Kentucky phone-free school law (2026): Kentucky requires every district to adopt a policy restricting personal telecommunications devices during instructional time and restricts social media on school networks. Districts may extend bell-to-bell at their discretion. Here's what administrators need to
Kentucky has enacted a statewide phone-free school law. Under HB 208 (2025) — signed by Gov. Andy Beshear 2025-03-26 — every district must adopt a policy restricting student personal-device use during instructional time. The law takes effect 2025–26 school year, and many Kentucky districts are choosing to extend their policies bell-to-bell.
What Kentucky's Phone-Free School Law Requires
- • Statute: HB 208, signed March 26, 2025
- • Scope: instructional time (districts may extend bell-to-bell)
- • Also restricts: social media on school networks
- • Districts set storage and discipline procedures
- • Effective: 2025–26 school year
How Kentucky Schools Comply
Kentucky's law gives districts flexibility on how to enforce. The schools that succeed pair a written policy with an enforcement mechanism that doesn't put the burden on teachers — and that produces compliance data when the state asks for it.
Three enforcement models
- • Physical pouches (e.g., Yondr): high per-student cost, daily distribution logistics, and limited compliance data.
- • District storage (lockers, cubbies, classroom caddies): lowest cost but relies on staff to police compliance.
- • Device-level software (LockedIn): OS-level locking, geofencing, and automated compliance reporting — no daily logistics.
Why Kentucky schools choose LockedIn
LockedIn is a software-based phone-free campus solution built for Kentucky's schools. It provides
OS-level device locking,
campus geofencing, real-time monitoring, and automated compliance reports — exactly what Kentucky administrators need to demonstrate that the policy is being enforced. Unlike physical pouches, there's no hardware to lose, replace, or distribute. See our full
comparison of phone-free campus solutions or the
LockedIn vs Yondr pouches guide.
Verify the law in Kentucky
Read the primary source — HB 208 (2025) — and confirm the latest guidance with your state agency before adopting policy.
See our complete phone-free school laws by state directory for legislation updates across all 50 states + DC.
Get started
Kentucky schools can be phone-free in less than a day with LockedIn. Use our free phone-free school policy generator to draft a compliant policy, then contact our team to deploy district-wide.