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State policies on cellphone use in K-12 public schools

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School leaders and educators began grappling with the role handheld electronic devices should play in educational spaces in the 1980s, when students brought pagers to schools in increasing numbers.[1] Educators worried the devices could disrupt the classroom and hurt academic performance.[2] Those concerns continued as cellphones and smartphones became widely adopted in later decades, leading districts to set policies on where and when personal devices could be used on campus.[3]

In most states, school boards or superintendents most often set policies on cellphones and other technologies in public schools. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), around 76% of schools said they banned the non-academic use of cell phones or smartphones during school hours during the 2021-22 school year, down from 91% in 2010.[4] In many high schools, administrators allowed cell phone use at designated times during the school day, such as lunch.[5]

Beginning with Florida in 2023, some states enacted laws or policies regulating student cellphone usage in public schools. Proponents of these restrictions argued that cellphones distract students, adversely affecting learning, and referenced academic research suggesting cellphones and social media increase anxiety and depression in children.[6][7] Opponents said enforcing classroom cellphone bans can be difficult and that many parents use cellphones to keep in contact with their children, especially during emergencies.[8][9][10]

HIGHLIGHTS
  • As of September 4, 2025, 34 states had enacted laws or policies on K-12 classroom or school cellphone usage.
  • Twenty-six states—Arizona, Alabama, Arkansas, California, Ohio, Oregon, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Texas, Utah, Vermont, and West Virginia—ban or limit cellphones in classrooms.
  • The Connecticut Department of Education, the Kansas Department of Education, and the Washington Department of Education adopted policies encouraging districts to limit cellphone usage in classrooms. Idaho Gov. Brad Little (R) issued an executive order encouraging districts to limit cellphones in schools.
  • Four states—Alaska, Colorado, Minnesota, and New Mexico—require K-12 public school districts to adopt policies around student cellphone use, though the laws don't specify the form those policies should take.

    • Recent news

    Below, you'll find the four most recent state actions on cellphones in schools. Click here to see a full timeline.

    • July 2, 2025: Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek (D) signed an executive order prohibiting student cellphone use during the school day.[11]
    • July 1, 2025: North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein (D) signed HB 959, which requires districts to prohibit student cellphone use during the school day.[12]
    • July 1, 2025: Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) signed HB 96, requiring districts to adopt a policy prohibiting student cellphone use during the school day.[13]
    • June 30, 2025: New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte (R) signed HB 2, requiring school districts to develop policies prohibiting student cellphone use during the school day. The bill requires that the policies contain exceptions for medical, disability, or other needs.[14]

    State-level school cellphone policies

    The map below shows statewide K-12 school cellphone policies.

    Statewide cellphone policies

    Below, you'll find states that enacted statewide policies on K-12 public school cellphone use. The table does not include states without statewide policies.

    Statewide bans or restrictions on cellphone usage in K-12 classrooms
    State Date enacted Trifecta status at time of enactment Bill/policy text Type of limitation Details
    Alabama May 14, 2025 Republican HB 166 Statewide ban "Beginning with the 2025-2026 school year, no student may possess a wireless communication device in any public elementary or secondary school building or on the grounds thereof during the instructional day unless the wireless communication device is turned off and stored off their person in a locker, car, or similar storage location."
    Alabama February 11, 2024 Republican Alabama State Board of Education resolution Encourages districts to limit cellphones in classrooms "NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Alabama State Board of Education strongly encourages each local board of education to adopt a policy limiting the use of cellular telephones and or other electronic communication devices while on school property..."
    Alaska May 20, 2025 Divided HB 57 Requires districts to establish cellphone policies "Each school district shall adopt a policy that regulates the possession and use of nonschool-issued wireless telecommunications devices during regular school hours, including lunch and passing periods."
    Arizona April 14, 2025 Divided HB 2484 Limits cellphone usage in classrooms "Each school district governing board and charter school governing body shall prescribe and enforce policies and procedures that both: (1) Govern student access to the Internet as provided by the school, including policies that restrict student access to social media platforms. The policies and procedures adopted pursuant to this paragraph shall allow teachers to give students access to social media platforms to the extent necessary for educational purposes; and (2) Limit the use of wireless communication devices by students during the school day."
    Arkansas February 21, 2025 Republican SB 142 Statewide ban "Each public school district and open-enrollment public 7 charter school shall submit its policy and exemptions concerning the 8 possession and use by a student of a personal electronic device required 9 under subdivision (b)(1) of this section to the Division of Elementary and 10 Secondary Education for review and approval or disapproval. The policy may shall, without limitation: Restrict the possession and use of a 13 personal electronic device during the school day; Prohibit the use of a personal electronic device during the school day."
    California September 23, 2024 Democratic Assembly Bill No. 3216 Limits cellphone usage in classrooms "This bill would instead require the governing body of a school district, a county office of education, or a charter school to, by July 1, 2026, develop and adopt, and to update every 5 years, a policy to limit or prohibit the use by its pupils of smartphones while the pupils are at a schoolsite or while the pupils are under the supervision and control of an employee or employees of that school district, county office of education, or charter school, as provided. By imposing additional duties on local educational agencies, the bill would constitute a state-mandated local program."
    Colorado May 1, 2025 Democratic HB 25 Requires districts to establish cellphone policies "The act requires, on or before July 1, 2026, the Colorado school for the deaf and the blind, and each institute charter school, district charter school, and a local board of education for its schools that are not district charter schools, to adopt, implement, and post on its website a policy concerning student communication device possession and use during the school day. At a minimum, the policy must describe the prohibitions and exceptions, if any, regarding student communication device possession and use during the school day."[15]
    Connecticut August 21, 2024 Democratic Personal Technology Use in Connecticut Schools: Impact of Social Media and the Use of Cell Phones on Student Learning and Mental Health Encourages districts to limit cellphones in classrooms "Given the risks and negative impact on learning and mental health, local and regional boards of education, in collaboration with school leaders, educators, families and students, should develop and enact a districtwide Personal Technology Use in Schools policy inclusive of cell phones and current and emerging technologies."[16]
    Florida May 9, 2023 Republican House Bill 379 Statewide ban "A student may possess a wireless communications device while the student is on school property or in attendance at a school function; however, a student may not use a wireless communications device during instructional time, except when expressly directed by a teacher solely for educational purposes. A teacher shall designate an area for wireless communications devices during instructional time. Each district school board shall adopt rules governing the use of a wireless communications device by a student while the student is on school property or in attendance at a school function."
    Georgia May 9, 2025 Republican HB 340 Statewide ban "Beginning no later than July 1, 2026, no public school student in kindergarten through grade eight shall be permitted to access personal electronic devices during the school day, except as otherwise provided in this Code section or required by law."
    Idaho October 31, 2024 Republican Executive order Encourages districts to limit cellphones in classrooms "Encouragement of all schools to have a comprehensive, district wide policy in place on cell phone restriction in schools by the end of the 2024-2025 school year. These policies should follow the policy guidance as issued by the State Department of Education."
    Iowa April 30, 2025 Republican HF 782 Statewide ban "Commencing with the school year beginning July 1, 2025, the board of directors of each school district shall adopt policies regarding student use of personal electronic devices during school hours that restrict student use of such devices during classroom instructional time."[17]
    Indiana March 11, 2024 Republican Senate Bill 185 Statewide ban "Each school corporation and charter school shall adopt and

