Which States Ban Phones in School? Laws by State (2026)
As of October 27, 2026, 44 states and D.C. have a statewide law, executive order or state board policy restricting students’ phones in school, and 24 states and D.C. have a bell-to-bell rule, some only for certain grades or from a later school year. Find your state to see the bill, what it requires and when it applies.
School cell phone laws in all 50 states and D.C.
Checked against each state’s primary source on . Laws change, so confirm with your state education department before you set policy.
Select a state on the map to open its guide. The list has the same states and links.
All 51, A to Z
Alabama: school cell phone law guide
HB 166 (2025): FOCUS Act
Law in effectSince May 14, 2025
Alabama's FOCUS Act bars public school students from using phones during the instructional day, including lunch and class changes. A phone brought to school must be turned off and stored off the student's person, such as in a locker or car.
Alaska: school cell phone law guide
HB 57 (2025)
Law in effectSince July 1, 2025
Alaska's HB 57 (AS 14.33.300) requires every district to regulate student phone possession and use in school hours, including lunch and passing periods. A school in a district without a policy may not let students use devices during those hours.
Arizona: school cell phone law guide
HB 2484 (2025)
Law in effectSince September 26, 2025
Arizona requires every school district and charter school to limit student phone use during the school day, including meals and recess. Policies must also restrict social media on school-provided internet.
Arkansas: school cell phone law guide
SB 142 / Act 122 (2025): "Bell to Bell, No Cell"
Law in effectSince the 2025–26 school year
Arkansas's Bell to Bell, No Cell Act makes districts and open-enrollment charters restrict phone possession and ban use from arrival to dismissal. DESE reviews and approves each policy.
California: school cell phone law guide
AB 3216 (2024), Phone-Free Schools Act
Law in effectDistrict policies were due July 1, 2026
California's Phone-Free Schools Act (AB 3216) required every school district, county office of education and charter school to adopt a policy limiting or prohibiting student smartphone use by July 1, 2026. It is not a statewide ban: each district sets the scope.
Colorado: school cell phone law guide
HB 25-1135 (2025)
Law in effectSince August 6, 2025
Colorado required every school district and charter school to adopt, implement and post a student phone policy by July 1, 2026. The law sets required exceptions but leaves scope to each board; it also covers the Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind.
Connecticut: school cell phone bill guide
HB 5035 (2026, House-passed; died in Senate)
Bill failed in 2026Connecticut has no statewide school phone law. HB 5035, a bell-to-bell ban, passed the House 117–31 on April 27, 2026 but got no Senate vote before the session ended May 6. In August 2026 the State Board of Education adopted non-binding guidance recommending bell-to-bell policies.
Delaware: school cell phone law guide
SB 106 (2026)
Law in effectSince March 12, 2026
Delaware's SB 106, signed March 12, 2026, requires every school district and charter school to adopt a cell phone policy, with educator input, that limits student phone use during instructional time, and to post it online by Aug. 31, 2026.
Florida: school cell phone law guide
HB 379 (2023) and HB 1105 (2025)
Law in effectSince July 1, 2025
Florida bars elementary and middle school students from using phones during the school day and high school students during class time (s. 1006.07, F.S., as amended by HB 1105 in 2025). Students may still possess phones; districts set the rest.
Georgia: school cell phone law guide
HB 340 (2025) and HB 1009 (2026)
Law in effectSince July 1, 2026
Georgia bars K–8 students from accessing phones and other personal devices bell to bell, in effect since July 1, 2026. HB 1009 (2026) extends the ban to grades 9–12 no later than July 1, 2027.
Hawaii: school cell phone policy guide
Hawaii Board of Education student cell phone use policy (adopted Feb 12, 2026)
Board policy in effectSince the 2026–27 school year
Hawaii's Board of Education adopted a statewide student cell phone policy on Feb 12, 2026: no phone use during school hours in elementary and middle school, and none during instructional time in high school, starting in 2026–27. It is board policy, not a statute.
