Georgia School Cell Phone Law (HB 340 and HB 1009): What It Requires

Yes. Georgia has a statewide law on student phones in school. Georgia bars K–8 students from accessing phones and other personal devices bell to bell, in effect since July 1, 2026. HB 1009 (2026) extends the ban to grades 9–12 no later than July 1, 2027.

What HB 340 and HB 1009 requires

• • No K–8 student may access a personal electronic device during the school day (bell to bell), beginning no later than July 1, 2026; grades 9–12 follow no later than July 1, 2027.
• • Each local school system and public school adopts, and revises as appropriate, policies that set storage methods such as a locker, a locked pouch or a designated place in the classroom.
• • Policies set procedures for off-site events, field trips, daily transportation, athletics, dual enrollment, work-based learning and apprenticeships.
• • Emergency communication goes through the school’s emergency communication systems, and parents who need to reach a student contact the school directly.
• • Violations carry progressive consequences under the code of conduct, such as warnings, confiscation and parent notification.
• • Schools implement monitoring and enforcement, which may include designated staff, periodic audits of device storage and regular review of enforcement practices, and tell families through handbooks and websites.

The emergency wording for every state, D.C. and Puerto Rico is in school phone ban emergency exceptions by state.

The key provision, verbatim

“Beginning no later than July 1, 2027, no public school student in grades nine through 12 shall be permitted to access personal electronic devices during the school day”

Source: O.C.G.A. § 20-2-324.8(b)(2), as amended by HB 1009 (2026), effective Dec. 31, 2026

Timeline

1. May 9, 2025HB 340 (Distraction-Free Education Act) signed
2. January 1, 2026Local school systems’ K–8 policies due under HB 340
3. May 5, 2026HB 1009 signed: extends the bell-to-bell rule to grades 9–12
4. July 1, 2026K–8 bell-to-bell rule in effect (no later than this date)
5. December 31, 2026HB 1009 takes effect; policies must then be adopted and revised by Jan. 1 each year
6. July 1, 2027Grades 9–12 bell-to-bell rule in effect (no later than this date)

Where phones must be kept

Policies must set storage methods such as a locker, a locked pouch or a designated place in the classroom, and students may not view, hold or wear a device for its functions bell to bell.

Because Georgia'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 Georgia administrators

1. K–8: confirm the bell-to-bell rule is in force and that smartwatches are covered.
2. High school: plan storage, consequences and parent communication for the 9–12 rule, which applies no later than July 1, 2027.
3. Adopt and revise the policy by January 1 each year once HB 1009 takes effect on Dec. 31, 2026.
4. Write procedures for field trips, buses, athletics, dual enrollment and work-based learning.
5. Assign staff to monitor compliance and schedule periodic checks of device storage.

How Georgia districts are carrying it out

The law sets the floor; each district writes its own policy on top of it. Here is what large Georgia districts have adopted, from their own published policies:

• • Gwinnett County Public Schools: Kindergarten through grade 8 may not access phones or other personal devices from the first bell to the final bell (Board Policy JCDAF, 2026–27).
• • Cobb County School District: K–8 students may not access phones, smartwatches or earbuds during school hours; devices are turned off before students enter and kept in a backpack, purse or locker.
• • Atlanta Public Schools: Bans phone use for the whole school day in every grade, pre-K through 12, including lunch, breaks and class changes.