: key facts
Enacted (bell-to-bell)- Statute or action
- DC Law 26-39 — Disconnect Act of 2025
- Citation
- D.C. Code §§ 38-851.01 to 38-851.03
- Signed or issued by
- Mayor Muriel Bowser,
- Takes effect
- Sept. 10, 2025; LEA policies due 15 days before the 2026–27 school year
- Scope
- No personal device on the student's person on school premises during the full school day (a backpack or purse doesn't count as possessing)
- Exceptions
- Specific educational purposes (optional), Documented health care needs (optional)
- Enforcement
- LEA policy sets consequences consistent with D.C. Code § 38-236.04; each school identifies device storage
- Law: D.C. Law 26-39 (Act 26-113), approved by Mayor Bowser July 21, 2025; effective Sept. 10, 2025
- Covers DCPS and public charter LEAs serving grades K–12
- Bans possessing a phone, tablet, laptop or gaming device on one's person during the full school day
- A device in a backpack, purse or other carryall does not count as possessing
- OSSE published its Model School Personal Device Policy in March 2026
- DCPS adopted its own bell-to-bell phone policy for 2025–26
Primary source: DC Law 26-39 — Disconnect Act of 2025(opens in a new tab). Last verified . Not legal advice: confirm with your counsel.
Yes. Washington, D.C. has a statewide law on student phones in school. D.C.'s Disconnect Act bars K–12 students at DCPS and charter schools from keeping a phone, tablet, laptop or gaming device on their person all school day. A device carried in a backpack or purse does not count as possessing; LEA policies were due 15 days before the 2026–27 school year.
What Disconnect Act requires
- • Each LEA serving grades K–12 must adopt and implement a policy that, at a minimum, prohibits students from possessing a personal phone, tablet, laptop or gaming device on school premises at any time during the full school day.
- • "Possessing" means carrying or holding a device on one's person; a device in a backpack, purse, handbag or other personal carryall does not count.
- • Policies may exempt specific educational purposes and documented health care needs.
- • Policies must set consequences consistent with D.C. Code § 38-236.04 and include a process and timeline for assessing and refining the policy.
- • Policies must be published on the LEA website 15 days before each school year (mid-year changes 15 days before they take effect) and communicated to families before the first day and to staff, contractors and volunteers.
- • Each school must identify device storage, how parents can get urgent information to students, and how the school will reach families in an emergency.
The key provision, verbatim
“each LEA serving students enrolled in grades K-12 shall adopt and implement a personal wireless communication device policy that prohibits K-12 students from, at a minimum, possessing a personal wireless communication device on school premises at any time during the full school day.”
— D.C. Code § 38-851.02(a) (D.C. Law 26-39, sec. 3(a))
Timeline
- D.C. Council approves B26-73 on first reading
- Council approves the bill on final reading
- Mayor Muriel Bowser approves the act (Act 26-113)
- D.C. Law 26-39 takes effect after congressional review
- OSSE publishes its Model School Personal Device Policy
- LEA policies due 15 days before each LEA's first day of the 2026–27 school year
Where phones must be kept
Students may not carry a device on their person during the full school day, but a device kept in a backpack, purse or other carryall is not "possessing" under the law; each school must identify appropriate storage.
Because Washington, D.C.'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 Washington, D.C. administrators
- Confirm your LEA policy was adopted and published online at least 15 days before your first day of 2026–27, and publish any mid-year change 15 days before it takes effect.
- Confirm each school has identified device storage, a way for parents to get urgent information to students, and an emergency communication plan.
- Check that consequences are consistent with D.C. Code § 38-236.04.
- Decide whether to use the optional exemptions for specific educational purposes and documented health care needs.
- Set the process and timeline for assessing whether the policy is working, and republish it 15 days before each school year.
Frequently asked questions
Does Washington, D.C. have a school cell phone law?
Yes. DC Law 26-39 — Disconnect Act of 2025, signed by Mayor Muriel Bowser on July 21, 2025, is a statewide law on student phones in school. Scope: No personal device on the student's person on school premises during the full school day (a backpack or purse doesn't count as possessing).
Is it illegal to have your phone in school in D.C.?
It is not a crime. The Disconnect Act requires DCPS and public charter LEAs to adopt policies barring K–12 students from keeping a personal phone, tablet, laptop or gaming device on their person during the full school day, with consequences set by each LEA.
Can D.C. students keep phones in their backpacks?
The law's definition of "possessing" does not include carrying a device in a backpack, purse, handbag or other personal carryall. The law sets a minimum, so an LEA can be stricter, and each school must identify where devices are stored.
When does the D.C. school phone ban start?
The law took effect Sept. 10, 2025. Each LEA had to adopt and implement its policy no later than 15 days before the start of the 2026–27 school year, and must publish it online 15 days before each school year.
Does the Disconnect Act apply to private schools?
No. It applies to local education agencies: DC Public Schools and public charter schools serving grades K–12.
Which devices does the D.C. law cover?
Cell phones, tablets, laptops and gaming devices that are not owned or provided by the school. Smartwatches are not listed in the definition.
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 Washington, D.C. is one of them. 7 states have no statewide requirement.
Sources for Washington, D.C.
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.
- DC Law 26-39 — Disconnect Act of 2025: official text(opens in a new tab)D.C. Code §§ 38-851.01 to 38-851.03
- OSSE Model School Personal Device Policy (March 2026)(opens in a new tab)
- DCPS release, June 6, 2025: bell-to-bell phone policy for 2025–26(opens in a new tab)
- Council of the District of Columbia(opens in a new tab)Statutes and session bills
- Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE)(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.