Idaho: school cell phone law guide
S 1032 (2025): Distraction-Free Learning
Law in effectSince July 1, 2025
Idaho's 2025 law (S 1032) required every school board and public charter school to adopt a policy limiting student phone use by Dec 31, 2025. Policies must keep device use as limited as possible during school hours; a full ban is not required.
Illinois: school cell phone law guide
SB 2427 (Public Act 104-0657)
Passed, policies due 2027–28 school yearSigned July 28, 2026
Illinois enacted SB 2427 (Public Act 104-0657) on July 28, 2026. By the start of the 2027–28 school year, every school district and charter school must ban student phone use from arrival to dismissal; high schools may allow phones at lunch and passing periods.
Indiana: school cell phone law guide
SEA 78 (2026), expanding SEA 185 (2024)
Law in effectSince July 1, 2026
Indiana's SEA 78 extends the student device ban to the whole school day from July 1, 2026. Each school corporation and charter school must either bar devices from school or require them to be stored away, powered off and inaccessible.
Iowa: school cell phone law guide
HF 782 (2025)
Law in effectSince April 30, 2025
Iowa's HF 782 (Iowa Code § 279.88) requires every school board to restrict student use of personal electronic devices during classroom instructional time. Policies apply from the 2025–26 school year, and boards may adopt stricter rules.
Kansas: school cell phone law guide
HB 2299 (2026): "Bell to Bell, No Cell"
Law in effectSince July 1, 2026
Kansas requires public schools and state-accredited private schools to bar student phone use from the start of school to dismissal. Devices must be turned off and stored away from the student in an inaccessible location.
Kentucky: school cell phone law guide
HB 208 (2025)
Law in effectSince the 2025–26 school year
Kentucky requires every school district to adopt a policy that, at a minimum, bans student use of personal telecommunications devices during instructional time, and to filter social media on school technology.
Louisiana: school cell phone law guide
SB 207 / Act 313 (2024)
Law in effectSince the 2024–25 school year
Louisiana bars public school students from having a phone on their person throughout the instructional day under Act 313 of 2024. A device brought to school must be turned off and properly stowed away, or not turned on and used, until the day ends.
Maine: school cell phone law guide
LD 2212 (2026 supplemental budget), Part GG
Law in effectDistrict policies were due August 1, 2026
Maine's supplemental budget (LD 2212, Part GG) requires school boards to ban student use of personal electronic devices from starting bell to dismissal. Boards had to adopt and implement the policy by Aug. 1, 2026, with exceptions for IEPs, 504 plans, health care plans and English learner language support.
Maryland: school cell phone law guide
HB 525 / Ch. 596 (2026): Joanne C. Benson Maryland Phone-Free Schools Act
Passed, policies due 2027–28 school yearSigned May 26, 2026
Maryland's Phone-Free Schools Act requires every county board to ban student device use from first bell to dismissal by the 2027–28 school year. Students must store devices in a manner the county board sets. The enacted chapter struck the emergency-use exception before passage.
Massachusetts: school cell phone bill guide
S.2581 (Senate-passed 38–2, July 31, 2025; House-amended 129–25, April 8, 2026; in conference committee)
Bill in progressMassachusetts has no statewide school phone law yet. The Senate passed a bell-to-bell bill (S.2581) in July 2025 and the House passed a broader version in April 2026; the two chambers have been in a conference committee since May 2026.
Michigan: school cell phone law guide
HB 4141 (Public Act 2 of 2026) and SB 495 (Public Act 1 of 2026)
Law in effectSince the 2026–27 school year
Michigan bans student phone use during class time in every school district and charter academy, starting in 2026–27 (HB 4141, signed Feb. 10, 2026). Basic phones are not covered.
Minnesota: school cell phone law guide
SF 3567 (2024)
Law in effectDistrict policies were due March 15, 2025
Minnesota required every school district and charter school to adopt a policy on student cell phone possession and use by March 15, 2025. The law sets no statewide scope, and 2026 proposals for a statewide ban did not become law.
