Louisiana School Cell Phone Law (SB 207 / Act 313): What It Requires
Louisiana bars public school students from having a phone on their person throughout the instructional day under Act 313 of 2024. A device brought to school must be turned off and properly stowed away, or not turned on and used, until the day ends.
State lawsBy Brian Ohebshalom and Noah Fakheri, LockedIn’s co-founders
3 min read
Louisiana school cell phone law: key facts
Enacted (bell-to-bell)- Statute or action
- SB 207 / Act 313 (2024)
- Citation
- La. R.S. 17:239(A)(2) (Acts 2024, No. 313)
- Signed or issued by
- Gov. Jeff Landry,
- Takes effect
- 2024–25 school year and every year after
- Scope
- Throughout the instructional day: no device on the student's person
- Exceptions
- IEP, Individualized Accommodation Plan, Section 504 plan or Individualized Health Plan that requires the device, Emergency (an actual or imminent threat to public health or safety)
- Enforcement
- Device turned off and properly stowed away, or not turned on and used, for the instructional day; violations may lead to discipline, including suspension
- Statute: SB 207 / Act 313 of 2024, amending La. R.S. 17:239; effective May 28, 2024
- Applies from the 2024–25 school year; 2026–27 is the third school year under the rule
- No student may possess a device on his or her person throughout the instructional day
- Devices must be turned off and properly stowed away, or not turned on and used, during the instructional day
- Exceptions: an IEP, IAP, 504 plan or IHP that requires the device, and emergencies
- Violations may be grounds for school discipline, including suspension
Funding: Phone-free school grants and paste-ready application language.
Primary source: SB 207 / Act 313 (2024)(opens in a new tab). Last verified . Not legal advice: confirm with your counsel.
Yes. Louisiana has a statewide law on student phones in school. Louisiana bars public school students from having a phone on their person throughout the instructional day under Act 313 of 2024. A device brought to school must be turned off and properly stowed away, or not turned on and used, until the day ends.
What SB 207 / Act 313 requires
- • No student may possess an electronic telecommunication device on his or her person throughout the instructional day
- • A device brought to a public school building or grounds must be turned off and properly stowed away for the instructional day, or not turned on and used
- • The rule does not apply to a student whose IEP, IAP, 504 plan or IHP requires use of the device
- • Students may use devices in an emergency
- • Violations may be grounds for discipline by the school system, including suspension
The emergency wording for every state, D.C. and Puerto Rico is in school phone ban emergency exceptions by state.
The key provision, verbatim
“no student shall possess, on his person, an electronic telecommunication device throughout the instructional day. … the electronic device shall either be turned off and properly stowed away for the duration of the instructional day or prohibited from being turned on and used during the instructional day.”
Source: La. R.S. 17:239(A)(2)(a)
Timeline
- Act 313 (SB 207) takes effect on the governor's signature; the possession rule applies from the 2024–25 school year
Where phones must be kept
R.S. 17:239(A)(2)(a): no student "shall possess, on his person" a device throughout the instructional day; it must be turned off and properly stowed away, or not turned on and used.
Because Louisiana'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 Louisiana administrators
- Make sure the policy keeps devices off students' persons throughout the instructional day
- Choose a stowing method: turned off and properly stowed away, or not turned on and used
- Define how your school system treats lunch and passing periods within the instructional day
- List the IEP, IAP, 504 and IHP exceptions and the emergency allowance
- Spell out the discipline steps for violations
Frequently asked questions
Does Louisiana have a school cell phone law?
Yes. SB 207 / Act 313 (2024), signed by Gov. Jeff Landry on May 28, 2024, is a statewide law on student phones in school. Scope: Throughout the instructional day: no device on the student's person.
When does Louisiana's SB 207 / Act 313 take effect?
Effective date and deadlines for SB 207 / Act 313: 2024–25 school year and every year after.
What is Act 313 in Louisiana?
Act 313 of 2024 (SB 207) amended La. R.S. 17:239 so that, starting in 2024–25, no public school student may have a phone or similar device on his or her person throughout the instructional day.
Is the Louisiana phone law bell-to-bell?
It applies "throughout the instructional day." R.S. 17:239 does not define that term, so how lunch and passing periods are treated depends on each school system's policy.
Can students be suspended for phones in Louisiana?
Yes. A violation may be grounds for disciplinary action by the school system, including suspension.
What are the exceptions to Act 313?
The possession rule does not apply when a student's IEP, Individualized Accommodation Plan, 504 plan or Individualized Health Plan requires the device, and the statute allows use in an emergency.
Does the Louisiana phone law apply to private schools?
No. R.S. 17:239 covers public elementary and secondary schools.
How many states have school cell phone laws?
As of October 27, 2026, 44 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 Louisiana is one of them. 6 states have no statewide requirement.
Sources for Louisiana
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.
- SB 207 / Act 313 (2024): official record(opens in a new tab)La. R.S. 17:239(A)(2) (Acts 2024, No. 313)
- La. R.S. 17:239(A)(2)(a)(opens in a new tab)Quoted on this page
- Louisiana 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.