New Hampshire School Cell Phone Law (HB 2): What It Requires

Yes. New Hampshire has a statewide law on student phones in school. New Hampshire's HB 2 (2025) requires school boards and charter schools to ban student use of personal communication devices from first bell to dismissal. The superintendent or a designee approves medical, disability and language exceptions.

What HB 2 requires

• • Every school board and chartered public school board of trustees must develop and adopt a policy governing student cell phones and other personal electronic communication devices.
• • The policy must prohibit all personal communication device use by students from the first bell that starts instructional time until the dismissal bell.
• • Exceptions for medical, disability or language-proficiency needs are approved by the superintendent or a designee.
• • Policies may not bar devices used for medical needs such as insulin pumps and glucose sensors, devices identified in an IEP or Section 504 plan, or language access for emergent multilingual students.
• • The policy must be developed in collaboration with parents and teachers and reviewed annually.

The key provision, verbatim

“Such policy shall prohibit all personal communication device use by students from when the first bell rings to start instructional time until the dismissal bell rings to end the academic school day”

— RSA 189:1-a, V

Timeline

1. June 27, 2025Gov. Kelly Ayotte signs HB 2, the budget trailer bill that adds the bell-to-bell requirement
2. July 1, 2025RSA 189:1-a, V takes effect

Where phones must be kept

RSA 189:1-a, V prohibits device use from first bell to dismissal but does not say where devices must be kept; storage is set by each district or charter school policy.

Some schools back a written policy with phone-management software such as LockedIn: at schools that use its Screen Time setup, students' own phones lock automatically on campus and unlock after school, and the admin dashboard flags workarounds, such as a possible uninstall or a new device awaiting approval. Software does not replace the policy HB 2 requires, and it should be set up around the exceptions the law lists; have counsel review any tool that handles student device data.

Checklist for New Hampshire administrators

1. Confirm your policy bans student device use from first bell to dismissal bell, not just during class.
2. Set up a written process for the superintendent or designee to approve medical, disability and language exceptions.
3. Make sure the policy protects IEP/504 devices, medical devices such as insulin pumps and glucose sensors, and language-access needs.
4. Schedule the annual policy review the statute requires.