Tennessee School Cell Phone Law (HB 932 / SB 897): What It Requires
Tennessee requires every local board of education and public charter school to ban student wireless-device use during instructional time. Policies must include set exceptions and be posted online.
State lawsBy Brian Ohebshalom and Noah Fakheri, LockedIn’s co-founders
3 min read
Tennessee school cell phone law: key facts
Enacted (instructional / district policy)- Statute or action
- HB 932 / SB 897 (2025)
- Citation
- Tenn. Pub. Ch. 103 (2025): new section in Tenn. Code Ann. Title 49, Ch. 6, Part 3; amends § 49-6-4002(h)
- Signed or issued by
- Gov. Bill Lee,
- Takes effect
- July 1, 2025 (2025–26 school year and after)
- Scope
- Instructional time (minimum rule)
- Exceptions
- Educational use a teacher allows, Emergency, Managing the student's health, IEP, active 504 plan or individual learning plan, Assistive technology for a student with a disability
- Enforcement
- District and charter policy posted online; discipline codes may let teachers hold a device for the rest of instructional time
- Statute: HB 932 / SB 897, Public Chapter 103 (2025); signed by Gov. Bill Lee April 4, 2025
- Effective July 1, 2025, for the 2025–26 school year and after
- Covers phones, tablets, laptops and gaming devices
- Exceptions: teacher-allowed educational use, emergencies, managing health, IEP/504/individual learning plans, assistive technology
- Policies must include a way to notify parents of an emergency at school
- Discipline codes may let teachers hold a device for the rest of instructional time
Primary source: HB 932 / SB 897 (2025)(opens in a new tab). Last verified . Not legal advice: confirm with your counsel.
Yes. Tennessee has a statewide law on student phones in school. Tennessee requires every local board of education and public charter school to ban student wireless-device use during instructional time. Policies must include set exceptions and be posted online. HB 932 / SB 897 was signed by Gov. Bill Lee on April 4, 2025.
What HB 932 / SB 897 requires
- • Each local board of education and public charter school must adopt and implement a wireless communication device policy
- • The policy must prohibit student use during instructional time, except as the law allows
- • Teachers may allow educational use; students may use devices in an emergency or to manage their health
- • Use must be allowed when included in an IEP, active 504 plan or individual learning plan, or when a student with a disability uses it for assistive technology
- • The policy must set out how parents will be contacted in an emergency or possible emergency at school
- • Each district and charter school must publish the policy on its website
The key provision, verbatim
“Except as provided in subdivisions (b)(2)-(4), prohibits a student from using a wireless communication device during instructional time;”
— Tenn. Pub. Ch. 103 (2025), § 1(b)(1)
Timeline
- Gov. Bill Lee signs HB 932 (Public Chapter 103)
- Law takes effect for the 2025–26 school year
Where phones must be kept
Public Chapter 103 bans use during instructional time; it does not say where devices must be kept.
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 932 / SB 897 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 Tennessee administrators
- Confirm the policy bans student use during instructional time and is posted on your website
- Write in the exceptions: teacher-allowed educational use, emergencies, health, IEP/504/individual learning plans and assistive technology
- Set up the required process for contacting parents in an emergency at school
- Decide whether your discipline code lets teachers hold devices for the rest of instructional time
- Decide whether to extend the rule to lunch, passing periods or the full day
Frequently asked questions
Does Tennessee have a school cell phone law?
Yes. HB 932 / SB 897 (2025), signed by Gov. Bill Lee on April 4, 2025, is a statewide law on student phones in school. Scope: Instructional time (minimum rule).
When does Tennessee's HB 932 / SB 897 take effect?
Effective date and deadlines for HB 932 / SB 897: July 1, 2025 (2025–26 school year and after)
Does Tennessee ban phones in school?
Tennessee requires every district and public charter school to ban student phone use during instructional time, with exceptions. Districts may set stricter rules.
Can Tennessee students use phones at lunch?
State law covers instructional time, so lunch and passing periods depend on the district or charter school policy.
Can a Tennessee teacher take a student's phone?
Yes, if the district or charter discipline code allows it: a teacher may hold a noncompliant student's device for the rest of instructional time.
Does the Tennessee phone law apply to private schools?
No. It applies to local boards of education and public charter school governing bodies.
How many states have school cell phone laws?
As of October 12, 2026, 43 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 Tennessee is one of them. 7 states have no statewide requirement.
Sources for Tennessee
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.
- HB 932 / SB 897 (2025): official text(opens in a new tab)Tenn. Pub. Ch. 103 (2025): new section in Tenn. Code Ann. Title 49, Ch. 6, Part 3; amends § 49-6-4002(h)
- Tenn. Pub. Ch. 103 (2025), § 1(b)(1)(opens in a new tab)Quoted on this page
- Senate Amendment 1 (SA0025) to SB 897 / HB 932(opens in a new tab)
- Tennessee 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.