Mississippi: school cell phone bill guide
SB 2099 (2026, passed Senate; died in House committee) and HB 702 (2026, died in House committee)
Bill failed in 2026Mississippi has no statewide school phone law. In 2026, SB 2099 passed the Senate but died in a House committee on March 3, and the House bell-to-bell bill HB 702 died in committee on Feb 3.
Missouri: school cell phone law guide
SB 68 (2025)
Law in effectSince August 28, 2025
Missouri requires every school district and charter school to bar students from displaying or using a phone from the start to the end of the school day. That includes meals, breaks, passing time and study halls.
- No statewide law
Montana has no statewide school cell phone law; each local board sets its own policy. Gov. Greg Gianforte urged districts in 2024 to go cell phone-free, and the Montana School Boards Association estimated in 2025 that roughly 9 in 10 districts had a full or partial ban.
Nebraska: school cell phone law guide
LB 140 (2025)
Law in effectSince May 20, 2025
Nebraska's LB 140 required every public school board to adopt, before the 2025–26 school year, a policy prohibiting student use of electronic communication devices on school property and at school instructional functions, subject to statutory exceptions.
Nevada: school cell phone law guide
SB 444 (2025)
Law in effectSince July 1, 2026
Nevada requires every school district to limit student phone use during instruction, with progressive discipline, effective July 1, 2026. Policies must include exceptions for emergencies, health needs, teacher-allowed use and IEP or 504 plans.
New Hampshire: school cell phone law guide
HB 2 (2025)
Law in effectSince July 1, 2025
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.
New Jersey: school cell phone law guide
S3695 (P.L.2025, c.195)
Law in effectSince the 2026–27 school year
New Jersey requires every school board, charters included, to bar non-academic phone use on school grounds all school day from 2026–27 (P.L.2025, c.195). Policies follow NJDOE guidelines and also cover school buses and events.
New Mexico: school cell phone law guide
SB 11 (2025): Anti-Distraction Policy
Law in effectDistrict policies were due August 1, 2025
New Mexico's SB 11 required every school district and charter school to adopt, implement and publish a device policy by Aug. 1, 2025. It does not require a ban: a policy may prohibit use during instructional hours, but may not block assistive technology or medically necessary, disability or IEP use.
New York: school cell phone law guide
Education Law § 2803 (FY 2026 budget, S3006-C)
Law in effectSince the 2025–26 school year
New York's Education Law § 2803 bans student use of smartphones, tablets and smartwatches anywhere on school grounds for the whole school day, including lunch. It took effect for 2025–26, and the first annual enforcement reports were due Sept. 1, 2026.
North Carolina: school cell phone law guide
HB 959 (Session Law 2025-38)
Law in effectDistrict policies were due January 1, 2026
North Carolina requires every public school unit to bar student phone use during instructional time (Session Law 2025-38). Policies were due Jan. 1, 2026.
North Dakota: school cell phone law guide
HB 1160 (2025), amended by SB 2354
Law in effectSince August 1, 2025
North Dakota's HB 1160 requires public schools to keep student devices, including smartwatches, silenced, stowed away and inaccessible all school day. The rule runs from the start of the school day until dismissal, including lunch and recess.
Ohio: school cell phone law guide
HB 96 (2025), the state operating budget
Law in effectDistrict policies were due January 1, 2026
Ohio requires every school district to prohibit all student cellphone use during the instructional day (R.C. 3313.753, as amended by HB 96 in 2025). Policies were due Jan. 1, 2026.
Oklahoma: school cell phone law guide
HB 1276 (2026), making permanent SB 139 (2025)
Law in effectSince July 1, 2026
Oklahoma's HB 1276 made the bell-to-bell school phone rule permanent: districts must bar student phone use on campus from first bell to dismissal. The rule now applies every school year, not just 2025–26.
Oregon: school cell phone executive order guide
Executive Order 25-09 (2025)
Executive order in effectDistrict policies were due October 31, 2025
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.
Pennsylvania: school cell phone law guide
Act 117 of 2026 (SB 1014, Printer's No. 1697)
Law in effectSince October 26, 2026
Gov. Josh Shapiro approved SB 1014 on Oct. 26, 2026. It is Act 117 of 2026, and it took effect that day. Every school entity, including private and nonpublic schools, must adopt a bell-to-bell mobile device policy by the start of the 2027-28 school year.