    implement a wireless communication device policy that: (1) except as provided in subdivisions (2) and (3) and subsection (d), prohibits a student from using a wireless communication device during instructional time; (2) authorizes a teacher to allow a student to use a wireless communication device for educational purposes during instructional time; and (3) permits a student to use a wireless communication device in the event of an emergency or to manage the student's health care."

    Kansas December 11, 2024 Divided Policy Encourages districts to limit cellphones in classrooms N/A
    Kentucky March 26, 2025 Divided House Bill 208 Statewide ban "Amend KRS 158.165 to require local boards of education to adopt a policy to, at a minimum, prohibit student use of a personal telecommunications device during the school day with specific exceptions; amend KRS 156.675 to include social media in prohibited material to be made inaccessible through school technology and provide the scope of social media to be prohibited."
    Louisiana May 28, 2024 Republican Senate Bill 207 Statewide ban "Effective beginning with the 2024-2025 school year and thereafter, no student shall possess, on his person, an electronic telecommunication device throughout the instructional day. If a student brings an electronic telecommunication device in any public elementary or secondary school building or on the grounds thereof during an instructional day, the electronic device shall either be turned off and properly stowed away for the duration of the instructional day or prohibited from being turned on and used during the instructional day."
    Minnesota May 17, 2024 Democratic SF 3567 Requires districts to establish cellphone policies "A school district or charter school must adopt a policy on students' possession and use of cell phones in school by March 15, 2025."[18]
    Nebraska May 20, 2025 Republican LB 140 Statewide ban "Such policy: 14 (i) Shall, except as provided in subdivision (b) of this subsection, 15 prohibit the use of an electronic communication device by students while 16 on school property or attending a school function"[19]
    Nevada May 28, 2025 Divided SB 444 Statewide ban "Existing law: (1) requires the board of trustees of each school district to adopt a policy concerning the use and possession by pupils of certain electronic devices while on school property or at a school activity; and (2) sets forth certain requirements concerning the policy"
    New Hampshire June 30, 2025 Republican HB 2 Statewide ban "School boards and the board of trustees of chartered public schools shall develop and adopt a policy governing the use of student cell phones and other personal electronic communication devices in schools. Such policy shall prohibit all personal communication device use by students from when the first bell rings to start instructional time until the dismissal bell rings to end the academic school day, with approved exceptions determined by the superintendent or their designee with respect to student medical, disability, or language proficiency need."
    New Mexico April 10, 2025 Democratic SB 11 Requires districts to establish cellphone policies "Requiring that each school district and charter school adopt and implement a policy for the use of wireless communication devices by students in public schools; requiring the public education department to provide policy guidelines."
    New York N/A Democratic N/A Statewide ban Ban announced on May 6, 2025, as part of a budget agreement between Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) and the New York State Legislature
    North Carolina July 1, 2025 Divided HB 959 Statewide ban "The governing body of a public school unit shall establish a wireless communication policy. At a minimum, except as permitted in subsection (c) of this section, the policy shall prohibit students from using, displaying, or having a wireless communication device turned on during instructional time"
    North Dakota April 25, 2025 Republican HB 1160 Statewide ban "Requires all personal electronic communication devices be silenced or turned off, securely locked away, and inaccessible to students during instructional time"
    Ohio July 1, 2025 Republican HB 96 Statewide ban "Not later than the first day of July that immediately follows the effective date of this amendment January 1, 2026, each school district board of education shall adopt a policy governing the use of cellular telephones by students during school hours. The policy shall: 3) prohibit all cellular telephone use by students during the instructional day, except as described in division (C)(2) of this section or if permitted under the building's comprehensive emergency management plan adopted under section 5502.262 of the Revised Code."
