Twenty-six (26) states have laws or policies requiring local school boards to ban or limit cellphone use in K-12 classrooms. Twenty-two (22) of these laws were enacted in 2025, with the most recent put in place in Oregon through an executive order. Three additional states require K-12 public school districts to adopt policies around student cellphone use, though the laws don't specify what they need to contain, and four states encourage districts to limit cellphone use in K-12 classrooms.
State cellphone policies differ, with variables including the following:
- Exceptions for emergencies, medical needs, or individualized education plans.
- Whether or not there are times of the day students can use their phones. (For example, some policies prohibiting students from using their phones from the beginning to the end of the day are referred to as bell-to-bell bans. Other state policies allow teachers to authorize phone use for curricular activities.)
- Prohibitions regarding social media use on school devices.
Trifecta analysis
Of the 26 states with laws banning or limiting cellphone use:
- Seventeen (17) have Republican trifectas.
- Six have divided governments.
- Three have Democratic trifectas.
Of the states requiring districts to adopt cellphone policies though not specifying requirements:
- Two have Democratic trifectas.
- One has a divided government.
Of the states encouraging districts to limit cellphone use:
- Two have Democratic trifectas.
- One has a Republican trifecta.
- One has a divided government.
State policy highlights
- North Carolina: In addition to banning cellphone use, this policy requires instruction on social media and mental health to be included in elementary, middle, and high school curricula. School districts are required to restrict student access to social media and other content on an internet device while at school.
- Georgia: This policy bans cell phone use only in elementary and middle schools starting in Jan. 2026.
- Oklahoma: This policy institutes a year-long ban on cellphone use in schools, requiring school districts to implement policies to enforce it. School boards are not required to maintain a cellphone ban after the year is over.
- Louisiana: This policy prohibits the possession of a phone at school unless it is turned off or stored away.
Ballotpedia’s school board authority research
Statewide cellphone policies, depending on the details, can limit the discretion and authority of local school boards or require school boards to make policies. Earlier this year, Ballotpedia examined the rules governing school board authority and responsibilities in all 50 states. The research includes information on the authority of and constraints on school board policy-making power concerning the following specific topics:
- Curriculum requirements
- Curriculum restrictions
- Book bans and restrictions
- Parental notification policies
- Discipline
- School board elections
- Public school choice and open enrollment
- Charter schools
- Cellphone bans
Additional reading: