San Francisco Unified (SFUSD) Cell Phone Policy, 2026–27

SFUSD phone policy at a glance

Policy

Board Policy 5131.8, Mobile Communication Devices

Possession

Allowed on campus, subject to the policy and any school-site rules

When off

Turned off and put away during instructional time, including passing periods

Exceptions

An emergency or perceived danger; teacher or administrator permission for instruction; a physician’s determination for health; an IEP

Recording

No photos, film or video of students or staff without their prior written consent

Violations

Possible discipline; staff may confiscate the device or have a parent collect it; serious or repeated violations can cost a student the right to carry one

What’s next

A board committee is drafting a new policy; a vote is planned for January 2027, with changes no earlier than fall 2027

Last verified Oct. 12, 2026 against the district’s published policy and the state law it cites. Sources are listed at the end of this page.

What SFUSD’s policy says

Board Policy 5131.8 lets students have phones, smartwatches and similar devices on campus as long as they follow the law, the policy and any rules their school adds. All devices must be turned off and put away during instructional time, including passing periods. Students may not take photos, film or video of other students or staff without their prior written consent, or use a device to bully, harass, threaten or cheat.

When a student uses a device without permission, staff may confiscate it or require a parent to come to school to collect it, and the student may be disciplined. A student’s right to carry a device can be revoked for serious or repeated violations unless it is medically necessary. Schools can set stricter rules; some require phones to stay in backpacks all day.

A new SFUSD phone policy is coming

In June 2026 the board kept Policy 5131.8 in place to meet California’s July 1, 2026 deadline and created an ad hoc committee of board members, educators, students and parents to draft a replacement, according to the San Francisco Chronicle and Hoodline. The plan calls for public input in fall 2026, a board vote in January 2027 and any new rules from fall 2027. A district survey reported by the Chronicle found that 92% of staff respondents said the current policy is not consistently enforced.

How it fits California law

California's Phone-Free School Act (AB 3216, 2024) added Education Code 48901.7. It required every district, county office of education and charter school to adopt, by July 1, 2026, a policy that limits or prohibits student smartphone use at school or while under staff supervision, and to update it at least every five years. The law leaves the scope to each district. It requires four exceptions: an emergency or perceived threat of danger, permission from a teacher or administrator, a physician's determination that the student needs the phone for health reasons, and use required by an IEP.

SFUSD’s Policy 5131.8 already listed these four exceptions, citing Education Code 48901.5 and 48901.7, which is why the board could keep it in place to meet the July 1, 2026 deadline.

More detail is in our guide to California’s school phone law and the phone-free school laws by state directory.