Rhode Island: school cell phone law guide
S 0771 Sub A / H 5598 Sub A (2025)
Law in effectSince August 1, 2026
Rhode Island law requires every public school to prohibit students' physical access to personal devices during the school day, effective Aug 1, 2026. Exceptions are written into individual student plans.
South Carolina: school cell phone law guide
FY 2026–27 Appropriations Act (H. 5126), Proviso 1.95, + State Board of Education model policy
Law in effectSince the 2024–25 school year
South Carolina ties State Aid to Classrooms funding to a State Board policy barring student access to phones and smartwatches from arrival to dismissal. It rests on an annual budget proviso, not a permanent statute, and also covers accessories such as earbuds.
South Dakota: school cell phone bill guide
SB 198 (2026, defeated in House)
Bill failed in 2026South Dakota has no statewide school phone law. SB 198, which would have restricted student cell phone use during the school day, passed the Senate 19–15 but the House rejected it 28–39 on March 5, 2026; phone rules remain a local-board decision.
Tennessee: school cell phone law guide
HB 932 / SB 897 (2025)
Law in effectSince July 1, 2025
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.
Texas: school cell phone law guide
HB 1481 (2025)
Law in effectSince June 20, 2025
Texas law (HB 1481, Education Code § 37.082) requires every school district and open-enrollment charter school to prohibit student use of phones, smartwatches and other personal communication devices on school property for the whole school day. Policies were due Sept. 18, 2025.
Utah: school cell phone law guide
SB 69 (2026), amending SB 178 (2025)
Law in effectSince July 1, 2026
Utah's SB 69 makes bell-to-bell the default from July 1, 2026: no student phone or smartwatch use at school from first bell to dismissal. Lunch and recess are included unless an exception applies, and LEAs may allow other circumstances.
Vermont: school cell phone law guide
H.480 / Act 72 (2025)
Law in effectSince the 2026–27 school year
Vermont's Act 72 requires school boards and approved independent schools to enforce, from 2026–27, a policy at least as strict as the state model that bars student use of cell phones and personal devices from arrival to dismissal.
Virginia: school cell phone law guide
SB 108 (2026), amending HB 1961 / SB 738 (2025)
Law in effectSince July 1, 2026
Virginia law (Va. Code § 22.1-79.3:1, as amended by SB 108 in 2026) requires every school board to restrict possession and prohibit use of cell phones and smart devices on school property from bell to bell, including lunch. It has been in effect since July 1, 2026.
Washington: school cell phone law guide
SSB 5346 (Chapter 225, Laws of 2026)
Guidance only, no banLaw signed March 25, 2026
Washington has no statewide school phone ban. SSB 5346 (2026) authorizes school boards to limit student possession and use of mobile devices and has OSPI report to the Legislature by Dec. 15, 2027, with a goal of bell-to-bell policies in every district by 2030.
Washington, D.C.: school cell phone law guide
DC Law 26-39: Disconnect Act of 2025
Law in effectSince September 10, 2025
D.C.'s Disconnect Act bars K–12 students at DCPS and charter schools from keeping a phone, tablet, laptop or gaming device on their person all school day. A device carried in a backpack or purse does not count as possessing; LEA policies were due 15 days before the 2026–27 school year.
West Virginia: school cell phone law guide
HB 2003 (2025)
Law in effectSince July 9, 2025
West Virginia's HB 2003 bars student access to personal electronic devices for use in classroom settings during instructional time. County boards set storage and penalties, and a classroom setting includes gyms and common areas where instruction occurs.
Wisconsin: school cell phone law guide
AB 2 / 2025 Wisconsin Act 42
Law in effectDistrict policies were due July 1, 2026
Wisconsin Act 42 requires every school board to prohibit student use of phones, tablets, laptops and gaming devices during instructional time. Policies were due July 1, 2026, with a copy filed with DPI by Oct. 1, 2026.
