Does Montana Ban Phones in School? (2026 Status)
Montana has no statewide school cell phone law; each local board sets its own policy. Gov. Greg Gianforte urged districts in 2024 to go cell phone-free, and the Montana School Boards Association estimated in 2025 that roughly 9 in 10 districts had a full or partial ban.
State lawsBy Brian Ohebshalom and Noah Fakheri, LockedIn’s co-founders
3 min read
Montana school cell phone policy: key facts
No statewide law- Enforcement
- Local-board control
- No statewide statute, executive order or state board rule
- Aug 22, 2024: Gov. Greg Gianforte asked superintendents and trustees to consider "cell phone-free" school policies
- 2025: the governor sought $1 million to encourage district phone limits; a House budget committee voted to cut it (MTPR, March 27, 2025)
- Montana School Boards Association: roughly 9 in 10 districts have a full or partial ban (as reported by MTPR, March 2025)
- The Legislature next meets in regular session in January 2027
Funding: Phone-free school grants and paste-ready application language.
Primary source: Gov. Greg Gianforte’s Aug. 22, 2024 letter to superintendents and trustees(opens in a new tab). Last verified . Not legal advice: confirm with your counsel.
No. Montana has no statewide school cell phone law; each local board sets its own policy. Gov. Greg Gianforte urged districts in 2024 to go cell phone-free, and the Montana School Boards Association estimated in 2025 that roughly 9 in 10 districts had a full or partial ban.
Where Montana stands
- • No statewide requirement; each local school board sets its own phone policy
The emergency wording for every state, D.C. and Puerto Rico is in school phone ban emergency exceptions by state.
Timeline
- Gov. Greg Gianforte asks districts to consider cell phone-free school policies
- MTPR reports a House budget committee voted to cut the governor's $1 million incentive request
- Next regular legislative session convenes
Storage rules
No statewide rule; storage and scope are local school board decisions.
Some schools back a written policy with phone-management software such as LockedIn: students' own phones lock automatically on campus during school hours and unlock after school, with no pouches or hardware; the admin dashboard flags workarounds by student name, such as a possible uninstall or a new device awaiting approval; and in an emergency, one tap from an administrator starts Emergency Mode on every phone on campus. Software does not replace a written board policy; have counsel review any tool that handles student device data.
Checklist for Montana administrators
- No state mandate: set or review your board policy on student phones under local authority
- Decide scope (class time or full day), storage and exceptions locally, since state law sets none
- Watch the January 2027 legislative session for any statewide proposal
Frequently asked questions
Is Montana one of the states without a school phone ban?
Yes. As of October 27, 2026, Montana is one of 6 states with no statewide law or order requiring public schools to restrict student phones. Montana has no statewide school cell phone law; each local board sets its own policy. Gov. Greg Gianforte urged districts in 2024 to go cell phone-free, and the Montana School Boards Association estimated in 2025 that roughly 9 in 10 districts had a full or partial ban.
Does Montana have a school phone ban?
No. Montana has no statewide school phone law, executive order or state board rule; each local school board decides.
How many Montana school districts restrict phones?
The Montana School Boards Association estimated in 2025 that roughly 9 in 10 districts had a full or partial cell phone ban, as reported by Montana Public Radio.
What has Montana's governor done about phones in schools?
In an Aug 22, 2024 letter, Gov. Greg Gianforte asked superintendents and trustees to consider cell phone-free school policies. In 2025 he sought $1 million to encourage district limits, and a House budget committee voted to cut it.
Sources for Montana
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.
- Gov. Greg Gianforte’s Aug. 22, 2024 letter to superintendents and trustees(opens in a new tab)Primary source
- MTPR: Gianforte pushes for restrictions on mobile phone use in schools (March 27, 2025)(opens in a new tab)
- Montana Legislature(opens in a new tab)Statutes and session bills
- Montana Office of Public Instruction(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.