Which States Ban or Restrict Cellphones in Schools?

Ed-Tech Policy Tracker

Which States Ban or Restrict Cellphones in Schools?

A look at statewide laws and policies on cellphones in schools

By Arianna Prothero, Lauraine Langreo & Alyson Klein — June 28, 2024 | Updated: January 17, 2025 1 min read

Animated image of a student using a cellphone in class. — Laura Baker/Education Week via Canva

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The iPhone debuted 17 years ago on June 29, 2007, launching the modern smartphone era that virtually every current K-12 student has been born into.

But students’ access to their devices during the school day stands to be dramatically curtailed. A growing wave of education leaders and policymakers are adopting new cellphone policies, with the debate swinging decidedly in favor of tighter restrictions. Limiting access, they argue, will benefit students’ mental health and learning.

At least 19 states have laws or policies that ban or restrict students’ use of cellphones in schools statewide or recommend local districts enact their own bans or restrictive policies, according to an Education Week analysis.

As the debate over cellphones in schools continues, Education Week is tracking state-level legislation and policies that aim to limit students' access to the devices during the school day.

Cellphone Laws & Policies

Follow this tracker to see what’s happening at the state level.

Active state policies on cellphones at-a-glance

State policy details

Resources

Dive deep into the debate on cellphones in K-12 schools—bans, restrictions, classroom learning tools, and more.

Contact Information

For media or research inquiries about this table and data or to contribute information, contact library@educationweek.org.

How to Cite This Page

Which States Ban or Restrict Cellphones in Schools? (2024, June 28). Education Week. Retrieved Month Day, Year from https://www.edweek.org/technology/which-states-ban-or-restrict-cellphones-in-schools/2024/06

Arianna Prothero

Assistant Editor, Education Week

Arianna Prothero covers technology, student well-being, and the intersection of the two for Education Week.

Lauraine Langreo

Staff Writer, Education Week

Lauraine Langreo is an Education Week staff writer, covering education technology and learning environments.

Alyson Klein

Assistant Editor, Education Week

Alyson Klein is an assistant editor for Education Week.

Laura Baker, Creative Director and Lynn (Yunfei) Liu, Digital News Specialist contributed to this article.

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