Wyoming: school cell phone law guide
SF 35 (2026): Enrolled Act 46
Law in effectSince March 6, 2026
Wyoming's SF 35, signed March 6, 2026, required every district to adopt policies governing student possession and use of cell phones and smart devices. Policies were due July 1, 2026 and go to the state superintendent; the law sets no required scope.
Looking for a district? Browse phone policies for large districts
For the emergency wording in each law, see school phone ban emergency exceptions by state.
States with no statewide school phone law
As of , these 6 states have no statewide law, executive order or state board policy requiring public schools to restrict student phones, so each school board sets its own policy: Connecticut (bill failed), Massachusetts (bill pending), Mississippi (bill failed), Montana (left to local boards), South Dakota (bill failed) and Washington (study and guidance law only).
Which states ban phones in school? Every state compared
As of , 44 states and D.C. have a statewide law, executive order or state board policy on student phones, and 24 states and D.C. have a bell-to-bell rule, some only for certain grades or from a later school year. Scope, law and effective date for each, A to Z.
Download this table (CSV) or JSON: one row per state and D.C., with the citation, primary source and last-verified date. Free to cite; please link back to this page.
| State | Rule | Scope | Law or bill | Effective | Last verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Law in effect | Instructional day, defined to include class transitions, lunch and other non-instructional time | HB 166 | Signed and effective May 14, 2025 | |
| Alaska | Law in effect | Possession and use during regular school hours, including lunch and passing periods (district policy required) | HB 57 | July 1, 2025 | |
| Arizona | Law in effect | School day, defined as time students are at school, including meals, passing periods and recess; policies must limit use | HB 2484 | September 26, 2025 (general effective date) | |
| Arkansas | Law in effect | School day: from the time students must be at school until dismissal; policies restrict possession and prohibit use | SB 142 / Act 122 | 2025–26 school year | |
| California | Law in effect | A locally written policy that limits or prohibits student smartphone use at school or while under staff supervision; each district decides how far it goes | AB 3216 | July 1, 2026 (policy adoption deadline for every district, county office of education and charter school; now in effect) | |
| Colorado | Law in effect | District-determined; each policy must state its possession and use rules for the school day | HB 25-1135 | Effective Aug 6, 2025 | |
| Connecticut | Bill failed in 2026 | Bell-to-bell (proposed; not enacted) | HB 5035 | n/a | |
| Delaware | Law in effect | District and charter policies must limit cell phone use during instructional time | SB 106 | March 12, 2026 (on signing) | |
| Florida | Law in effect | Elementary and middle school: no use during the school day. High school: no use during instructional time unless a teacher directs it for educational purposes. Students may still possess phones. | HB 379 and HB 1105 | July 1, 2025 for the K–8 full-day rule (HB 1105) | |
| Georgia | Law in effect | Bell-to-bell: no student access to personal devices (including wearing a smartwatch) from the first bell to the final bell; K–8 now, grades 9–12 no later than July 1, 2027 | HB 340 and HB 1009 | July 1, 2026 for grades K–8 | |
| Hawaii | Board policy in effect | Elementary and middle/intermediate: no use during school hours. High school: no use during instructional time; each school decides about breaks and lunch | Hawaii Board of Education student cell phone use policy (adopted Feb 12, 2026) | 2026–27 school year | |
| Idaho | Law in effect | District-determined; policies must keep student device use "as limited as possible" during school hours and reduce classroom distractions | S 1032 | July 1, 2025 | |
| Illinois | Passed, policies due 2027–28 school year | No student use of phones, tablets, laptops, gaming devices or smartwatches/smart glasses from arrival to dismissal, including recess, lunch and passing periods; districts may exclude high school lunch and passing periods | SB 2427 | The start of the 2027–28 school year (district and charter policy deadline) | |
