New York school cell phone policy
Distraction-Free Schools policy · FY 2026 State Budget (2025) · Effective 2025-26 school year
New York adopted a statewide bell-to-bell restriction on internet-enabled personal devices for all public schools and charter schools starting in the 2025-26 school year. Every district had to publish its own implementation plan, including how devices would be stored and how parents could reach students during the day.
What the law says
Scope
Bell-to-bell: from the first bell to the last, covering lunch and study halls. Applies to smartphones and other internet-enabled personal devices; simple non-smart phones are permitted.
Enrollment: ~2.4 million students
Exceptions
- Medical needs and IEP / 504 accommodations
- Translation and academic use authorised by staff
- Care of a family member
- Emergencies
Pouches are an accepted method
State guidance names locking pouches among the acceptable storage methods alongside lockers, cubbies and classroom pockets. Districts also had to guarantee a way for parents to contact students, which is handled through the front office.
What compliance looks like on the ground
Students seal their own phone at the door and keep it on them all day. At dismissal they touch the pouch to a fixed magnetic key station and walk out — no staff handling devices, no locker room of phones, and nothing for the district to be liable for.
United States overviewHow it happened
Jan 2025
Governor Hochul proposes a statewide distraction-free schools policy.
May 2025
Policy enacted through the FY 2026 state budget.
Aug 2025
Districts publish implementation plans before the school year.
Sept 2025
Bell-to-bell restriction in force statewide.
New York districts we track
New York City Public Schools
New York City · Five boroughs
915,000
students
Bell-to-bell ban across all schools
District detailBuffalo Public Schools
Buffalo · Erie County
31,000
students
Bell-to-bell ban with school-level storage
District detailRochester City School District
Rochester · Monroe County
22,000
students
Bell-to-bell ban with school-level storage
District detailHow PhoneLock helps New York districts comply
Bought outright
Schools and districts buy the pouches and keep them. No per-event rental, no return logistics, same stock reused every school year.
MOQ 100 pcs
Start with a single campus or pilot grade level, then scale district-wide once the policy is bedded in.
2 weeks / 3-4 weeks
Unbranded pouches ship in about 2 weeks. Branded large-quantity orders take 3-4 weeks — plan around your board approval date.
GS 12000 & GS 14000 keys
Magnetic release keys double as the unlock station. Students tap out in seconds at dismissal, so there is no end-of-day queue.
New York school phone ban — FAQs
Yes. From the 2025-26 school year, New York requires all public and charter schools to restrict internet-enabled personal devices bell-to-bell, covering the full school day including lunch and study halls.
Pouches for New York schools
Tell us your campus headcount and we'll send pricing, lead times and a rollout plan.