    Ohio May 20, 2024 Republican House Bill 250 Limits cellphone usage in classrooms "...each school district board of education shall adopt a policy governing the use of cellular telephones by students during school hours. The policy shall do all of the following: (1) Emphasize that student cellular telephone use be as limited as possible during school hours; (2) Reduce cellular telephone-related distractions in classroom settings..."[20]
    Oklahoma April 6, 2025 Republican SB 139 Statewide ban "For the 2025-2026 school year, each school district board of education shall adopt a policy prohibiting students from using cell phones and personal electronic devices while on the campus of a public school district from bell to bell. The policy shall include disciplinary procedures for violations."
    Oregon July 2, 2025 Democratic Executive Order 25-09 Statewide ban "Every Oregon school district is required to have a policy that shall prohibit the use of personal electronic devices by students from the start of regular instructional hours until the end of regular instructional hours."
    Oregon October 30, 2024 Democratic Fostering Student Learning, Well-Being, and Belonging: Guidance for School Cell Phone Policies Encourages districts to limit cellphones in classrooms "Due to recent research regarding adolescence cell phone use, the Oregon Department of Education recommends that schools and districts review and update their policies related to cell phone and mobile device use during the school day to limit or restrict the use of them."[21]
    South Carolina July 3, 2024 Republican Budget proviso in 2024-25 Appropriations Act Statewide ban "To receive state funds allocated for State Aid to Classrooms, a school district shall implement a policy adopted by the State Board of Education that prohibits access to personal electronic communication devices by students during the school day. For purposes of this provision, a personal electronic communication device is considered to be a device not authorized for classroom use by a student, utilized to access the Internet, wi-fi, or cellular telephone signals."[22]
    Tennessee March 28, 2025 Republican SB 0897 Statewide ban "As introduced, requires local boards of education and public charter school governing bodies to adopt a policy to prohibit students from using wireless communication devices during instructional time, except in certain circumstances."
    Texas June 20, 2025 Republican HB 1481 Statewide ban "Notwithstanding any other law and subject to Subsection (c), the board of trustees of a school district or the governing body of an open-enrollment charter school shall adopt, implement, and ensure the district or school complies with a written policy prohibiting a student from using a personal communication device while on school property during the school day."
    Virginia July 9, 2024 Divided government Executive Order 33 Statewide ban "Establish a detailed definition of 'cell phone-free education' which incorporates feedback from parents, students, teachers, and other stakeholders. The definition should address the age-appropriateness of all actions including the elimination or severe restriction of the use of cell phones and smart phones during instructional time, as well as input on age-appropriate restrictions on other personal electronic communication devices, such as smart watches, tablets, and computers connected to the internet during instructional time other than school authorized uses."
    Utah March 25, 2025 Republican SB 178 Statewide ban "Prohibits a student from using a cellphone, smart watch, or emerging technology during classroom hours; allows a local education agency to create exemptions to the prohibition; and permits the State Board of Education to create model policies."[23]
    Vermont June 27, 2025 Divided HB 480 Statewide ban "Every Oregon school district is required to have a policy that shall

    prohibit the use of personal electronic devices by students from the start of regular instructional hours until the end of regular instructional hours."

    Washington September 6, 2024 Democratic district guidance Encourages districts to limit cellphones in classrooms "I am challenging all Washington school districts to engage their communities over the next year with a goal to reduce distractions during instructional time and determine a path for restricting cell phone and smart device use in class by the start of the 2025–26 school year."[24]
    West Virginia April 29, 2025 Republican HB 2003 Statewide ban "As personal electronic devices are a privilege and are not contributable to the appropriate development and growth of students, all personal electronic devices shall not be accessible to students for use in a classroom setting during instructional time, with the exception of exemptions set forth in this policy."[25]

    State cellphone school pilot/grant programs

    Three states—Delaware, Pennsylvania, and Arkansas—approved funding in 2024 to provide some districts with pouches for storing cellphones during the school year.

