Phones Now Banned in Schools Across 26 States

Imagine walking into school and realizing the soundtrack of buzzing notifications, camera clicks, and whispered TikTok references is gone. In its place? Actual conversation, the scrape of chair legs, maybe even a little boredom. Across the U.S., that scene is becoming reality. In just two years, phone bans have swept through more than half the states, sparking a mix of relief, rebellion, and big questions about how we connect when our screens are out of reach.

The Legislative Wave — From Florida to 26 States

When Florida passed the nation’s first statewide law regulating cellphone use in public schools in 2023, it set off a chain reaction in legislatures across the country. Just two years later, more than half of U.S. states have followed suit. As of May 2025, 26 states have enacted laws banning or restricting cellphone use in schools, while eight more states and the District of Columbia have implemented rules or issued policy recommendations to local districts.

The 26 states with formal laws now include: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah.

The pace of change this year has been unprecedented. Seventeen states passed new laws in 2025 alone. On May 13, Connecticut state Rep. Jennifer Leeper, a Democrat and co-chair of the General Assembly’s Education Committee, called cellphones “a cancer on our kids” that are “driving isolation, loneliness, decreasing attention and having major impacts both on social-emotional well-being but also learning.”

Republicans have expressed similar concerns. After Georgia approved a law banning phones for students in kindergarten through eighth grade, state Rep. Scott Hilton told reporters, “This is not just an academic bill. This is a mental health bill. It’s a public safety bill.”

Recent signings highlight the bipartisan nature of the movement. In Nebraska, Republican Gov. Jim Pillen signed a law banning phones throughout the entire school day. Earlier the same day, Alaska lawmakers overrode Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s veto of an education package, requiring schools to regulate cellphone use in the process.

The push reflects a growing consensus that controlling phone use in schools is not just about preventing classroom distractions but also about safeguarding mental health and improving social interaction among students.

Beyond the Classroom — The Rise of ‘Bell-to-Bell’ Bans

When Florida first acted in 2023, its law prohibited phones only during instructional time, allowing students to use them between classes or at lunch. But momentum is shifting toward stricter policies. Lawmakers in Florida have since advanced a bill—awaiting Gov. Ron DeSantis’ signature—that would bar phones for the entire school day in elementary and middle schools.

This move mirrors a broader national trend. According to the Associated Press, ten states and the District of Columbia now have “bell-to-bell” bans in place, covering grades K–12 in most cases. These policies surpass the seven states that limit use only during instructional hours.

North Dakota offers a vivid example of the shift. In signing his state’s full-day ban into law, Republican Gov. Kelly Armstrong called it “a huge win” and noted that “teachers wanted it. Parents wanted it. Principals wanted it. School boards wanted it.” Armstrong, who recently visited a grade school under such a ban, observed students “engaging with each other and laughing at tables during lunch”, a scene he said underscored the value of removing phones from daily school life.

Advocacy groups have played a role in this expansion. The education think tank ExcelinEd, founded by former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, has promoted all-day bans through both research and political lobbying. Nathan Hoffman, the group’s senior director of state policy and advocacy, argues that keeping phones out of reach throughout the day prevents disruptions outside the classroom, “like when students set up or record fights in halls… that’s often when you get some of your biggest behavioral issues, whether they go viral or not.”

Why States Are Banning Phones: Mental Health, Learning, and Safety

The policy rationale rests on three pillars: mental health risks linked to heavy social media use, persistent classroom distraction, and campus-safety concerns. Federal data show the issue is not marginal. In February 2025, the National Center for Education Statistics reported that 53% of public-school leaders say cell phones negatively affect academic performance, with even higher shares citing harms to attention and mental health. As NCES Commissioner Peggy Carr put it, “school leaders see cell phones as more than just a classroom distraction… schools are facing a critical issue.”

On youth mental health, the U.S. Surgeon General has warned that social media use is “nearly universal” among teens and that “we do not yet have enough evidence to determine if social media use is sufficiently safe” for adolescents, a period of heightened brain vulnerability. The advisory highlights research linking more than 3 hours/day of social media use with double the risk of poor mental-health outcomes, while also noting potential benefits for connection and identity and calling for household tech-free zones and broader policy action.

The academic evidence, meanwhile, is mixed—an important nuance for educators and parents. A widely cited quasi-experimental study in England found that school phone bans increased test scores, especially for lower-achieving students, without harming higher achievers. Yet a Swedish replication using a similar design found no effect on student performance and could “reject even small-sized gains.”

