Nebraska phone-free school law (2026): Nebraska requires every district to adopt a policy restricting student electronic-communication-device use during instructional time, with limited exceptions. Districts may extend bell-to-bell. Here's what administrators need to know about compliance, scope, an
Nebraska has enacted a statewide phone-free school law. Under LB 140 (2025) — signed by Gov. Jim Pillen 2025-05-20 — every district must adopt a policy restricting student personal-device use during instructional time. The law takes effect 2025–26 school year, and many Nebraska districts are choosing to extend their policies bell-to-bell.
What Nebraska's Phone-Free School Law Requires
- • Statute: LB 140, signed May 20, 2025
- • Scope: instructional time (districts may extend bell-to-bell)
- • Effective: 2025–26 school year
- • Exceptions: medical, IEP/504, emergencies
- • Signed alongside Nebraska's social-media age-limit law
How Nebraska Schools Comply
Nebraska'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 Nebraska schools choose LockedIn
LockedIn is a software-based phone-free campus solution built for Nebraska's schools. It provides
OS-level device locking,
campus geofencing, real-time monitoring, and automated compliance reports — exactly what Nebraska 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 Nebraska
Read the primary source — LB 140 (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
Nebraska 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.