    State cellphone school pilot programs
    State Date enacted/approved Trifecta status at time of enactment Details
    Arkansas July 2, 2024 Republican In a letter, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) wrote, "Teen math, reading, and science scores have dropped in the United States and other developed nations since 2012, while school alienation has risen across the board. To help address these issues, this pilot grant program will provide pouches for students to safely store their phones during the school day, creating a better learning environment and inviting in-person socialization."[26]
    Delaware July 1, 2024 Democratic Gov. John Carney (D) signed a $168 million supplemental spending bill that earmarked $250,000 for a state Department of Education pilot program on using cellphone pouches in schools. Under the pilot, students would place their phones in pouches, such as the ones sold by YONDR, and would not have access to them until the end of the school day.[27] Lawmakers suggested five to eight schools across the state could participate in the pilot.[28] The state Department of Education was tasked with implementing the pilot, collecting data, and evaluating the results.
    Pennsylvania July 11, 2024 Divided government Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) signed a bill allocating $100 million to schools for a grant program to help schools limit cellphones during the day. Schools could use the grants to purchase cellphone pouches for stowing phones.[29]


    Timeline

    Below, you'll find a timeline in reverse chronological order of when states enacted their public school classroom cellphone policies. Pilot programs are not included in this timeline.

    • July 2, 2025: Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek (D) signed an executive order prohibiting student cellphone use during the school day.[30]
    • July 1, 2025: North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein (D) signed HB 959, which requires districts to prohibit student cellphone use during the school day.[31]
    • July 1, 2025: Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) signed HB 96, requiring districts to adopt a policy prohibiting student cellphone use during the school day.[32]
    • June 30, 2025: New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte (R) signed HB 2, requiring school districts to develop policies prohibiting student cellphone use during the school day. The bill requires that the policies contain exceptions for medical, disability, or other needs.[33]
    • June 27, 2025: Vermont Gov. Phil Scott (R) signed HB 480, a bill banning K-12 public school cellphone use during the school day.[34]
    • June 20, 2025: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) signed HB 1481, a law requiring districts to create policies prohibiting student cellphone use during the school day.[35]
    • May 28, 2025: Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo (R) signed SB 444, requiring K-12 public school districts to adopt policies regulating cellphones during the school day. Among other things, the policies must prohibit students from accessing their cellphone during class, with some exceptions.[36]
    • May 20, 2025: The Alaska State Legislature voted 46-14 to override Gov. Mike Dunleavy's (R) veto of HB 57, an education funding bill that includes a requirement that K-12 public school districts develop policies regulating student cellphone use. HB 57 does not require that districts ban cellphones during the school day, only that they adopt a policy and share it with parents, students, and school employees.[37]
    • May 20, 2025: Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen (R) signed LB 140, a bill prohibiting K-12 public school student cellphone use on school property or during school functions. The law allows for exceptions, including for emergencies.[38]
    • May 14, 2025: Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey (R) signed HB 166, which prohibits students in K-12 public schools from accessing their cellphones during the school day.[39]
    • May 9, 2025: Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) signed HB 340, a law prohibiting students in kindergarten through eighth grade from accessing cellphones during the school day. The law allows for exceptions for emergencies and Individualized Education Plans (IEP).[40]
    • May 6, 2025: New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) announced K-12 public school districts, as well as charter schools, will be required to prohibit student cellphone use during the school day beginning during the 2025-26 school year. It will be up to districts to craft their own cellphone policies, though Hochul announced the state will allocate roughly $13 million to districts to assist in the ban.[41][42]
    • May 6, 2025: Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) signed SB 139, a bill that imposes a one-year ban on public school student cellphone use during the 2025-26 school year. In subsequent years, the restrictions become optional for districts.[43]
    • May 1, 2025: Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) signed HB 25, requiring K-12 public school districts to craft and implement policies around student cellphone use by July 1, 2026.[44]
    • April 30, 2025: Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) signed HF 782, requiring K-12 public school districts to adopt policies restricting student cellphone use during instructional time.[45]
    • April 29, 2025: West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey (R) signed HB 2003, requiring school boards to develop policies prohibiting cellphones during instructional time. The law allows boards to impose stricter requirements, such as prohibiting cellphones on school property. The law provides for exceptions, including for emergencies and individual education plans (IEPs).[46]
    • April 25, 2025: North Dakota Gov. Kelly Armstrong (R) signed HB 1160. The law requires schools to store students' devices, including cellphones and smart watches, during the school day. The law provides for exceptions for health and other reasons, and directs districts to collect data on how their cellphone bans affect student mental health, attendance, and academic performance.[47]
    • April 14, 2025: Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) signed HB 2484, a bill requiring districts to limit, with some exceptions, cellphone use during the school day. The law directs districts to write policies around cellphone usage and to share them with parents at the beginning of each school year.[48]
    • April 10, 2025: New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) signed SB 11, requiring districts to adopt a policy governing student cellphone use during the school day.[49]
    • March 28, 2025: Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R) signed SB 0897, a bill requiring districts to prohibit students from accessing cellphones during class time.[50][51]
    • March 26, 2025: Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) signed HB 208. The law required districts to adopt a policy that prohibits, with some exceptions, student cellphone use during the school day.[52][53]
    • March 25, 2025: Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (R) signed SB 178, prohibiting cellphones in K-12 public school classrooms during the school day. The law allows school boards to modify the policy, either strengthening or loosening the ban.[54][55][56]