| Indiana | Law in effect | School day: all time a student is on school property for an instructional day | SEA 78 | July 1, 2026 (2026–27 school year) | |
| Iowa | Law in effect | Restrict use during classroom instructional time (boards may adopt stricter policies) | HF 782 | April 30, 2025 (on enactment) | |
| Kansas | Law in effect | School day: start of school until dismissal, including classes, recess, lunch and passing periods | HB 2299 | In force on publication in the statute book (July 1, 2026) | |
| Kentucky | Law in effect | At a minimum, no student use during instructional time; districts may go further | HB 208 | 2025–26 school year | |
| Louisiana | Law in effect | Throughout the instructional day: no device on the student's person | SB 207 / Act 313 | 2024–25 school year and every year after | |
| Maine | Law in effect | Use prohibited from starting bell to dismissal bell; covers cell phones and other devices with Internet or cellular capability | LD 2212 | Aug. 1, 2026 (policy adoption and implementation deadline) | |
| Maryland | Passed, policies due 2027–28 school year | Academic school day: first bell to dismissal bell, including instruction, lunch, recess, passing and transition periods | HB 525 / Ch. 596 | County policies required no later than the 2027–28 school year (policy deadline) | |
| Massachusetts | Bill in progress | Bell-to-bell (proposed) | S.2581 | n/a | |
| Michigan | Law in effect | No student use of wireless communications devices on school grounds during instructional time; lunch and passing periods are a local choice; basic (non-smart) phones are not covered | HB 4141 and SB 495 | 2026–27 school year | |
| Minnesota | Law in effect | District-determined | SF 3567 | March 15, 2025 (district policy deadline) | |
| Mississippi | Bill failed in 2026 | n/a | SB 2099 and HB 702 | n/a | |
| Missouri | Law in effect | Beginning to end of the school day, including instructional time, meals, breaks, time between classes and study halls | SB 68 | Aug 28, 2025 | |
| Montana | No statewide law | n/a | n/a | n/a | |
| Nebraska | Law in effect | Use prohibited on school property and at school instructional functions, subject to statutory exceptions | LB 140 | May 20, 2025 (emergency clause) | |
| Nevada | Law in effect | Policies must limit device use during instruction; districts set the details | SB 444 | July 1, 2026 (policies adopted by June 30, 2026) | |
| New Hampshire | Law in effect | Use prohibited from the first bell to the dismissal bell; storage set locally | HB 2 | July 1, 2025 | |
| New Jersey | Law in effect | Board policies must follow NJDOE guidelines that prohibit non-academic use of smartphones, tablets, smartwatches and other internet-enabled devices on school grounds during the school day; policies also cover school buses and school-sanctioned events | S3695 | 2026–27 school year (the first full school year after enactment) | |
| New Mexico | Law in effect | District and charter policy required; prohibiting use during instructional hours is optional | SB 11 | Aug. 1, 2025 (policy adoption deadline) | |
| New York | Law in effect | No student use of internet-enabled devices (smartphones, tablets, smartwatches) anywhere on school grounds for the whole school day, including lunch, recess, study halls and passing time; basic phones without internet access are not covered | Education Law § 2803 | 2025–26 school year (policies due Aug. 1, 2025; annual enforcement reports due each Sept. 1 from 2026) | |
| North Carolina | Law in effect | At minimum, students may not use, display or have a wireless device turned on during instructional time; covers phones, tablets, laptops, pagers, two-way radios and gaming devices | HB 959 | January 1, 2026 (policy deadline) | |
| North Dakota | Law in effect | Devices silenced or off, securely stowed and inaccessible from the start of the school day to dismissal, including lunch, recess and passing time | HB 1160 | Aug. 1, 2025 | |
| Ohio | Law in effect | Policies must prohibit all student cellphone use during the "instructional day", a term the statute does not define; boards may also ban carrying devices on school grounds | HB 96 | January 1, 2026 (district policy deadline) | |
| Oklahoma | Law in effect | Bell to bell on public school campuses: from the first bell starting instruction to the dismissal bell | HB 1276 | July 1, 2026 | |
