New State Laws Banning Cell Phones in School
- Garavi Trivedi
- Aug 12
- 2 min read
Updated: Aug 28
School leaders have been debating the role of handheld electronics in classrooms since before smartphones even existed. In the 80s, pagers were the most desired communication of the century among teenagers. By the 2000s, smartphones became the new desired object. Suddenly, nearly every teenager had them and spent class messaging their friends. As decades passed, the age at which kids received a smartphone continuously decreased. Today, it has become the norm for middle schoolers to have a smartphone. Educators worry that these devices will disrupt the learning environment of the classroom. These concerns have prompted some districts over the years to ban phones in school.
Statewide cell phone bans and restrictions, however, have gained significant momentum in the summer of 2025. As of July 28, 2025, 33 states have enacted laws or policies on on cell phone usage in K–12 classrooms. These 33 states include: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Ohio, Oregon, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and West Virginia.
The First of Many Bans
In 2023, Florida became the first state to ban cell phone use during instructional time. This law instructed public schools to prohibit student cellphone use during instructional time and block students’ access to social media on district Wi-Fi. It also required schools to teach students about the effects social media has on their behavior. Supporters of the ban argued that students’ attachment to their phones deepened after the pandemic. Critics of the ban, however, argue that communication with parents at school is necessary in case of emergencies, such as shootings. In 2025, Florida extended their “bell-to-bell” law from 2023 to fully prohibit cell phone use for the entire school day in grades K-8.
What is Happening in Each State?
26 states have banned or limited cell phones in classrooms. These states include: 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.
In three states, the Departments of Education have adopted policies to encourage school districts to limit cell phone usage in classrooms. These states are Connecticut, Kansas, and Washington.
Idaho’s Governor, Brad Little, issued an executive order to encourage districts to limit cell phones in schools.
Alaska, Colorado, and Minnesota require K-12 public school districts to adopt policies around student cell phone usage, but the laws do not specify any policies districts should take.
Sources and Further Reading
https://ballotpedia.org/State_policies_on_cellphone_use_in_K-12_public_schools#:~:text=Twenty%2Dsix%20states%E2%80%94Arizona%2C,form%20those%20policies%20should%20take.
https://www.campussafetymagazine.com/insights/which-states-have-banned-cell-phones-in-schools/161286/#:~:text=California%20Governor%20Signs%20Phone%2DFree,smartphones%20during%20the%20school%20day.
https://www.edweek.org/technology/which-states-ban-or-restrict-cellphones-in-schools/2024/06
https://edsource.org/updates/how-a-cell-phone-ban-in-florida-is-affecting-students#:~:text=Florida%20recently%20passed%20a%20ban%20on%20cellphone,on%20students%2C%20The%20New%20York%20Times%20reported.