    • February 21, 2025: Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) signed SB 142, requiring districts to craft policies prohibiting students from accessing their cellphones and other electronic devices during the school day.[57]
    • December 11, 2024: The Kansas State Board of Education voted to approve the recommendations of an education task force that said districts should prohibit students from using cellphones during the school day. Districts were not required to adhere to the recommendations.[58]
    • October 31, 2024: Idaho Gov. Brad Little (R) signed an executive order that encourages districts to limit cellphones in schools and awards districts that enact such policies $5,000.[59]
    • October 30, 2024: The Oregon Department of Education approved a policy recommending local districts update technology policies to limit or prohibit cellphones during the school day.[60][61]
    • October 11, 2024: The Alaska State Board of Education approved a policy directing the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development to develop a policy limiting cellphones during the school day.[62]
    • September 23, 2024: California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed Assembly Bill 3216 requiring K-12 public and charter schools to limit or prohibit cellphones during the school day by July 1, 2026.[63]
    • August 28, 2024: The California State Legislature passed Assembly Bill 3216 which would require school districts to adopt policies to limit or prohibit students' smartphone use during the school day. Governor Gavins Newsom's (D) signature is required for the bill to come law.[64]
    • August 21, 2024: The Connecticut State Board of Education voted unanimously to adopt a policy encouraging districts to limit student access to cellphones during the school day: "Given the risks and negative impact on learning and mental health, local and regional boards of education, in collaboration with school leaders, educators, families and students, should develop and enact a districtwide Personal Technology Use in Schools policy inclusive of cell phones and current and emerging technologies."[65][66]
    • July 15, 2024: New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) announced she was embarking on a statewide tour of school districts to discuss classroom and school cellphone policies. Hochul said, "We can help our young people succeed in the classroom by ensuring they’re learning and growing – not clicking and scrolling. That’s why I’m working with all stakeholders across the state to develop effective solutions on smartphones that help protect our kids’ mental health and deliver the best results for our schools."[67]
    • July 9, 2024: Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) issued Executive Order 33, requiring districts to establish a definition of “cell phone-free education.” According to the Order, “The definition should address the age-appropriateness of all actions including the elimination or severe restriction of the use of cell phones and smart phones during instructional time…”.[68]
    • July 3, 2024: South Carolina lawmakers included a proviso in the 2024-25 state budget that requires schools to ban students from using cellphones during the day to receive funding: “To receive state funds allocated for State Aid to Classrooms, a school district shall implement a policy adopted by the State Board of Education that prohibits access to personal electronic communication devices by students during the school day.”[69]
    • May 28, 2024: Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry (R) signed SB 207: “Effective beginning with the 2024-2025 school year and thereafter, no student shall possess, on his person, an electronic telecommunication device throughout the instructional day.”
    • May 20, 2024: Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) signed House Bill 250 (HB 250), requiring districts to establish policies on cellphone use in schools. Among other things, the policy must “emphasize that student cellular telephone use be as limited as possible during school hours,” and, “reduce cellular telephone-related distractions in classroom settings.”[70] Although HB 250 does not require districts to ban student cellphone use outright, it does say districts can do so to satisfy the law’s requirements. The Ohio House approved the bill 89-0 and the Senate approved it 32-0.
    • May 17, 2024: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) signed SF 3567.[71] The law requires districts and charter schools to adopt a policy on cellphones by March 15, 2025. The law does not specify what those policies should look like, but it does direct the Minnesota Elementary School Principals Association and the Minnesota Association of Secondary School Principals to work to "minimize the impact of cell phones on student behavior, mental health, and academic attainment.”
    • March 11, 2024: Indiana Gov. Gov. Eric Holcomb (R) signed Senate Bill 185 (SB 185). SB 185 bans cell phones and other portable devices, including laptops and tablets, during class. Teachers can make exceptions to the rule for educational purposes or emergencies. The Indiana House approved the bill 83-8 and the Senate approved it 49-0.
    • February 11, 2024: The Alabama State Board of Education unanimously approved a resolution calling on districts to implement policies “a policy limiting the use of cellular telephones and or other electronic communication devices while on school property.”[72] The Board said it took this step because “national studies show that using cellular telephones or other electronic communication devices in classrooms can disrupt and distract from the learning environment, negatively impact test scores, and affect long-term learning retention.”
    • May 9, 2023: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed House Bill 379 (HB 379), making the state the first in the country to enact a law limiting how public school students can use cell phones at school. Both chambers of the legislature approved the bill unanimously.[73] In addition to banning phones in classrooms (with some exceptions left up to teacher discretion), HB 379 requires schools to block access to social media platforms like TikTok on school computers and Wi-Fi networks, except for educational purposes, and teach students in grades 6-12 about the dangers of social media.[74]

    Background

    Before there was talk of limiting cellphones in classrooms, lawmakers, district leaders, educators, and parents worried about the effect an earlier technology could have in schools—pagers.[75]

    In the 1980s, there was a concern that pagers could facilitate drug trafficking, and school boards and city councils sought to ban students from bringing the devices onto campuses in some cities. In 1988, the Chicago City Council passed an ordinance banning pagers in all private and public schools.[76] A story in the Chicago Tribune from that time states, "A number of other school districts across the country, including those in Miami, Philadelphia, San Diego and Houston, have banned beepers and other electronic communications devices."[77] States, including Maryland and Kentucky, enacted laws making it illegal for students to bring cellphones and pagers to school.[78]