| Oregon | Executive order in effect | 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 | EO 25-09 | Oct 31, 2025 (district policy adoption deadline) | |
| Pennsylvania | Law in effect | Bell to bell for the whole school day on school property | Act 117 of 2026 | Took effect Oct. 26, 2026. Policies are due by the start of the 2027-28 school year. | |
| Rhode Island | Law in effect | No physical access to personal devices during the school day as defined by RIDE; policies cover school grounds and school-sponsored activities | S 0771 / H 5598 | August 1, 2026 (2026–27 school year) | |
| South Carolina | Law in effect | Arrival (tardy bell) to afternoon dismissal; districts may extend it to buses, field trips and athletic events | Proviso 1.95 | In place since the 2024–25 school year | |
| South Dakota | Bill failed in 2026 | n/a | SB 198 | n/a | |
| Tennessee | Law in effect | Instructional time (minimum rule) | HB 932 / SB 897 | July 1, 2025 (2025–26 school year and after) | |
| Texas | Law in effect | No student use of personal communication devices on school property during the school day, not just in class; covers phones (smart or flip), tablets, smartwatches, radios and pagers | HB 1481 | June 20, 2025 (district and charter policies due by Sept. 18, 2025) | |
| Utah | Law in effect | School hours: from the start to the end of the bell schedule, including instruction, lunch, recess and transitions (statewide default) | SB 69 | July 1, 2026 | |
| Vermont | Law in effect | Arrival to dismissal | H.480 / Act 72 | Policies required from the 2026–27 school year (in effect now) | |
| Virginia | Law in effect | School board policies must restrict possession and prohibit use of cell phones and smart devices (including smartwatches and tablets) on school property bell to bell, including lunch and time between classes | SB 108 | July 1, 2026 (SB 108) | |
| Washington | Guidance only, no ban | No statewide ban: districts may limit student possession and use of mobile devices; the Legislature’s stated goal is a locally tailored bell-to-bell policy in every district by 2030 | SSB 5346 | June 11, 2026 (no requirement on schools; OSPI report due Dec. 15, 2027) | |
| Washington, D.C. | Law in effect | No personal device on the student's person on school premises during the full school day (a backpack or purse doesn't count as possessing) | Disconnect Act | Sept. 10, 2025 | |
| West Virginia | Law in effect | Devices not accessible for use in a classroom setting during instructional time (including gyms and common areas where instruction occurs) | HB 2003 | July 9, 2025 (county policies from the 2025–26 school year) | |
| Wisconsin | Law in effect | Use prohibited during instructional time (district-issued devices excepted) | AB 2 / Act 42 | July 1, 2026 (policy adoption deadline) | |
| Wyoming | Law in effect | District policy governing possession and use required; scope set locally | SF 35 | March 6, 2026 (on signing) |
Recent updates to this table
Pennsylvania: Gov. Josh Shapiro approved SB 1014 on Oct. 26, 2026. It is Act 117 of 2026, in effect that day, and every school entity needs a bell-to-bell policy by the start of 2027-28.
Maryland: Noted that Chapter 596 has no emergency-use exception: the bill language allowing use "during an emergency event" was struck before passage.
New York: Clarified that § 2803(5)(a) lets a policy allow emergency use but does not require it, while § 2803(3) requires a way for parents to reach students during the day.
Tennessee: Corrected the signing date of Public Chapter 103 to March 28, 2025, and added Public Chapter 808 (2026) on K–5 school-issued devices.
West Virginia: Corrected the citation to W. Va. Code § 18-2-47, where the Code now places HB 2003’s phone rule.
Maryland: County policies must be in place no later than 2027–28, so the state is listed as passed, not yet in effect.
Florida: The status now says the full-day rule covers K–8; high schools restrict class time.
Hawaii: Added HB 1559 (2026), which passed the House and was deferred in a Senate committee; the Board policy stays the rule.
New Mexico: Added SB 23 (2026), a school-day ban that passed the Senate 32–6 and died in the House.
Ohio: Added HB 455 (2026), which amended § 3313.753 effective Oct. 9, 2026; the instructional-day ban is unchanged.
Oregon: Added the Oregon Department of Education’s guidance that the order covers passing periods and lunch.
