Atlanta Public Schools (APS) Cell Phone Policy, 2026–27
Atlanta Public Schools bans cell phone use for the whole school day in every grade, pre-K through 12. Rule 14F of the 2026–27 Student Handbook runs from the first bell to the final bell, including lunch, breaks, class changes and study halls, and repeat violations can cost a student the right to bring a phone to school for a semester or a year.
- Location
- Atlanta, Georgia
- Fulton County
- Enrollment
- About 49,000 students
- Atlanta area
APS phone policy at a glance
- Policy
- Rule 14F, “Prohibited Use of Cell Phone,” in the APS 2026–27 Student Handbook (a minor infraction)
- Grades
- Pre-K through 12
- Hours
- First bell to final bell: instruction, breaks, transitions, assemblies, lunch, recess, free periods and study halls
- 1st violation
- Verbal warning
- 2nd violation
- Phone confiscated; returned only to a parent or guardian at a school conference
- 3rd violation
- Confiscation, and the student loses the privilege of having a phone at school for one semester
- 4th violation or more
- Confiscation, and the student loses the privilege for one calendar year
- Exceptions
- An IEP, 504 plan or medical plan that explicitly requires the phone
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 the APS rule says
Rule 14F says that “the use of cell phones during the school day is not allowed in grades Pre-K through 12.” The school day runs from the first bell to the final bell and includes all instructional time, breaks, transitions, assemblies, lunch, recess, free periods, study halls and any other structured or unstructured time. The rule applies whether or not a parent has signed the district’s phone consent form.
The penalties step up with each violation: a verbal warning, then confiscation with a required parent conference to get the phone back, then a semester without the privilege of having a phone at school, then a full calendar year. The only exception is a student whose IEP, Section 504 plan or medical plan explicitly requires a phone, and only within what that plan allows.
How it fits Georgia law
Georgia's Distraction-Free Education Act (HB 340, 2025), codified at O.C.G.A. 20-2-324.8, bars students in kindergarten through grade 8 from accessing personal electronic devices from the first bell to the final bell, beginning no later than July 1, 2026. HB 1009, signed by Gov. Brian Kemp on May 5, 2026, extends the rule to grades 9–12 beginning no later than July 1, 2027. District policies must name a storage method (such as a locker, a locked pouch or a set place in the classroom), route emergency communication through school systems, and allow an exception only for an IEP, a Section 504 plan or a medical plan that requires the device.
APS already applies the bell-to-bell rule to high school students, a year before HB 1009 requires it.
More detail is in our guide to Georgia’s school phone law and the phone-free school laws by state directory.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Atlanta Public Schools cell phone policy?
Under rule 14F of the 2026–27 Student Handbook, students in pre-K through 12 may not use cell phones during the school day, from the first bell to the final bell, including lunch, breaks, class changes and study halls.
Can APS high school students use phones at lunch?
No. The APS rule covers lunch, free periods and study halls in every grade, including high school.
What happens after repeated APS phone violations?
A first violation brings a verbal warning; a second, confiscation and a parent conference; a third, loss of the privilege of bringing a phone for a semester; a fourth or later, loss of the privilege for a calendar year.
Sources
- Student Handbook, Atlanta Public Schools, accessed Oct. 12, 2026
- 2026–27 Student Handbook (PDF), rule 14F, Atlanta Public Schools, Aug. 2026
- HB 1009, as passed House and Senate, Georgia General Assembly, signed May 5, 2026
LockedIn, which publishes this page, makes software that locks students’ own phones during the school day. It is not part of the district’s policy. Where Georgia law calls for phones to be stored away during the day, LockedIn would sit alongside that storage, not replace it.
See other Georgia school districts or school district phone policies by state.