    Pagers gave way to cellphones, which a growing number of Americans acquired throughout the 1990s.[79] According to Gallup, half of American adults reported owning a cellphone in 2000.[80] By 2010, that figure had risen to 82%.[81] During that period, the number of children using cellphones became more common, leading school district leaders and educators to worry they could create distractions and make it easier for students to cheat. A 2003 article in the Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education stated: "It is one of the most common (and unsettling) occurrences in today's classrooms—the ringing of a cell phone, often punctuated by some silly tune or sound effect that announces to everyone that a call is coming in. Inevitably, educators say, it happens during an important part of a lecture or discussion, just when a critical point is being made, and suddenly, the 'teachable moment' is lost."[82]

    Some districts, including in New York City continued to ban cellphones and other electronic devices in schools throughout the 1990s and into the 2000s. Following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers, the New York City Department of Education reconsidered the ban, with a Board of Education representative saying, "We want students to be able to reach their parents in the event of an emergency."[83] In 2015, the New York City Department of Education repealed its ban on cellphones in schools, a position then-Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) had campaigned on.[84]


    Arguments

    Although few advocate for allowing students unsupervised access to electronic devices in classrooms, people who oppose outright bans in schools have argued that there may be reasonable times and places for students to use cellphones. Opponents of outright bans say, for example, that parents use cellphones to reach their children during the school day.


    Arguments supporting banning or limiting cellphones in schools and classrooms

    Claim: Cellphones disrupt the learning environment

    New York University Prof. Jonathan Haidt wrote that cellphones distract students and keep them from interacting with their classmates.[85]

    “

    The only way to get students’ minds off their phones during the school day is to require all students to put their phones (and other devices that can send or receive texts) into a phone locker or locked pouch at the start of the day. Schools that have gone phone-free always seem to report that it has improved the culture, making students more attentive in class and more interactive with one another. Published studies back them up.[86]

    		”
    —Jonathan Haidt

    Claim: Limiting access to cellphones during the school day can reduce bullying

    Education writer Matthew Rhoads wrote that limiting access to phones can help reduce bullying, which, he says, often begins on social media but can carryover into schools.[87]

    “

    Much of the root of bullying we see in our schools takes place within the digital world. I have spoken to K-12 administrators in many areas of the country. They describe much of their major behavior and bullying they see takes place through the use of phones. Ultimately, they say it starts with the phones and then it manifests in person within our classrooms and hallways...Overall, while we cannot regulate how students use their phones before and after school hours, we can mitigate their use during school hours, which is still a quite substantial amount of time that covert bullying activity may not be taking place anywhere close to what it was before the phone ban taking place.[86]

    		”
    —Matthew Rhoads

    Arguments opposed to banning or limiting cellphones in schools and classrooms

    Claim: Schools should teach students how to have a healthy relationship with technology rather than ban cellphones altogether

    Writer and teacher Erica Barry wrote that schools should teach students digital literacy and how to use their devices without becoming addicted to them.[88]

    “ Given what we know about how phones and the social media they harbor can radicalize violence, harm mental health, and capsize attention spans—leaching our attention even when they are turned off—the case for eliminating devices to create safe learning spaces can seem like a no-brainer. But if we’re trying to prepare students for the messy, wider world, administrators need to put less energy into figuring out how to implement bans, and more into helping teenagers learn how to foster balance and focus while surrounded by the siren call of their devices.[86] ”
    —Erica Barry


    Claim: Students from marginalized backgrounds may not have alternatives outside of cellphones for developing digital literacy

    University of Michigan education professor Liz Kolb summarizes an argument that low-income students, and students from other marginalized backgrounds, may not have computers at home. Kolb says those students rely on cellphones as tools for developing digital literacy.[89]

    “

    ...historically what we have found is that our students who have been historically marginalized in schools, our Black and brown students or lower-income students, they typically do not have access to desktop or laptop computers at home, compared with our more affluent students. And we have found that they do tend to have access to smartphones and smart devices. So, for some families, that is the only digital tool access they have. So students learning how to use it in an academically productive way, in a way that helps with life skills, is an essential skill. By not allowing students to have cellphones in school, it takes away that opportunity to provide that education to the students who most likely will need it. So, there is definitely an equity argument for why cellphones should be considered in schools.[86]