South Carolina: Dated the FY 2026–27 budget proviso to the Act’s Aug. 11, 2026 ratification; a continuing resolution kept the rule in force from July 1.
What the laws ask of a school.
They differ in how much of the day they cover, and in who sets the details.
Draft a phone policy with our free generator, or start from our free school cell phone policy template.
Bell to bell
Phones stay off and put away from the first bell to dismissal, usually including lunch and passing periods. The strictest scope a state sets.Class time
Phones are put away during instruction. Lunch, passing periods and the rest of the day are left to the district, which can go further.A district policy
Every district must adopt a written phone policy, often by a set date. The state leaves the scope and the method to the district.Board policy or executive order
A statewide rule from the state board of education or the governor instead of the legislature. It applies to schools now, and it can change without a new law.Exceptions
Most laws make room for medical needs and for students with an IEP or 504 plan. Many name emergencies, and some do not. Some allow classroom use a teacher directs.How it’s enforced
20 of the 43 laws leave the method to the district. 10 say phones must be stored away during the day, so read your state’s guide before you choose a method.
Questions schools ask.
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. Of those, 24 states and D.C. have enacted a bell-to-bell (full school day) rule, some only for certain grades or from a later school year.
As of October 27, 2026, 6 states have no statewide law, executive order or board policy requiring public schools to restrict student phones: Connecticut (bill failed), Massachusetts (bill pending), Mississippi (bill failed), Montana (left to local boards), South Dakota (bill failed) and Washington (study and guidance law only). In these states each school board sets its own phone policy, so whether phones are allowed depends on the district.
24 states and D.C. have enacted a bell-to-bell rule, which covers the full school day rather than only class time: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Vermont and Virginia, plus D.C. Some apply only to certain grades or start in a later school year; each state's page has the dates.
Bell-to-bell means the rule runs from the first bell of the school day to dismissal, including lunch, passing periods and other non-instructional time, not just class time. Where a statute says "instructional day" without defining it (Louisiana and Ohio, for example), each school system's policy decides how lunch and passing periods are treated. States differ on whether phones must be stored away or only not used, so check the state's own text.
Not in the criminal sense. None of the statewide rules tracked here makes it a crime for a student to have a phone at school. The 44 states and D.C. with a statewide rule direct schools to restrict phones, and schools set the consequences, such as a warning, confiscation or detention, in their discipline policies, within any limits the state sets. Bills are pending in Massachusetts.
In 44 states and D.C., yes: a statewide law, executive order or board policy requires public schools to restrict student phones or adopt a phone policy. These rules are directed at schools and districts, which set the consequences for students. In the other 6 states, each local school board decides.
The most recently signed or adopted statewide rules are Pennsylvania (Act 117 of 2026, October 2026), Illinois (SB 2427, July 2026), Maryland (HB 525 / Ch. 596, May 2026), Georgia (HB 340 and HB 1009, May 2026), Oklahoma (HB 1276, April 2026) and Maine (LD 2212, April 2026).
California's Phone-Free Schools Act (AB 3216) required every school district, county office of education and charter school to adopt a policy limiting or prohibiting student smartphone use by July 1, 2026. It is not a statewide ban: each district sets the scope. Read the California guide
Most make exceptions for medical needs and for students with an IEP or 504 plan. Many also name emergencies, but not all: Maryland struck its emergency exception before passage, and New York says a policy may authorize emergency use rather than requiring it. Some allow classroom use a teacher directs, or translation for English learners. Each state’s guide lists its exceptions. Emergency exceptions by state
20 of the 43 state laws leave the method to the district, and 10 say phones must be stored away during the day. Schools choose phone pouches (like Yondr), lockers or classroom caddies, an “off and away” rule teachers enforce, or software. With LockedIn, students’ own phones lock automatically on campus during school hours, with no pouches or hardware, and unlock after the last bell. Deans see on one dashboard who has deleted the app, faked their location or signed in on a second phone, and in an emergency one tap from an administrator starts Emergency Mode on every phone on campus. Where a state requires phones to be stored away, it works alongside that storage, not instead of it. How LockedIn works