International monitoring adds texture. OECD’s PISA 2022 and its 2024 policy brief suggest that reducing in-class digital distractions can help, but they also caution that outright bans may impede students’ ability to self-regulate device use; moderate, purposeful use for learning often correlates with better outcomes. Pediatric guidance similarly emphasizes healthy patterns over raw screen-time counts, urging families to balance content, context, and communication and many clinicians now advise waiting until at least age 13 before starting social media accounts.

Finally, safety and school climate remain core motivators for lawmakers and district leaders. Advocates argue that all-day limits reduce hallway incidents (e.g., filming fights) and cyber-spillover that undermines discipline, a point frequently cited by policy groups backing “bell-to-bell” bans.

Rules, Exceptions, and Pushback — A Complete Picture

While cellphone bans in schools share a common goal of minimizing distractions and supporting student well-being, the resulting policies differ considerably by state. For example, Florida’s 2023 law and Georgia’s K–8 restriction prohibit phone use only during instructional hours but allow use during lunch or passing periods. In contrast, states like North Dakota, Louisiana, and Nebraska have adopted “bell-to-bell” bans that cover the entire school day implemented through North Dakota’s 2025 law, Louisiana’s Act 152, and Nebraska’s LB 1103. Additionally, the PBS NewsHour article clarifies that eight other states plus D.C. have issued rules or recommendations to local districts rather than passing broad mandates.

Most laws preserve essential exceptions—medical devices, accommodations under IEPs or 504 Plans, and tools for English-language learners. Some include more unique carve-outs, like South Carolina’s provision for volunteer student firefighters to keep phones, or West Virginia’s allowance permitting non-communicative smartwatches. States like Maine defer entirely, letting districts set their own policies.

Still, not everyone supports these bans. A major concern among parents is losing direct contact in emergencies. The Apalachee High School shooting in Georgia intensified this fear, as the suspect’s mother called administrators about an “extreme emergency” half an hour before the tragedy but no preventive action was taken.

Meanwhile, in Wyoming, momentum stalled. A proposed ban failed in the Senate in January 2025, with critics arguing such decisions should remain in the hands of parents and local school boards. WyoFile reported that senators rejected the measure on grounds that it could strip districts of necessary flexibility.

The result? A mixed and evolving landscape: some states enact strict, pouch-backed bans, others prefer localized flexibility, and a rising number opt for recommendations over mandates, highlighting a persistent national tension between school authority and family autonomy.

How to Survive (and Even Enjoy) a School Phone Ban

If your school has gone phone-free, it can feel weird at first, like part of your day is missing. But a ban doesn’t have to be all bad. Here are some ways to make it easier, whether you’re a student adjusting or a parent trying to support your kid.

1. Swap Your Scroll for Something Fun
Bring a small puzzle, sketchbook, or paperback for downtime. Having something to do between classes or at lunch can make the phone itch fade fast.

2. Use the “Inbox” Trick
Keep a small notebook where you jot down messages, ideas, or things you want to look up later. When you finally get your phone back, you’ll have a ready-to-go list—no need to constantly check during the day.

3. Practice Mini Digital Detoxes at Home
Go phone-free during dinner, homework time, or for the first 30 minutes after waking up. It makes the school ban feel less jarring and helps build better habits.

4. Parents: Set Up a Contact Plan
If you need to reach your child, know exactly who to call and how messages get passed along. Having a clear plan reduces panic if something urgent comes up.

5. Reconnect with Friends the Old-School Way
Use lunch and breaks to actually talk. You might find conversations last longer and feel more real without notifications buzzing in the middle.

6. Treat It as a Skill-Building Challenge
Think of it as training for self-control. One day, you’ll have to manage your phone in college, at work, or in meetings. A school ban is a chance to practice, not just a rule to endure.

7. Reward Yourself for Sticking to It
Made it through the week without sneaking your phone? Plan a weekend hangout, go for your favorite treat, or use your phone time for something fun and intentional, not endless scrolling.

In the beginning, a phone ban can feel like a loss. But with a little creativity, it can become a break your brain and your friendships will thank you for.

Life Beyond the Screen: What Phone Bans Are Really Teaching Us

What started in Florida as a bold experiment has turned into one of the fastest-moving education trends in recent memory. For some, it’s a welcome reset—a way to reclaim focus, reduce drama, and bring back the kind of hallway chatter you can’t scroll past. For others, it’s an overreach that ignores the realities of a hyper-connected world.

But whether you see it as progress or a problem, one thing is certain: these bans are reshaping the rhythm of school life. They’re forcing students, teachers, and parents to re-learn how to navigate a day without a device in hand and maybe even rediscover the value of being present. The question now isn’t just how long the bans will last, but how the lessons learned in these phone-free hallways might echo long after the final bell.