Oregon School Cell Phone Order (EO 25-09): What It Requires
Oregon's Executive Order 25-09 requires every school district to ban student phone use from the start to the end of regular instructional hours. Policies were due Oct 31, 2025 and had to take effect by Jan 1, 2026.
State lawsBy Brian Ohebshalom and Noah Fakheri, LockedIn’s co-founders
3 min read
Oregon school cell phone executive order: key facts
Executive order- Statute or action
- Executive Order 25-09 (2025)
- Signed or issued by
- Gov. Tina Kotek,
- Takes effect
- Oct 31, 2025 (district policy adoption deadline); policies in effect no later than Jan 1, 2026
- Scope
- Start to end of regular instructional hours; may exclude time off school grounds without staff supervision. ODE guidance says this runs from the start to the end of the school day, including passing periods and lunch
- Exceptions
- Medical provider's order for a medical condition, IEP or 504 plan, Written district exemption for individual circumstances or educational outcomes
- Enforcement
- District policy must say how devices are stored; consequences may not cost students instructional time, including suspension or expulsion
- Action: Executive Order 25-09, signed by Gov. Tina Kotek July 2, 2025
- Policies adopted by Oct 31, 2025 and in effect no later than Jan 1, 2026
- Scope: start to end of regular instructional hours; the Oregon Department of Education reads that as the whole school day, including passing periods and lunch
- Policies must say how devices will be stored during the school day
- Consequences may not cost students instructional time, including suspension or expulsion
- Policies are posted on the district website and shared with ODE, which monitors implementation
Funding: Phone-free school grants and paste-ready application language.
Primary source: Executive Order 25-09 (2025)(opens in a new tab). Last verified . Not legal advice: confirm with your counsel.
Yes. Oregon has a statewide executive order on student phones in school. Oregon's Executive Order 25-09 requires every school district to ban student phone use from the start to the end of regular instructional hours. Policies were due Oct 31, 2025 and had to take effect by Jan 1, 2026.
What EO 25-09 requires
- • Every school district must have a policy prohibiting student use of personal electronic devices from the start to the end of regular instructional hours
- • The policy must say how devices will be stored during the school day
- • The policy must allow use under a medical provider's order, an IEP or 504 plan, or a written district exemption
- • Consequences may not take away instructional time, which includes suspension or expulsion
- • The policy must be posted on the district website and shared with staff, students, families, partners in the building and ODE
The emergency wording for every state, D.C. and Puerto Rico is in school phone ban emergency exceptions by state.
The key provision, verbatim
“Every Oregon school district is required to have a policy that shall prohibit the use of personal electronic devices by students from the start of regular instructional hours until the end of regular instructional hours.”
Source: Executive Order 25-09, ¶ 3
Timeline
- Gov. Tina Kotek signs Executive Order 25-09
- Deadline for every district to adopt its policy
- Policies must be in effect
Where phones must be kept
EO 25-09 requires each policy to "provide clarity on how personal electronic devices will be stored during the school day" but leaves the method to the district.
Because Oregon's executive order requires each district policy to say how devices are stored during the school day, software on a student's phone does not by itself meet the storage requirement. App-based locking, including LockedIn, can add to the storage the executive order calls for, not replace it.
Checklist for Oregon administrators
- Confirm the policy bans use from the start to the end of regular instructional hours and took effect by Jan 1, 2026
- State clearly how devices are stored during the school day
- Use consequences that keep students in class: no suspension or expulsion
- Document medical-order, IEP/504 and written district exemptions
- Post the policy on the district website and share it with staff, students, families, building partners and ODE
How Oregon districts are carrying it out
The executive order sets the floor; each district writes its own policy on top of it. Here is what one large Oregon district has adopted, from its own published policy:
- • Portland Public Schools: Policy JFCK keeps personal devices out of students’ reach for the whole school day; middle and high schoolers lock them in pouches.
Frequently asked questions
Does Oregon have a school cell phone law?
Yes. Executive Order 25-09 (2025), issued by Gov. Tina Kotek on July 2, 2025, is a statewide executive order on student phones in school. Scope: Start to end of regular instructional hours; may exclude time off school grounds without staff supervision. ODE guidance says this runs from the start to the end of the school day, including passing periods and lunch.
When does Oregon's EO 25-09 take effect?
Effective date and deadlines for EO 25-09: Oct 31, 2025 (district policy adoption deadline); policies in effect no later than Jan 1, 2026.
Did Oregon ban cell phones in schools?
Yes. Executive Order 25-09 requires every school district to prohibit student personal-device use from the start to the end of regular instructional hours, with policies in effect no later than Jan 1, 2026.
Is Oregon's school phone ban a law?
It is an executive order from Gov. Tina Kotek, not a statute. It remains in effect until its actions are carried out or the governor directs otherwise.
Does Oregon's phone ban cover lunch?
Yes, according to the state. The order covers the start to the end of regular instructional hours, and the Oregon Department of Education's summary of the order says that includes passing periods and lunch.
Can Oregon students be suspended for phone violations?
No. Consequences under the policy may not cause a student to lose instructional time, which includes suspension or expulsion.
Does the Oregon order apply to private schools?
No. It applies to Oregon public school districts.
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 Oregon is one of them. 6 states have no statewide requirement.
Sources for Oregon
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.
- Executive Order 25-09 (2025): official record(opens in a new tab)Primary source
- ODE one-pager on Executive Order 25-09 (covers passing periods and lunch)(opens in a new tab)State guidance
- Oregon State Legislature(opens in a new tab)Statutes and session bills
- Oregon 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.