Campus Safety – Amy Rock 14july2025.
As of June 2025, 22 states and Washington, D.C., have signed or already enacted laws or policies regarding student cell phone usage in K-12 classrooms.
This article, originally published Aug. 30, 2024, was last revised on July 14, 2025.
Cell phone bans and restrictions in K-12 schools continue to gain momentum this academic year. As of June 2025, 22 states and Washington, D.C., have signed or already enacted laws or policies regarding student cell phone usage in K-12 classrooms, according to a report from Ballotpedia.
At a more local level, many school boards and districts have also voted to limit or ban cell phones in the classroom, some even before their state made it a requirement. For instance, in June 2024, the the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) School Board voted to ban cell phones and social media during the school day.
As part of LAUSD’s policy, which went into effect on Feb. 18, phones must be turned off and stored away and cannot be put on silent or vibrate mode. Phones will not be allowed during lunch or breaks but can be used on campus before and after school hours.
According to a 2023 report from Common Sense Media, half of kids ages 11 to 17 receive at least 237 notifications on their phones on a typical day — 25% of which are received during the school day. In the past year or so, dozens of school districts have sued the parent companies of Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube, alleging their apps cause classroom disciplinary problems and mental health issues and divert resources from education.
Aside from the more obvious concern of cell phones being a significant distraction from learning, in June, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued an advisory calling on Congress to require warning labels on social media platforms regarding their effects on young people. The advisory said social media may cause body image issues, affect eating behaviors and sleep quality, and lead to social comparison and low self-esteem. According to 2022 data from the Pew Research Center, more than a third of teens ages 13 to 17 say they use social media “almost constantly” — including during the school day.
States with Active Laws or Executive Orders that Ban or Restrict Cell Phones in Schools
So, which states have enacted actual legislation or issued executive orders that ban cell phones in schools? As of June 2025, in addition to Washington, D.C., those states are:
- Alabama
- Florida
- Georgia
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New York
- North Dakota
- Oklahoma
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Virginia
- West Virginia
Other states have laws in place that limit cell phones in classrooms, including:
- Arkansas
- Arizona
- California
- Ohio
According to AP News, as of May 2025, cell phone ban legislation is also pending in the following states:
- Illinois
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Missouri
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- North Carolina
- Vermont
- Wisconsin
The only states that have not implemented any policies on cell phone use in schools are Mississippi and Wyoming. A full breakdown can be seen in AP News’ chart below. (Note: It was last updated on May 21 so it does not include Texas as a state with a state-wide ban or restriction)
Which State Was the First to Ban Cell Phones?
In May 2023, Governor Ron DeSantis signed House Bill 379, making it the first state to use the legislative process to ban cell phones in classrooms. Both chambers of the legislature approved the bill unanimously.
“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,” the bill states. “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.”
In addition to banning cell phones in classrooms, HB 379 also requires schools to block access to social media platforms on school computers and Wi-Fi networks, except for educational purposes and to teach students in grades 6-12 about the dangers of social media.
Continue Reading…….listing of State legislative actions
Do Parents Support Cell Phone Bans in School?
While some LAUSD parents voiced opposition to the ban, the previously mentioned Prodigy survey found that 64% of parents across the U.S. support banning cell phones during the school day. A more recent survey, conducted by Pew Research from Sept. 30- Oct. 6, 2024, found 68% of U.S. adults support a ban on middle and high school students using cell phones during class, including 45% who strongly support it. Another 24% oppose it while 8% said they aren’t sure.
The survey also found the public is much less supportive of a full-day ban on cell phone use than a classroom ban. About 36% support banning cell phones for the entire day, including during lunch and between classes. By comparison, 53% oppose this more restrictive approach.
Do Teachers Support Cell Phone Bans in School?
The Prodigy survey also found nearly three in four teachers support a ban on cell phones, although 46% said implementing screen time restrictions during the school day is a better approach than banning them altogether.
On average, teachers surveyed said they discipline students for using their cell phones five times a week, and 46% said they have confiscated students’ phones. Teachers also largely agreed that a ban would improve students’ academic performance (81%), behavior and discipline (74%), and mental health (70%). A similar survey from Study.com found teachers in schools with lenient cell phone policies are 21% more likely to lose more than an hour of learning time each week to managing cell phone use.
Last fall, 72% of U.S. high school teachers reported that students being distracted by their phones was a “major problem” in classrooms, according to a study by Pew Research Center. Around 33% of middle school teachers and 6% of elementary school teachers also said cell phone distractions are a major problem.
Another Study.com survey conducted between July 24 and August 6 determined that in schools with strict policies in effect, 70% of educators reported safer learning environments and 76% saw improved student engagement (see graphic). Additionally, 68% reported improved classroom management.
The survey also looked at schools with moderate or flexible cell phone policies and found those educators were 21% more likely to lose more than an hour of learning time each week to managing cell phone use.
“I’m always teaching to divided attention. There’s one eye on me, and one eye on the phone,” said Brandie Provenzano, a high school English teacher in Prince William County, Virginia. “When we tell them to put it away, it’s not like they’re defiant. They do put them away. But then you see them leaning over, trying to look in their backpack and read their messages, or they have to go to the bathroom to go read their messages.”
Cell Phone Bans and School Safety
Study.com’s summer survey also asked participants about how cell phone bans have impacted student and teacher safety.
Many teachers said they believe cell phone bans could increase student safety by decreasing school bullying and other behavioral disruptions. However, the study again found distinct differences in responses depending on whether a school has a flexible or strict cell phone policy.
In schools with flexible policies, 57% of educators said they believe a ban would enhance student safety. In comparison, 70% of educators in schools with strict policies said they believe bans would improve student safety.
The survey found similar patterns in the belief that bans improve teacher safety. In schools with flexible policies, 54% of teachers believe a cell phone ban would improve their safety. In schools with strict policies, 69% feel a cell phone ban improves their safety.
Source – Campus Safety – Which States Have Banned Cell Phones in Schools?
