Virginia School Cell Phone Law (SB 108): Bell-to-Bell Rules for 2026–27

Yes. Virginia Code § 22.1-79.3:1, as amended by SB 108 (2026), requires every school board to restrict possession and prohibit use of cell phones and smart devices, including smartwatches and tablets, on school property from the first bell to dismissal, lunch included. The current version has been in effect since July 1, 2026.

Last checked October 12, 2026 against the current text of Va. Code § 22.1-79.3:1 and the SB 108 records. This page explains the law; it is not legal advice.

What Virginia Law Requires Now

Each school board develops, and each public school implements, age- and developmentally appropriate policies that:

"restrict student cell phone and smart device possession and prohibit student cell phone and smart device use on school property from bell to bell"

Source: Va. Code § 22.1-79.3:1(B)(1)

• • Bell to bell runs from the first bell at the start of the school day to the dismissal bell, and includes lunch and the time between classes.
• • Smart devices are personal electronic devices that can connect to the internet and wirelessly collect, process and transmit data, including smartwatches and tablets.
• • Before and after school: where possession or use is allowed outside bell to bell, the policy must regulate it to reduce distractions and disruptions, including bullying and harassment.
• • Enforcement is the school administration's job. It should minimize conflict with teachers' instructional duties and may not involve school resource officers.

Possession vs. Use

The statute treats the two differently: use must be prohibited bell to bell, while possession must be restricted. It does not say how; the method of restricting possession is left to each school board.

Exceptions

Policies must let a student possess and use a cell phone or smart device bell to bell, including in class, to monitor or address a health concern or as an accommodation or assistive technology, when it is provided for in the student's:

• • Individualized Education Plan (IEP)
• • Section 504 plan
• • Individualized health care plan
• • Diabetes medical management plan
• • Limited English Proficiency plan

The statute does not list a general emergency exception; emergency procedures belong in each division's own policies and safety plans. The emergency wording for every state, D.C. and Puerto Rico is in school phone ban emergency exceptions by state.

Discipline

Policies must expressly prohibit suspending or expelling a student as a consequence of a violation, and a violation alone is not sufficient cause for suspension or expulsion. A violation that involves or leads to disruptive behavior is handled under the division's code of student conduct.

How Virginia Got Here

Announcing SB 108 on April 7, 2026, the Governor's office described it as making the prohibition on student cell phone and smart device use on school property bell to bell clear.

What Virginia's Law Does Not Require

• • A specific storage method. Possession must be restricted, but the method is the school board's choice.
• • Police involvement. School resource officers may not enforce these policies.
• • Rules for private schools. The law covers school boards and public schools.

For division pages, see Fairfax County, Loudoun County and other Virginia divisions, or compare states in our school phone laws by state tracker.

How Virginia districts are carrying it out

The law sets the floor; each district writes its own policy on top of it. Here is what large Virginia districts have adopted, from their own published policies:

• • Fairfax County Public Schools: Phones and smart devices stay off and stored from the first bell to dismissal in every grade, including lunch.
• • Loudoun County Public Schools: Since Jan. 5, 2026, Policy 8655 keeps internet-connected devices off and stored away bell to bell, including lunch.

Where Software Fits

Virginia leaves the method of restricting possession to each board and puts enforcement on school administrators. Software is one way to enforce the no-use rule: LockedIn locks students' own phones during the school day and unlocks them after school, students can always call home or 911, and the admin dashboard flags a new unapproved device, a possible uninstall, mock locations and use of blocked apps. Whether a locked phone that stays with the student meets your division's possession rule is a policy decision for the board and its counsel.

Primary Sources

• • Code of Virginia § 22.1-79.3:1
• • SB 108 (2026) bill details
• • Governor Spanberger's bill-signing release, April 7, 2026