    		”
    —Liz Kolb

    Footnotes

    1. ↑ Pessimists Archive, "The Forgotten War on Beepers," April 10, 2024
    2. ↑ Canadian Journal of Educational Administration and Policy," "Cell Phones, Student Rights, and School Safety: Finding the Right Balance," accessed August 8, 2024
    3. ↑ The Guardian, "TechScape: The ‘smartphone era’ transformed the world – what will define the next decade?" September 19, 2023
    4. ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Percentage of public schools with various safety and security measures: Selected school years, 1999-2000 through 2021-22," accessed August 8, 2024
    5. ↑ Education Week, "Where Should Students Be Allowed to Use Cellphones? Here’s What Educators Say," November 22, 2023
    6. ↑ The Mercury News, "Opinion: Why we should ban kids’ smartphone use in school," March 12, 2024
    7. ↑ The Atlantic, "End the Phone-Based Childhood Now," March 13, 2024
    8. ↑ The Washington Post, "Banning cellphones in schools is not so simple," December 1, 2023
    9. ↑ EdChoice, "Cell Phones in Schools Are a Complicated Issue, New Poll Finds," August 8, 2024
    10. ↑ Medium, "Banning Cell Phones in Schools Isn’t the Answer; Here Are Better Options," June 19, 2024
    11. ↑ OPB, "Gov. Kotek issues executive order banning cellphones during school hours," July 2, 2025
    12. ↑ The News & Observer, "Gov. Josh Stein signs law banning NC students from using their phones in class," July 1, 2025
    13. ↑ Cincinnati.com, "Ohio bans cell phones in schools, with some exceptions," July 2, 2025
    14. ↑ LegiScan, "New Hampshire House Bill 2," accessed July 28, 2025
    15. ↑ Colorado General Assembly, "Communication Devices in Schools," accessed June 20, 2025
    16. ↑ CT Mirror, "CT recommends cellphone restrictions in schools," August 21, 2024
    17. ↑ Iowa Legislature, "HF 782 (2025)," accessed May 23, 2025
    18. ↑ StarTribune, "Minnesota lawmakers look to curtail student cellphone use in school," April 21, 2024
    19. ↑ Nebraska Legislature, "LB140 - Require school policies relating to use of electronic communication devices by students," accessed May 23, 2025
    20. ↑ The law continues: "this section shall not be construed to require a district board to adopt a policy that prohibits all cellular telephone use by students. Nonetheless, any district board that adopts a policy that prohibits all cellular telephone use by students shall be considered to have met the requirements in division (C) of this section"
    21. ↑ Oregon Department of Education, "Fostering Student Learning, Well-Being, and Belonging Guidance for School Cell Phone Policies," October 2024
    22. ↑ WIS 10, "Many students head back to the classroom with new cell phone ban in place," July 30, 2024
    23. ↑ Utah State Legislature, "S.B. 178," accessed April 1, 2025
    24. ↑ Washington Department of Education, "Cell Phone and Smart Device Use in Schools," accessed May 28, 2025
    25. ↑ West Virginia Legislature, "House Bill 2003," May 23, 2025
    26. ↑ Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, "Sanders Invites Arkansas School Districts to Join Phone-Free School, Mental Health Pilot Program," July 2, 2024
    27. ↑ District Administration, "No more distractions: Delaware lawmakers back effort to seal away cell phones in the classroom," July 23, 2024
    28. ↑ WHYY, "No more distractions: Delaware lawmakers back effort to seal away cell phones in the classroom," July 23, 2024
    29. ↑ Fox Rothschild, "PA Creates $100 Million Fund for Cellphone Lockup Programs in Schools," July 18, 2024
    30. ↑ OPB, "Gov. Kotek issues executive order banning cellphones during school hours," July 2, 2025
    31. ↑ The News & Observer, "Gov. Josh Stein signs law banning NC students from using their phones in class," July 1, 2025
    32. ↑ Cincinnati.com, "Ohio bans cell phones in schools, with some exceptions," July 2, 2025
    33. ↑ LegiScan, "New Hampshire House Bill 2," accessed July 28, 2025
    34. ↑ VT Digger, "Vermont just became the latest state to ban cellphones in the classroom. What does that mean for schools?" July 2, 2025
    35. ↑ 1200 News Radio WOAI, "Governor Abbott Signs School Cell Phone Bill Into Law, What About THC Ban?" June 21, 2025
    36. ↑ 3 News, "Nevada governor signs bill banning cell phones in classrooms to curb student distractions," June 3, 2025
    37. ↑ Alaska Beacon, "Alaska Legislature overrides Gov. Dunleavy’s veto of public school funding bill," May 20, 2025
    38. ↑ Nebraska NOW, "Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen signs school cellphone ban, social media age limit into law," May 21, 2025
    39. ↑ WSFA, "Public schools cell phone ban passes Alabama Legislature," May 28, 2025
    40. ↑ Government Technology, "Georgia Gov. Kemp Signs Phone Ban for Grades K-8 Into Law," May 16, 2025
    41. ↑ CNY Central, "Gov. Hochul says New York will be largest state in country with school cellphone ban," May 6, 2025
    42. ↑ The New York Times, "New York Bans Smartphones in Schools, Joining National Movement," April 29, 2025
    43. ↑ Oklahoma Voice, "Oklahoma governor signs mandatory one-year school cellphone ban into law," May 6, 2025
    44. ↑ Colorado General Assembly, "Communication Devices in Schools," accessed June 20, 2025
    45. ↑ Des Moines Register, "Gov. Kim Reynolds signs law ordering Iowa schools to ban cell phones during class," May 1, 2025
    46. ↑ WSAZ 3, "New law to ban cell phones in W.Va. schools draws mixed reaction," May 23, 2025
    47. ↑ North Dakota Monitor, "Gov. Armstrong signs bill banning public school student cellphone use in North Dakota," April 25, 2025
    48. ↑ LegiScan, "AZ HB2484," accessed April 25, 2025
    49. ↑ Source NM, "Anti-distraction policy in schools becomes law in NM," April 30, 2025
    50. ↑ Local 3 News, "TN Gov. Lee signs bill to restrict cell phone use in schools," April 4, 2025
    51. ↑ Tennessee General Assembly, "SB 0897," accessed April 4, 2025
    52. ↑ Courier Journal, "Schools must ban cellphones under new KY law. What does that mean for JCPS?" April 1, 2025
    53. ↑ Kentucky General Assembly, "House Bill 208," accessed April 4, 2025
    54. ↑ Fox 13 Now, "Bill to ban cell phones from classrooms in Utah advances," February 4, 2025
    55. ↑ Associated Press, "More states move to ban cellphones in school as Georgia is latest to act," March 25, 2025
    56. ↑ Deseret News, "Hang Up! Bill prohibiting cellphones in Utah’s K-12 classrooms moves closer to becoming ‘default’ statute," February 25, 2025
    57. ↑ Eldorado News-Times, "Sanders signs bills granting free breakfast and banning cellphones in public schools," February 21, 2025
    58. ↑ The Topeka Capital-Journal, "A total phone ban for students: What Kansas is recommending to school districts," December 10, 2024
    59. ↑ KHQ, "Idaho Governor Brad Little signs executive order to limit student cellphone use," November 2, 2024
    60. ↑ Oregon Public Broadcasting, "Oregon Dept. of Education recommends schools ‘limit or restrict’ use of cellphones in new guidance," October 30, 2024
    61. ↑ Oregon Department of Education, "Fostering student learning, well-being, and belonging: guidance for school cell phone policies," October 2024
    62. ↑ Alaska Department of Education and Early Development, "State Board of Education Approves Cell Phone Model Policy Resolution at Quarterly Meeting," October 11, 2024
    63. ↑ Governor Gavin Newsom, "Governor Newsom signs legislation to limit the use of smartphones during school hours," September 23, 2024
    64. ↑ The Sacramento Bee,"California legislators want school districts to limit, prohibit smartphone use in schools," August 28, 2024
    65. ↑ CT Mirror, "CT recommends cellphone restrictions in schools," August 21, 2024
    66. ↑ [https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/sde/board/position_statement_cell_phone_use.pdf Connecticut State Board of Education, "Personal Technology Use in Connecticut Schools: Impact of Social Media and the Use of Cell Phones on Student Learning and Mental Health," accessed August 21, 2024]
    67. ↑ New York State | Governor Kathy Hochul, "Governor Hochul Kicks Off Statewide Listening Tour on Tackling Smartphone Use in New York Schools," July 15, 2024
    68. ↑ Governor of Virginia Glenn Youngkin, "Governor Glenn Youngkin Issues Executive Order Establishing Cell Phone-Free Education in Virginia’s K-12 Public Schools," August 13, 2024
    69. ↑ The State, "Cellphones will soon be banned in all SC public schools. Here's what we know." August 6, 2024
    70. ↑ LegiScan, "Ohio House Bill 250," accessed August 13, 2024
    71. ↑ Minnesota Legislature Office of the Revisor of Statutes, "SF 3567," accessed August 13, 2024
    72. ↑ Alabama Achieves, "Resolution Regarding Cellular Telephone Usage in Alabama Schools," accessed August 13, 2024
    73. ↑ LegiScan, "Florida House Bill 379," accessed August 13, 2024
    74. ↑ Florida Politics, "Legislature unanimously passes bill restricting social media, student phone use in school," May 3, 2023
    75. ↑ Gigazine, "In the past, there was a fierce battle between telecommunications companies, parents, schools, and lawmakers to eradicate pagers," April 23, 2024
    76. ↑ Journal and Courier, "Chicago bans beepers in schools," December 16, 1988
    77. ↑ Chicago Tribune, "BEEPER BAN IN SCHOOLS URGED," November 30, 1988
    78. ↑ Education Week, "Districts Inclined To Hang Up On Students’ Cellular Phones," March 22, 2000
    79. ↑ The Smithsonian, "From ‘the Brick’ to the iPhone, the Cellphone Celebrates 50 Years," April 3, 2023
    80. ↑ Gallup, "Gallup Vault: Misjudging Cellphone Adoption," February 16, 2018
    81. ↑ Pew Research Center, "Cell phones and American adults," September 2, 2010
    82. ↑ The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education, "Invasion of the Classroom Cell Phones," December 15, 2003
    83. ↑ Education World, "Schools, States Review Cell Phone Bans," accessed August 9, 2024
    84. ↑ The New York Times, "Ban on Cellphones in New York City Schools to Be Lifted," January 6, 2015
    85. ↑ The Atlantic, "End the Phone-Based Childhood Now," March 13, 2024
    86. ↑ 86.0 86.1 86.2 86.3 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
    87. ↑ Navigating the Present and Future of Education, "Why We Should Ban Phones in K-12 Schools: A Changed Perspective," December 18, 2023
    88. ↑ Wired, "Banning Phones in Class? Not So Fast," September 7, 2022
    89. ↑ Marketplace, "The complicated reality of school cellphone bans," July 17, 2024
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